Basic Site Details

Name: Edinburgh University Library
City or county: Edinburgh
Country: Scotland
Parish:  
Status:  
Grid ref:
Notes: It won a RIBA Award in 1968 and a Civic Trust Award in 1969

Building Type Classification

The building is classified under the following categories:
 ClassificationOriginal classification?Notes
Item 1 of 1Library  

Street Addresses

The following street addresses are associated with this building:
 AddressMain entrance?Notes
Item 1 of 1George Square  

Events

The following date-based events are associated with this building:
 FromToEvent typeNotes
Item 1 of 6  Won award or awardsRIBA Architecture Award 1968 - Only award in Scotland. Per Building 06/09/1968, p 95
Item 2 of 6  Won award or awardsConcrete Society awards 1968 - Commended, per Building 06/12/1968 p108
Item 3 of 6 1999Alteration/conversionRefurbishment of ground floor and lower ground floor - remaoval of island issue and returns desk, installation of new desks, improved secure access and replacement of lighting and other services
Item 4 of 61955 Project commissionedSpence was approached to design the library. RCAHMS
Item 5 of 619641967Build/construction 
Item 6 of 61969 Won award or awardsCivic Trust Award

People

Design and Construction

The following individuals or organisations have carried out design/construction work. Where architects or practices worked together, matching letters appear beside their names in the Partnership Group column.
 NameRolePartnership GroupFromToNotes
Item 1 of 11Edward Taylor D 1999Refurbishment of ground floor and lower ground floor - remaoval of island issue and returns desk, installation of new desks, improved secure access and replacement of lighting and other services
Item 2 of 11(Sir) Basil Urwin Spence A1960s  
Item 3 of 11Andrew Merrylees A1960s Partner-in-charge with J.Hardie Glover
Item 4 of 11Douglas Hutton A1960s Given as a job he worked on in 'Basil's Bairns' exhibition. But this may be an error for Heriot-Watt Library.
Item 5 of 11James Muir Marshall A1960s Project architect
Item 6 of 11John Hardie Glover A1960s Partner-in-charge
Item 7 of 11Ove Arup & Partners A1960s  
Item 8 of 11Peter Scott Ferguson A1960s  
Item 9 of 11Sir Basil Spence, Glover & Ferguson A1960s  
Item 10 of 11Thomas ('Tom') Ridley A1960s consultant, for Arup
Item 11 of 11William ('Bill') Whyte A1960s Working for Sir Basil Spence, Glover & Ferguson

References

Bibliographic References

The following books contain references to this building:
 Author(s)DateTitlePartPublisherNotes
Item 1 of 5Gifford, John, McWilliam, Colin and Walker, David M1984Edinburgh (The Buildings of Scotland) Harmondsworth: Penguin Books Ltdp75, 245
Item 2 of 5Glendinning, Miles1997Rebuilding Scotland: The Postwar Vision, 1945-75  Tuckwell Press Ltdp141-2, p165-7
Item 3 of 5http://canmore.rcahms.gov.uk/en/site/122525/details/edinburgh+george+square+univ http://canmore.rcahms.gov.uk/en/site/122525/details/edinburgh+george+square+university+of+edinburgh+library/  Accessed 21.04.12
Item 4 of 5RIBA1970RIBA Directory 1970   
Item 5 of 5Willis, Peter1977New architecture in Scotland  p46-7

Periodical References

The following periodicals contain references to this building:
 Periodical NameDateEditionPublisherNotes
Item 1 of 3Building6 September 1968  RIBA Architecture Awards 1968, p95
Item 2 of 3Building6 December 1968  p108
Item 3 of 3Scotsman25 February 2012  p47: obituary of Tom Ridley

Archive References

The following archives hold material relating to this building:
 SourceArchive nameSource catalogue no.Notes
Item 1 of 2Courtesy of Edward TaylorInformation sent via email to Yvonne Hillyard Sent April 2011
Item 2 of 2Notes taken at this time by YHBasil's Bairns exhibition, 2008