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Archive relating to architecural work on Midlothian County Building extension, Edinburgh.
551 357/1/13/3
Description Archive relating to architecural work on Midlothian County Building extension, Edinburgh.
Date 1966 to 1969
Collection Robert Matthew, Johnson-Marshall & Partners Collection
Catalogue Number 551 357/1/13/3
Category All Other
Administrative History The site of this buildingis in Melbourne Place (George IV Bridge), Edinburgh, with frontages on to two adjacent streets known as Victoria Street and the Lawnmarket. The Lawnmarket is part of the old Medieval street running from Edinburgh Castle to the Palace of Holyrood House, known as the Royal Mile. The medieval town plan consisted of pedestrinl routes running at right angles to the Royal Mile at frequent intervals and called 'closes'. The plan form of the building is influenced by the closes which once passed through the site but were removed after construction of the George IV Bridge in early Victorian times. Three of these closes, known as Fishers Close, Brodies Close and Buchanans Close, are expressed by the sub-divisions of the building mass into pavillions which provide the office space. Between these pavillions are located the service areas containing escape stairs, services and lifts. These areas are forcefully expressed in the form of towers clad in coursed Craigleith Stone and they rise approximately twenty feet above the copper covered mansard roof over the office accommodation. The office accommodation in the pavillions is expressed with Teak plated continuous double-glazed windows over Portland stone faced precast spandrels, all separated from the towers by black slate bands. The lowest three floors cover the whole site area (18,500 sq ft) and contain car park and plant space in the basement with canteens, lounges and storage space on the 'mezzanine' floor above. These floors are connected by a tunnel under George IV Bridge to the existing County Buildings, designed in neo-classical style by J.McIntyre Henry, and erected in 1901. The ground floor of the building above the mezzanine is entered from the long Melbourne Place elevation by way of a hall of scale and character, linking mezzanine, ground and first floors by way of voids and an open stair. The computer room is seperated from the hall by a glazed screen and also seen from the computer room is a courtyard which links the water garden and the remaining parts of the three closes. The building was opened by her Majesty the Queen Mother in April 1970.
External Reference 97
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