Civil Engineering heritage: Scotland - Lowlands and Borders
Date 2007
Event ID 605510
Category Descriptive Accounts
Type Publication Account
Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/event/605510
This historic structure, sometimes called ‘The Iron Building’, built in 1855–56 is probably the oldest surviving fully cast-iron frontage commercial building in the UK. The architect was John Baird, who had exposed an iron frame to public view as early as 1827 in the hammer beam roof of the Argyle Arcade.
The building is straightforward and logical in its use of materials and in 1855 was state of the art. It is four storeys high, fronting Jamaica Street with four bays and the adjacent side street with three bays. Each bay above the ground floor is divided into lights by simple iron mullions. All the mullion facades are moulded, slightly differing from storey to storey and were cast to form modules of 21 ft span between columns on the Jamaica
Street elevation and 1712 ft spans at the side street. Internally the timber floors are carried on iron beams resting on cast-iron columns. Although not strictly civil engineering, the building is a masterpiece of cast-iron functionality and elegance.
R Paxton and J Shipway 2007
Reproduced from 'Civil Engineering heritage: Scotland - Lowlands and Borders' with kind permission of Thomas Telford Publishers.
