Architecture Notes

Event ID 791731

Category Descriptive Accounts

Type Architecture Notes

Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/event/791731

NT27SW 1531 24478 73281

See also NT27SW 4544 24470 73261 3 Dewar Place, Central Generating Station, Southern Wing.

Latterly an Electricity Office, from which the South of Scotland Electricity Board and then Scottish Power plc billed customers in the East of Scotland, this building was originally designed in 1894 by Robert Morham as the Edinburgh Lighting Central Generating Station. It was extended with an extra floor in 1896, and with a southern wing in 1898. The ornate Dewar Place facade is faced with dressed red sandstone, but early twentieth century additions to the N side and to the rear (E side) are of red brick, somtimes with red sandstone margins. The site evolved throughout the 20th century, being downgraded to sub-station status with the arrival of the National Grid and more centralised large-scale electricity generation. The station retained its switchgear whilst serving as an administrative centre.

In recent years, a large open sub-station on the east side of the building was renovated and painted in bright colours which were illuminated with coloured lights at night, forming a very effective visual promotion of the newly privatised utility, Scottish Power plc, very close to the new Edinburgh Conference Centre. In 1997, the Dewar Place building itself was to be adapted for temporary use as a press centre during a Commonwealth Heads of Government conference held in Edinburgh. Thereafter, the future of the building was uncertain.

Visited by RCAHMS (MKO) 16 July 1997

J Gifford, C McWilliam and D Walker 1984