Edinburgh, George Watson's College, Music School
Classroom (20th Century)
Site Name Edinburgh, George Watson's College, Music School
Classification Classroom (20th Century)
Canmore ID 237647
Site Number NT27SW 1691.08
NGR NT 24125 71397
Datum OSGB36 - NGR
Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/site/237647
- Council Edinburgh, City Of
- Parish Edinburgh (Edinburgh, City Of)
- Former Region Lothian
- Former District City Of Edinburgh
- Former County Midlothian
Project (1997)
The Public Monuments and Sculpture Association (http://www.pmsa.org.uk/) set up a National Recording Project in 1997 with the aim of making a survey of public monuments and sculpture in Britain ranging from medieval monuments to the most contemporary works. Information from the Edinburgh project was added to the RCAHMS database in October 2010 and again in 2012.
The PMSA (Public Monuments and Sculpture Association) Edinburgh Sculpture Project has been supported by Eastern Photocolour, Edinburgh College of Art, the Edinburgh World Heritage Trust, Historic Scotland, the Hope Scott Trust, The Old Edinburgh Club, the Pilgrim Trust, the RCAHMS, and the Scottish Archive Network.
Field Visit (22 August 2000)
The abstract sculpture resembles a squarish open-work relief, but is in fact free-standing on two poles rising from the brick floor. The walls of the entrance portico create a niche for the sculpture (which was probably commissioned by the architects of the Music School, Michael Laird Partnership, for that space). The work is constructed of rough flattish vertical slabs, some of which suggest figurative elements, such as a wolf-headed vertical figure at centre-left. Rougher amorphous forms at the edges, and wavy linear forms flowing across towards the bottom, might suggest landscape elements. The whole composition is anchored by a rectangular block, upper right of centre, which breaks horizontally into a palette-shaped enclosed space. The overall surface of the sculpture has been roughly worked.
The Music School was designed by Michael Laird Partnership. In an article in The Scotsman of 11 March 1964, the architect Michal Laird describes the design. He also refers to the site and to the sculpture: 'the entrance portico ties the building to the poplar hedge on the north boundary and it will also shelter a magnificent bronze sculpture by Ann Henderson.' (1)
Inscriptions : None
Signatures : None Visible
Year of unveiling : 1964 (?)
Information from Public Monuments and Sculpture Association (PMSA Work Ref : EDIN0371)
Desk Based Assessment (5 May 2013 - 31 October 2013)
Built in 1962 this is a single storey music school with a taller auditorium with a doubly curved roof.
Information from Linn Glancy (Headland Archaeology) 2014.
OASIS ID: headland1-302007, no. HB27202
