HISTORIC SCOTLAND
EDINBURGH, CITY OF COUNCIL
Information Supplementary to the Statutory List
(This information has no legal significance)
EDINBURGH BURGH
STATUTORY LIST
HB Number 27140
Item Number: 40 U
29-31A (ODD NOS) AND 35 CONSTITUTION STREET AND 9 BALTIC STREET, FORMER CORN EXCHANGE
Group with Items:
Map sheet:
Category: A
Group Category:
Date of Listing 14-DEC-1970
Description:
Peddie & Kinnear, dated 1861, frieze carving John Rhind. 2-storey corner office block with engaged octagonal entrance tower and Renaissance details, large rectangular-plan hall to N. Cream sandstone, polished ashlar with squared and snecked stugged rubble to rear and side. Base course; carved frieze of vine leaves and corbelled string course above ground floor; frieze of scrolled vine leaves to deep modillioned eaves cornice; windows in recessed panels; ground floor openings with moulded stilted segmental arches and impost course, ornamental iron grilles to aprons; 1st floor windows with moulded round-arched heads and impost course.
ENTRANCE TOWER: engaged octagonal 3-stage entrance tower; 1st and 2nd stage detailed as above with doorway to centre, 2-leaf panelled door and plate glass fanlight, consoled cornice blank arches to outer bays. Top stage with round-arched bipartite windows with foliate capitals set in recessed rectangular panels to 4 sides; paterae frieze and bracketted eaves cornice; classical octagonal domed metal roof with wallhead stack to rear and octagonal domed bellcote with round-arched openings and ornate weathervane.
NW (CONSTITUTION STREET) ELEVATION: 4-bay office block to right with arcaded openings, secondary doorway to outer right. 5-bay hall to left with carved frieze (John Rhind) of putti in grain-related activities and eaves cornice; moulded, round-arched and keystoned openings. Centre bay with tall doorway with elongated fanlight; 2 bays to right with tall windows with bracketted cills; 2 bays to left with large rectangular architraved and corniced doorways with boarded doors and small semi-circular fanlights above cornice, cast-iron pal stones.
S (BALTIC STREET) ELEVATION: 7-bay (excluding corner tower) with arcaded openings; secondary doorways with 2-pane fanlights to outer right and centre bays. Single storey screen wall to outer right with
2 segmental arches, to right blocked with blank segmental-arched panel.
W ELEVATION: blank with blocked windows to left and broad rendered wallhead stack to office block.
4-pane timber sash and case arched windows. Slate roof with metal flashings to office block; felt roof to hall. 2 wallhead stacks (see above), apex stack to gable end of hall, large transverse stack.
INTERIOR: vestibule and stair hall with red and white marble floor and dado; newel posts with timber lighthouses as lamps; 2 windows flanking doorway with non-figurative stained glass (circa 1900); ground floor toilets with original tiling; large skylight to round offices at 1st floor. Exchange hall to rear blind round arches to side bays and semi-circular gable elevations; roof supported by arched timber braces with pierced and carved spandrels painted gold, red and blue.
References:
THE SCOTSMAN, Oct 17 1860. BUILDING NEWS, Sept 28 1860. THE BUILDER, Nov 8 1862. Gifford et al, EDINBURGH (1984), pp469-70.
Notes:
Group with 37-43 Constitution Street, 2-18, 1-31 Bernard Street and Robert Burns Statue.
© Crown copyright, Historic Scotland. All rights reserved. Mapping information derived from Ordnance Survey digital mapping products under Licence No. 100017509 2012 . Data extracted from Scottish Ministers' Statutory List on 31 May 2012 . Listing applies equally to the whole building or structure at the address set out in bold at the top of the list entry. This includes both the exterior and the interior, whether or not they are mentioned in the 'Information Supplementary to the Statutory List'. Listed building consent is required for all internal and external works affecting the character of the building. The local planning authority is responsible for determining where listed building consent will be required and can also advise on issues of extent or "curtilage" of the listing, which may cover items remote from the main subject of the listing such as boundary walls, gates, gatepiers, ancillary buildings etc. or interior fixtures. All enquiries relating to proposed works to a listed building or its setting should be addressed to the local planning authority in the first instance. All other enquiries should be addressed to: Listing & Designed Landscapes Team, Historic Scotland, Room G.51, Longmore House, Salisbury Place, EDINBURGH, EH9 1SH. Tel: +44 (0)131 668 8701 / 8705. Fax: +44 (0)131 668 8765. e-mail: hs.listing@scotland.gsi.gov.uk. Web: www.historic-scotland.gov.uk .
