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Guide
to Edinburgh Buildings / Architects
Scottish Architecture
Edinburgh is of course the capital of Scotland and a renowned city for
architecture. Famous architects that have completed buildings here include
Robert Adam, Norman Foster and Enric Miralles. The city has two main parts:
the medieval Old Town and the Georgian New Town. The latter reputedly
forms the largest neoclassical grouping in the World whilst the former
contains the famous Royal Mile with Edinburgh Castle at its top, St Giles
Cathedral in the middle and the Royal Palace at its base.
Enjoy your visit!

Edinburgh Castle © adrian welch
All Edinburgh buildings are listed using a standard format:
- Title in English
- Key date of building completion; key dates of subsequent work
- Architect or Architects
- A short description of the architecture & personal evaluation
Ten Key Edinburgh buildings (chronological):
1. Edinburgh Castle
various dates
various architects / masons
2. St Giles Cathedral
various dates
various architects / masons
3. Calton Hill - various buildings
various dates
various architects, principally William Playfair
4. National Gallery of Scotland
1845-58
William Playfair, Architect
5. Old College - Edinburgh University
various dates
various architects - Robert Adam; William Playfair; Rowand Anderson
6. Palace of Holyroodhouse
various dates
various architects / masons
7. Museum of Scotland - Extension
1999
Benson + Forsyth, Architects
8. Dance Base
1999-2001
Malcolm Fraser Architects
9. Earthworks - Ueda at the SNGMA
2001-02
Charles Jencks with Terry Farrell
10. Scottish Parliament
1999-2004
EMBT RMJM - Enric Miralles

Scottish Parliament © keith hunter photographer
Edinburgh
Architecture
Edinburgh Tours - Walking Tours of the city
Scottish Architecture
Key Edinburgh buildings (chronological):
1. Edinburgh Castle
Old Town, central Edinburgh
various dates
various architects / masons
Edinburgh
Castle
2. St Giles Cathedral
Royal Mile / High St, Old Town, central Edinburgh
various dates
various architects / masons
St
Giles Cathedral (High Kirk) around the centre point of the world-famous
Royal
Mile
3. Calton Hill - various buildings
New Town, central Edinburgh
various dates
various architects, principally William Playfair
Calton
Hill - key buildings, mostly Greek Revival:
National Monument (to the Napoleonic Dead), -1829, Cockerell, exec. Playfair;
designed as a folly, based on Acropolis.
Nelson's Monument, 1807; 1814-16, Burn
Duguld Stewart Monument, 1831, Playfair
Royal High School, 1829, Thomas Hamilton
4. National Gallery of Scotland
The Mound, central Edinburgh
1845-58
William Playfair, Architect
National
Gallery of Scotland by
William
Playfair
5. Old College of Edinburgh University
Old Town, central Edinburgh
various dates
various architects
Court, 1789-, Robert
Adam and later William Playfair; Dome, 1879, Rowand Anderson
6. Palace of Holyroodhouse
Canongate / Old Town, central Edinburgh
various dates
various architects / masons
Palace
of Holyroodhouse is still used by HM The Queen when on certain Edinburgh
/ Scottish engagements
7. Museum of Scotland - Extension
Chambers St, Old Town, central Edinburgh
1999
Benson + Forsyth, Architects
The New Museum
of Scotland building is credited with reviving contemporary architecture
in Scotland. Next door is the original Royal Museum of Scotland - 1861,
by Captain Francis Fowke, restored by Law & Dunbar-Nasmith [LDN Architects]
and being redeveloped in 2006 by Gareth Hoskins Architects of Glasgow
+ Ralph Appelbaum Associates of New York
8. Dance Base
Grassmarket, Old Town, central Edinburgh
1999-2001
Malcolm Fraser Architects
Dance
Base: National Dance Centre - Stirling Prize nominee 2002.
Malcolm Fraser buildings.
9. Earthworks - Ueda at the SNGMA
Belford Road, northwest Edinburgh
2001-02
Charles Jencks with Terry Farrell

Edinburgh Landform Photo © adrian welch
Spiral mounds using earth and water by architecture theorist
Charles
Jencks with architect Terry
Farrell
10. Scottish Parliament
Holyrood Road, Canongate / Old Town, central Edinburgh
1999-2004
EMBT RMJM - Enric Miralles

Scottish
Parliament building ©
adrian welch
Scottish
Parliament is probably the most exciting building in Edinburgh, certainly
the most talked about in decades: designed by Enric
Miralles - Stirling Prize winner 2005

Scottish Parliament image from RIAS
Key Public Spaces in the city - Edinburgh Squares
& Parks:
Royal Mile (see link further up page)
Holyrood
Park - Arthur's Seat
Calton Hill (see link further up page)
Princes
Street
Charlotte
Square
The highest profile Edinburgh building - Scottish Parliament:


Scottish Parliament photos © adrian welch
Key Edinburgh Buildings (alphabetical order):
Balmoral Hotel
Commonwealth Pool
Dean Gallery
Dynamic Earth
Festival Theatre
Harvey Nichols
Jenners
National Portrait Gallery
New Street Edinburgh
Royal Bank of Scotland World HQ
Royal High School
Scott Monument
Scottish Poetry Library
Scottish Storytelling Centre
Scottish Widows
St James Centre
Key Edinburgh Projects:
Edinburgh
Park - masterplan by Richard Meier
Forthside
- masterplan by Robert Adam Architects
Key Buildings near to Edinburgh:
Rosslyn
Chapel - filmed for Da Vinci Code
James
Stirling building at St Andrews
World Architecture - City Guides:
Barcelona Architecture
Cambridge Architecture
Copenhagen Architecture
Glasgow Architecture
Hong Kong Architecture
New York Architecture
Paris Architecture
Comments or building suggestions / photos for the Edinburgh Architecture
page welcome: info@e-architect.co.uk
Architecture Books
Architecture Competition
Contemporary Architects
Iconic Architecture
Modern Houses
World Architecture : e-architect
- a guide to key buildings across the globe
Edinburgh Building Photos © adrian welch / isabelle lomholt
+44 (0)1620 825722 +44 (0)7952 149814
Edinburgh
Architecture
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