Lauriston Place Fire Station, Edinburgh

Lauriston Place Fire Station

Robert Morham

1897-1901

Red sandstone and granite

Lauriston Place, Edinburgh

Morham had been articled to David Rhind, and after several more years moved on to work as an assistant to David Bryce. He had also worked with William Eden Nesfield, before finally becoming City Architect in 1873. [Commentary continues below. Mouse over text for links.]

Photograph and text by Jacqueline Banerjee.

[You may use this image without prior permission for any scholarly or educational purpose as long as you (1) credit the photographer and (2) link your document to this URL or cite it in a print one.]

This pleasing building in a prominent position was "a rare adventure" for Morham (Gifford et al. 71): it has been praised as "[e]legant fin-de-siècle Renaissance" in style, with its "[o]gee-domed corner tower, and a square hose-drying tower whose tapering head with blocked columns has unhappily been half-removed" (Gifford et al. 259). The ogee dome can only be glimpsed here on the left-hand side, but the tower is seen clearly above the roofline. The projecting round-roofed French-style dormers and balustrade to the roof are also distinctive.

The building, which is Grade A listed in the Scottish listing system, is very much bigger than it looks here, with thirteen bays leading up to its corner-tower and this four-bay engine house on Lauriston Place. It is now the service's headquarters and museum (the splendid and splendidly named "Museum of Fire").

References

Gifford, John, et. al. Edinburgh (The Buildings of Scotland series). London: Penguin, rev. ed. 1991.

"Lauriston Place, Fire Station, Including Ancillary Building, Boundary Wall, Gatepiers and Railings, Edinburgh." British Listed Buildings. Web. 20 March 2014.

"Robert Morham." DSA (Dictionary of Scottish Architects). Web. 20 March 2014.

Last modified 20 March 2014