When art deco began to emerge, it was viewed as fresh and cutting-edge, providing an elegance without the over-adornment of the Victorian and Edwardian eras. In the 1930s Edinburgh’s architects brought the style to the Capital, and while some no longer remain such as Portobello’s open-air pool and the Embassy Cinema at Boswall Parkway, many still stand.
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Art deco in suburban Edinburgh: 30 Old Kirk Road. (Pic: Google Maps) Photo: Google Maps
. Southside Garage, Causewayside
The former Southside Garage at Causewayside was designed by the acclaimed Sir Basil Spence in 1933 influenced by architectural pioneer R. M. Schindler’s Lovell Beach House in Los Angeles. The building still bears its red ‘garage’ signage in a distinct art deco font and is protected by Historic Environment Scotland with a Category B listing. (Pic: Google Maps) Photo: Google Maps
. St Andrew’s House, Regent Road
Constructed between 1934 and 1939 on the former site of Calton Jail, St Andrew’s House is regarded by many as one of Scotland’s foremost examples of grand art deco. It serves as the offices of the Scottish Government and is protected with a Category A listing. (Pic: Kim Traynor) Photo: Kim Traynor
5. Capital Building, St Andrew Square
Stood on the south west corner of St Andrew Square where it meets George Street is the Capital Building. Completed in 1939 the six-storey masterpiece also ranks as one of the city’s last attempts at art deco before the outbreak of the Second World War. It is said that the Capital Building attracted a lot of criticism when it was first built as it was deemed as being unsympathetic to the existing architectural fabric of Edinburgh’s Georgian New Town. (Pic: Google Maps) Photo: Google Maps
6. Fountainbridge Library, Dundee Street
Constructed in 1937-40 by John A W Grant, this grand-looking public building comprises both art deco and art nouveau stylings in its design. The library replaced an early books repository dating from the 19th century and stands out prominently among the surrounding Victorian tenements of Fountainbridge. A refurbishment in 2016 has brought it back to its best. Photo: Edinburgh Council
7. Castlebrae Business Centre, Peffer Place
Located on an obscure little road in the middle of an industrial estate, Castlebrae Business Centre, a B-listed building which was originally built as Niddrie Marischal Secondary School but has since been converted for office use. The imposing central feature above Castlebrae’s main entrance would better suit Ocean Drive, Miami than Peffer Place, Edinburgh. Photo: TSPL
8. The White House, Niddrie Mains Road
Built in 1936, The White House on Niddrie Mains Road is conspicuous in a district of Edinburgh where art deco stylings have traditionally been thin on the ground. Having served as a pub, the building recently found itself in a derelict state in 2008 and faced the threat of demolition. It was thankfully saved by Historic Scotland in 2010 and transformed into a community hub as part of a restoration £2 million restoration project. Photo: TSPL