Chambers Street (Edinburgh)
Encyclopedia
Edinburgh
Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland, the second largest city in Scotland, and the eighth most populous in the United Kingdom. The City of Edinburgh Council governs one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas. The council area includes urban Edinburgh and a rural area...
, Scotland, at south of the Old Town
Old Town, Edinburgh
The Old Town of Edinburgh, the capital of Scotland, is the medieval part of the city. Together with the 18th-century New Town, it is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It has preserved its medieval plan and many Reformation-era buildings....
. The street is named after William Chambers of Glenormiston
William Chambers of Glenormiston
William Chambers of Glenormiston or William Chambers was a Scottish publisher and politician, the brother of Robert Chambers...
, the Lord Provost of Edinburgh who was the main proponent of the 1867 Edinburgh Improvement Act, which gave permission for the street's construction.
Notable buildings
Buildings by date of completion:- Old CollegeOld College, University of EdinburghOld College is a building of the University of Edinburgh. It is located on South Bridge, and presently houses parts of the University's administration, the University of Edinburgh School of Law, and the Talbot Rice Gallery...
, University of EdinburghUniversity of EdinburghThe University of Edinburgh, founded in 1583, is a public research university located in Edinburgh, the capital of Scotland, and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The university is deeply embedded in the fabric of the city, with many of the buildings in the historic Old Town belonging to the university...
, 1791-1827 (Old College faces onto South BridgeSouth Bridge, EdinburghSouth Bridge is a bridge in Edinburgh, Scotland. Largely appearing to be a street, rather than a bridge, at its deck level, it starts at the Tron Kirk and finishes at the Old College, University of Edinburgh, crossing various smaller streets. Below deck level are many buildings and vaults, the...
, and predates the construction of Chambers Street; the facade to Chambers Street is noticeably flat for a building designed variously by Robert AdamRobert AdamRobert Adam was a Scottish neoclassical architect, interior designer and furniture designer. He was the son of William Adam , Scotland's foremost architect of the time, and trained under him...
and William Henry PlayfairWilliam Henry PlayfairWilliam Henry Playfair FRSE was one of the greatest Scottish architects of the 19th century, designer of many of Edinburgh's neo-classical landmarks in the New Town....
) - Minto House, 1878, now the University of Edinburgh Department of Architecture
- Royal Museum, 1888
- Adam House, University of Edinburgh, 1953 (designed by William KininmonthWilliam Kininmonth (architect)Sir William Hardie Kininmonth was a Scottish architect whose work mixed a modern style with Scottish vernacular.- Biography :...
) - Edinburgh Sheriff CourtSheriff CourtSheriff courts provide the local court service in Scotland, with each court serving a sheriff court district within a sheriffdom.Sheriff courts deal with a myriad of legal procedures which include:*Solemn and Summary Criminal cases...
, 1995 - Museum of Scotland, 1998