Description
J T Rochead, 1867-70. Italian Renaissance bank and office
building 3-storey and basement palazzo, 9-bays to St
Vincent Place, 7 to George Square, 3-bays to No 2 Anchor
Lane with 4 more bays in much reduced detail to No 4
Anchor Lane, the latter with attic storey. Sculpture by
William Mossman. Massive atlantes doorpiece with Bank of
Scotland crest above flanked by symbolic figures; shell-
headed door piece and flanking pilastered shell-headed
windows divided by pilaster strips of banded vermiculation to
ground floor, consoled segmental shell pediments to 1st floor
with balustraded balconies, architraves to 2nd; guilloched
2nd floor cill course, cornice with tripled brackets, balustrade
and dies (formerly with urns). Modern plate glass glazing;
moulded coping to stacks.
INTERIOR: Banking Hall of 3 x 3 bays square, with Corinthian
columns dividing panelled areas and supporting modillioned
frieze and semi-circular panels with masqued keystones and
caryatid in spandrels supporting, flat trabeated ceiling with hemispherical glazed and chequered dome; decorative plasterwork; original consoled panelled counter. Vestibule with inlaid
marble floor, balustrade and open pedimented and consoled
doorpieces. Some internal work by Andrew Balfour.
Statement of Special Interest
Rochead set the pattern for the composition of the W range
of George Square by this Barryesque palazzo design, followed
by Sellars and by John Burnet to the N, with variations. The
doorpiece was carved in the manner of David Bryce's Western
Bank, Edinburgh, and the attenuated cornice brackets reflect
David Hamilton's Western Club.