St Andrew Square
Now reimagined as The Edinburgh Grand, the former A-listed RBS head office built between 1938 and 1942 is an impressive building situated on St Andrew Square. With many pieces of Victorian antique brass and pewter ironmongery and hundreds of original period doors throughout, the ironmongery solution had to accommodate the traditional aesthetic and be fit for the many demands of a modern hotel.
Allgood was commissioned by the project’s architect and interior designer, both long term partners of Allgood; Karen Brown of Chris Stewart Group and Eirini Christodoulou of Morgan McDonnell. With such a striking, but unusual finish, finding coordinated hardware was a challenge. Several options were assessed before settling on a brass finish applied to the Allgood door closers, cylinders and joinery subcontractor’s hinges.
A collection of classic Frank Allart handles was chosen for all apartment front doors, which also integrated with the hotel’s access control system. To match the patina of the aged handles, a satin nickel-plated surface was given a light bronze finish to produce an aged nickel silver appearance. This unlacquered, ‘living’ finish, will oxidize and patinate naturally over time.
Karen Brown, Head of Interiors at The Chris Stewart Group commented:
“Allgood worked closely with the design team and contractor to assist in selecting a family of fittings which not only provided the quality, look and finishes required but also addressed the functionality and practical aspects needed for a modern hotel environment.”
