Royal Scottish Academy Building
Established | 1822 |
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Location | The Mound Edinburgh Scotland |
Coordinates | 55°57′06″N 3°11′47″W / 55.9517°N 3.1963°W |
Public transit access | Princes Street Edinburgh Waverley |
Website | www |
The Royal Scottish Academy building, the home of the
History
The building was originally proposed by the Scottish
The Royal Institution building was designed by the noted Scottish architect
In 1826, a group of artists broke away from the Royal Institution after disagreements over its policies, taking the name of the Scottish Academy. From 1835, the group leased gallery space in the Royal Institution building to mount exhibitions of its growing art collection, and in 1838 the group received a royal charter and became the Royal Scottish Academy (RSA). One of its key aims was to found a national art gallery for Scotland, and this was realised in 1859, when a new gallery building was built by Playfair, the
In 1831–6, the Board of Manufactures and Fisheries extended the Royal Institution.[3]
At the end of the 19th century, the Society of Antiquaries relocated its museum to new premises on Queen Street (the building that now houses the Scottish National Portrait Gallery), while the Royal Society moved to 22-24 George Street, and in 1907, the Royal Institution moved to the new Edinburgh College of Art.[3] In 1911, the RSA, which had been sharing space in the National Gallery building since 1859, was granted permanent tenancy of the old RI building and the right to hold its annual exhibition there. The building became known as the Royal Scottish Academy, a name it retains to this day. The former RI building was remodelled in 1911-12 by William Thomas Oldrieve, with the addition of new galleries on the upper level.[3][4]
Today, the Royal Scottish Academy Building is managed by National Galleries Scotland but a 1910 Order grants the RSA permanent administration offices in the building.[citation needed]
Architecture
The RSA building is designed in the
The north portico on the Princes Street side is topped by a large statue of
In 2003 railings (lost in World War II) together with a series of traditional lamps, were restored around both the Academy and the National Gallery behind, isolating each building from the public space here.[citation needed]
In the 2010s, the RSA building was refurbished as part of the £32 million
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Playfair's fine detailing
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Steell's rooftop statue of Queen Victoria
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One of Playfair's Sphynxes
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One of the side doors
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A side portico
The Royal Scottish Academy Building is frequently confused with the neighbouring building, the
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The RSA Building with fluted Doric columns
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Both the RSA and the SNG are located on The Mound, with the SNG to the rear
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The RSA (right) and the SNG (left)
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The Scottish National Gallery, with Ionic columns
Exhibitions
Exhibition space is shared throughout the year by the RSA with the NGS and other exhibiting societies: the
References
- ^ a b c d "77A PRINCES STREET, ROYAL SCOTTISH ACADEMY (LB27744)". portal.historicenvironment.scot. Historic Environment Scotland. Archived from the original on 21 January 2022. Retrieved 9 April 2023.
- ^ "Scottish National Gallery - History & Architecture". Archived from the original on 7 February 2014. Retrieved 27 January 2014.
- ^ a b c "Site Record for Edinburgh, 77a Princes Street, Royal Scottish Academy". CANMORE. Retrieved 29 March 2023.
- ISBN 978-1-903278-11-6.
- ^ "About Us − The Playfair Project". nationalgalleries.org. National Galleries of Scotland. 31 August 2012. Archived from the original on 31 August 2012. Retrieved 9 April 2023.
- ISBN 978-1-902669-72-4.