The Annual 'Edinburgh Doors Open Day' - 29 September 2007
This year's Edinburgh Doors Open Day, organised by the Cockburn Association in partnership with Edinburgh World Heritage, will be taking place on Saturday 29th September. More information on the event is available from "The Cockburn Association".
Doors Open Day offers you the chance to see inside many of the Capital's finest contemporary, historic and architecturally important buildings. Whether you work, live or visit the city this free event allows you to explore parts of Edinburgh you may not usually have access to and take a peek behind closed doors.
The annual Edinburgh ‘Doors Open Day’ will feature four buildings by our practice - our own office; The Breakfast Mission, Maggie's Centre at the Western General Hospital, 17 Royal Terrace Mews and 10 Regent Terrace Mews.
Richard Murphy Architects' Offices, 15 Old Fishmarket Close
Richard Murphy Architects purchased the majority of the 'Edinburgh Free Sabbath Breakfast Mission' in 2000 and converted the premises into workspace area for themselves and others. A mezzanine floor was inserted into the original mission hall and a new staircase links all levels including the basement garage and stores. Richard Murphy Architects occupy the mission hall and have let the middle floor to Fulcrum Consulting.
Maggie's Centre, The Stables, Western General Hospital
Maggie's Centre is an innovative award winning building where people affected by cancer can drop in for information and support. Since it opened in 1996 Maggie's Centre has attracted a large number of visitors and friends and the range of activities that takes place there has widened considerably.
17 Royal Terrace Mews
Our conversion is meant to express the idea of a new house found within the repaired shell of the existing stable so that the history of the building is expressed, particularly on the front facade. Internally the flat is a continual space culminating in a bedroom, the spaces distributed around the path of the sun which is admitted through a dramatic ridge roof light and mirrors are placed under the ridge to extend the space laterally and to throw light around the room in opposition to the path of the sun.
The building has been shortlisted for the Stirling Prize and awarded best house in Britain by the RIBA.
10 Regent Terrace Mews
Eight years after the commission for the conversion of 17 Royal Terrace Mews the same client returned with an almost identical project on the opposite side of the street. Although this time not derelict, the existing building was in a poor state of repair, so virtual complete demolition could again be contemplated.
There are many similarities with 17 Royal Terrace but also some significant differences; the street facade plays similar games of layering, and views are provided through horizontal slot windows, which were designed to maximise light and control views from the street and the houses across the lane.
Richard Murphy moved into number 17 in 1996 and the experience has led to variations on the inside at number 10. This time the kitchen/dining area is placed above the bedroom and the ridge-light has been substituted with a south-facing rooflight complete with pivoting timber shutter for night-time use. Number 10 was completed in September 2003 and has subsequently won best small building at the Edinburgh Architectural Association’s awards in 2005 and a Saltire Award Commendation in 2006 as well as being purchased by Richard Murphy.
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