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INSIDE THE LEVIATHAN

Submitted by Editor on

EXPLORING NEW St ANDREW’S HOUSE 

Demolition of the doomed St James Centre comes closer day by day.

Boots moved out yesterday, leaving another empty socket in a retail smile now almost devoid of teeth. 

Meanwhile, Spurtle explored the massive and decrepit interior of New St Andrew’s House upstairs. 

There is simply too much to show readers in one article, so we’ll divide what we found into a series of photo-essays over the next few days. We start with some general views of the open spaces within. 

Inside the main entrance fronting St James Square, the foyer – like much of the building – now contains a great deal of builders’ bits-and-bobs.

 

Here there were also, for no obvious reason, parts of a chopped-up tree trunk.

Elsewhere – as here on the 6th floor – there are incongruous mountains of stuff: pipes, ducts, cables, hundreds of doors filleted from the structure and piled ready for removal. 

This is the gantry running above the reception area and leading to the Lift Hall. It has the only section of carpet we found – a delicious shade of 1970s brown.

The lifts aren’t working …

so one ascends via a series of surprisingly steep and narrow flights of steps.

 
 

Some parts are bright and airy. Others – like this food-preparation area and adjoining canteen – less so.

This boarded up section of the third floor is atmospheric and littered with trip-hazards.

The Toblerone-shaped panes (below) admit light into the corridor between the St James Centre’s Elder Street entrance and the steps/lift up to the Food Court. The chocolatey tinge may owe something to overshadowing, or tinted glass, or general filthiness.

 Here is the same view from the opposite exterior angle.

This former row of toilets connected with perfect symmetry to an identical row on the other side of the wall. If everyone had flushed simultaneously …

there would probably have been a rush to use the showers.

Throughout the building, there are many instances of ingenious propping-up …

not all as effective as others.

Here’s what you see when you get nearly to the top.

And here's what you see when you look down into the central well of the building – the roof of the St James Centre below. This arrangement explains why so much of New St Andrew’s House feels more long and narrow than it does broad and spacious.

We’ll show you the views you get looking outwards from up here later this week.

Tomorrow, we’ll return with some studies of signage and the written word.

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@theSpurtle Fascinating. I remember it new, meetings in skimpy rooms. A C.I. re Art teachers, talked of the long-haired types in the schools

@theSpurtle Must admit, I won't miss this place when it's gone. #Brutal

Dominic Berry Fascinating. To think that a beautiful Georgian square that would have lasted for ever with a bit of TLC was destroyed to make way for this. And can we be sure that the replacement that is about to go up will not look like this in 50 years' time?

Paul Burgess I used to work there. Never a pleasant building but great memories of colleagues. Hope they removed all the asbestos before your visit. Place was riddled with it. Looking forward to seeing more pictures.

  Bill Dunlop I recall tales of Rosyth worker's homes boasting oak panelling and axminster carpets, courtesy of the braeker's yard there. Somehow suspect there will be few trophies borne away from New St. Andrew's House.

@theSpurtle Wasn't a fun place in which to work even when it was new. Riddled with asbestos too.

gra Retweeted Broughton Spurtle

I *will* miss the exterior a little bit. Especially when its replacement is curled out onto the landscape...

.@theSpurtle Misread it. Thought it said 'Spurtle explodes inside New St Andrews House'. Certainly looks like it ;-)

@SpawnofJustice @theSpurtle indeed - I developed a rash on my face working there - sick building syndrome! And sealed windows. Dreadful.