History of HBOS headquarters

Our headquarters has a distinguished history going back over 200 years.  Find out more about the building's development by following the links above

The first building

The Mound site was purchased by Bank of Scotland from Edinburgh Town Council in 1800 for £3,500 and the original building was completed in August 1806.  Designed by Robert Reid and Richard Crichton, who had been pupils of Robert Adam, it was a detached Georgian-style villa, topped by a shallow saucer dome.  This was the Bank's first purpose-built head office and intended to be a grand statement of its success, straddling the Old and New Towns.

Builder's drawing by William Sibbald, c1800

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The challenge of the Mound

The 'earthen Mound' (as it was originally known) was a man-made hill created from the earth of Edinburgh's New Town foundations, hence its name.  The site was also formed from vast quantities of rubbish, dumped by Old Town residents prior to 1800.

Although the location had the advantage of open space, compared to the cramped conditions of the Old Town at this time, the site's unstable nature caused serious difficulties for the architects and builders during construction.  The design challenge was to make the building aesthetically pleasing, when there was a drop of 16 metres from front to back, and the north part of the building required a retaining wall to prevent slippage.

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Complaints and problems

The original building attracted some complaints from the people of Edinburgh, mainly as a result of how it looked when viewed from Princes Street. The famous judge Lord Cockburn described it, in 1849, as a 'prominent deformity'.  In addition, the Bank's business had grown rapidly and there was an urgent need for more space.

A number of architects submitted plans to the Bank's directors in the 1850s, with the twin aims of extending the original building and improving its appearance, particularly as seen from the north.

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A new look

Portrait of David Bryce, architect

The directors eventually appointed David Bryce.  His solution was to completely encase the original building.  Two full-height wings were added to the front of the building on the east and west sides. These were tied back to the original building by curved quadrants.  A single-storey extension was added along the south front.  To harmonise the appearance of the old and new parts, the whole building was encased in a new Roman Baroque façade.

The new wings were crowned by domed lanterns, whilst the central dome was replaced by a Florentine style one, inspired by the 17th century Italian painter and architect, Pietro da Cortona.  The dome was topped by a statue of Victory, by sculptor John Rhind.

The transformation took place between 1864 and 1878 and the exterior has remained largely unaltered since.

Internally, the most dramatic change undertaken by David Bryce was the conversion of the single storey telling room to a magnificent two-storey banking hall, with a coved ceiling, carried on massive carved brackets.

Unfortunately this space was again divided horizontally in 1929 by the installation of a mezzanine floor to create additional office accommodation at first floor level.

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The latest chapter

In July 2003, Malcolm Fraser Architects were appointed to direct a major restoration of the Mound, which was completed in mid-2006.  Over a century of changes to the interior had compromised the building's aesthetic integrity, making it a less effective headquarters in the process.  The project's aims were to restore or preserve key architectural features where possible and to significantly upgrade the building’s facilities.

The focal point of the project was the reinstatement of Bryce's double-height hall.  The intermediate floor was removed and the ceiling and plasterwork were painstakingly restored.  A new polished steel and glass chandelier was installed, providing a stark contrast to the original fixtures.  This illustrates the architect's approach of blending old and new.  The space has been designated the Bryce Hall and now serves as an impressive meeting and conference facility.

The latest technology was used to help conserve energy and minimise emissions from the building.  The major change to the exterior was the creation of a new terraced garden which is open to the public and serves as the access for the new Museum on the Mound.

This latest chapter in the building's history has resulted in the creation of a stunning and inspirational corporate headquarters.

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Further information

• An extensive archive of material relating to the building's history is maintained by HBOS Group Archives.
• The building's story is illustrated by a range of exciting objects and hands-on activities at the Museum on the Mound within our corporate headquarters.

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