FOR many Edinburgh residents the concrete and glass facades rising above the shopfronts on Princes Street, or the 20th century university buildings dominating the 18th century terraced houses of George Square, are a cause for regret over what could have been saved.
But a new book celebrates Edinburgh's post-war architecture, documenting the modern listed buildings in the city that sit – sometimes uncomfortably – with the historic architecture of the Old Town and New Towns, or the stately Greek revival character of the "Athens of the North". The Forth Road Bridge, the Scottish Widows head office building and the Royal Botanic Garden Greenhouse are all featured in the book, published by Edinburgh City Council and Historic Scotland, the first of its kind for a Scottish city. The city is home to 55 post-war listed buildings, more than a quarter of the 200 in Scotland.
Traditionalists may cringe at some of the structures now rated worthy of listed status. But the architect Malcolm Fraser, designer of award-winning buildings like the city's Dance Base, says: "I just cheered when I saw the publication, because it's really confirmation that we have set aside our prejudices.
"Here is proof that the 1960s produced absolutely wonderful architecture in Edinburgh by architects who cared about history and the integrity of Edinburgh, but were also filled with an optimism about the future."
Fraser's father, the structural engineer Bill Fraser, who died this month, worked on several of the listed buildings, from the Mortonhall Crematorium to Edinburgh University's Pollock Halls of Residence. Fraser remembered walking as a child into the Royal Commonwealth Pool, another of the listed buildings, and "being absolutely bowled over by the extroardinary qualities of light and space."
It may still come as a surprise to the uninitiated that buildings like the British Home Stores on Princes Street – or the store for Her Majesty's Stationary Office, on the Sighthill Industrial Estate, opened in 1950, are considered modern greats.
The book, titled simply Edinburgh's Post-War Listed Buildings, is available in printed form or for download from Historic Scotland's website, www.historic-scotland.gov.uk. It features all seven listed buildings by Sir Basil Spence, one of the most prolific designers of his generation.
"Post-war buildings can provoke a number of different reactions," says Deborah Mays, director of policy and outreach for Historic Scotland, "but historic buildings need to reflect all aspects of life, and these buildings are a key embodiment of our recent social and economic past."