Insurance, insurtech, and the architecture 205
new premises departed from the Georgian town-house style favoured by
the first private banking houses in ostentatious designs, featuring commissioned religious and mythological figurative sculptures, armorial crests and
stone etched names (Rock 2008). Standard Life’s premises in Edinburgh’s
George Street, for example, featured ‘a Corinthian tetrastyle portico at
centre, accommodated by projecting ground floor, with corniced doorway;
fluted columns on panelled bases, frieze dated MDCCCXXV, pediment
with carved tympanum representing the Wise and Foolish Virgins, by John
Steell’ (Figure 15.1) (Historic Environment Scotland n.d.).
Figure 15.1 a and b Standard Life Building George Street Edinburgh
new premises departed from the Georgian town-house style favoured by
the first private banking houses in ostentatious designs, featuring commissioned religious and mythological figurative sculptures, armorial crests and
stone etched names (Rock 2008). Standard Life’s premises in Edinburgh’s
George Street, for example, featured ‘a Corinthian tetrastyle portico at
centre, accommodated by projecting ground floor, with corniced doorway;
fluted columns on panelled bases, frieze dated MDCCCXXV, pediment
with carved tympanum representing the Wise and Foolish Virgins, by John
Steell’ (Figure 15.1) (Historic Environment Scotland n.d.).
Figure 15.1 a and b Standard Life Building George Street Edinburgh