Standard Life Investments Head Office  -  1 George Street    -    March 2006

The Parable of the

Wise & Foolish Virgins

(Matthew 25:1-13)

Magic Square

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The Parable of the

Wise & Foolish Virgins

The Parable of the wise and foolish virgins is carved in stone on the pediment of Standard Life Investments' Head Office at 1 George Street, built 1897-1901.  This pediment was transferred from an earlier building owned by the company on the same site, built 1839.

The same Parable was later illustrated as a bronze relief along the top of the 'infill' building that connects:

-  Standard Life's 1897-1901 building on the corner of George Street and St Andrew Square and

-  the Renaissance-style building, built for the Royal Insurance Company in 1898.

This 'infill' building was given a new frontage in 1975, designed by Michael Laird & Partners.  The frontage includes sloping windows at ground floor level and the bronze relief along the top of the building, comprising a magic square, five wise virgins and five foolish virgins.

There is presumably a connection to be made between the Parable (in which the wise virgins made provision for their future and the foolish virgins did not) and entering into Life Assurance policies from Standard Life.

Standard Life Head Office

1 George Street