 The building is located in West Register Street, Edinburgh behind Robert Adam's 18th century Register House (referred to now as General Register House).The Italianate structure was built by architect Robert Matheson between 1859 and 1863 and was complementary in architectural style to Adam's Neoclassical original.A portico was added to the south elevation to give it the character of a public building; and the style of internal finish was kept simple.