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Canalside property proposed for Fountainbridge

September 19 2017

Canalside property proposed for Fountainbridge
Glencairn Properties have revealed plans for a canalside commercial and residential development at Lower Gilmore Place in Edinburgh’s Fountainbridge.

Planning permission is being sought for 43 private and affordable apartments will be built above a ground floor retail unit on the former industrial land

Daryl Teague, director of Glencairn Properties, said: “There’s a higher mix of student, office and proposed private rental sector development in this particular area of Fountainbridge. What are we proposing is to help to create more of a community by establishing increased opportunity for residential ownership in the area.

“We recently held a community consultation and there was a suggestion that the plans could create congestion.  We have been extremely careful to strike a balance with parking and are actually aiming to discourage car ownership by potentially incorporating charging points for electric cars and spaces for the city car club. There are only ten spaces in the plans with two of those allocated to the office units.”

Designed by ISA Architecture and design with Rankin Fraser the blonde brick build has been conceived to work with neighbouring tenement properties, with a setback upper level, full height bronze windows and juliette balconies
Roof gardens will afford views over the surrounding area
Roof gardens will afford views over the surrounding area
The scheme will rise opposite the proposed India Quay development
The scheme will rise opposite the proposed India Quay development

9 Comments

Stephen
#1 Posted by Stephen on 19 Sep 2017 at 16:34 PM
Fine, but what on earth is happening at 'India Quay' on the opposite bank of the canal? Masterplans have come ... and gone.
Christina
#2 Posted by Christina on 20 Sep 2017 at 09:57 AM
The Edinburgh Urban Design Panel Report says the development should acknowledge the 'village like character of Lower Gilmore Place’ and also raised concern that the 'scale and massing.…is too large'. Difficult to see how demolishing the existing high quality social housing block and removing local businesses to replace it with this development going to create 'more of a community'...

StyleCouncil
#3 Posted by StyleCouncil on 20 Sep 2017 at 11:35 AM
Looks sharp and sensitively massed. Expensive build..lots of shelve angles to support brick on top of walls, marginally set back, and finished in, erm, brick. These end walls would look really sharp just flush!? The ground floor apartments with dwarf boundary wall thing look a bit grim though...
Yep, what is happening with 'India Quay'? that horrific over-scaled Edinburgh Quay gable needs hidden asap
Thomas
#4 Posted by Thomas on 20 Sep 2017 at 15:03 PM
In the context of the current architectural (or QS) fashion of brick boxes, I actually like the look of this. However, the ground floor frontage treatment is horrendous and will be an activity dead zone.
Artisan2
#5 Posted by Artisan2 on 21 Sep 2017 at 12:52 PM
Another example of the elimination of local creative workspaces (the site's former industrial uses), to be replaced by maximum rent-taking. Aesthetically, this structure could be built almost anywhere. What happened to place-making, emphasis of local character, local distinctiveness? And have the developers forgotten that building form should not be dictated by the building line? The city's one and only canal deserves better. Compare this developer's images with old photos of the area. Which images show a more interesting, lively, waterside urban environment?
GayPawel
#6 Posted by GayPawel on 21 Sep 2017 at 15:41 PM
I think they should try and mix what already exists there with modern stuff.
Excuses Excuses
#7 Posted by Excuses Excuses on 22 Sep 2017 at 10:17 AM
#5 - You mean like this old photo?
https://canmore.org.uk/collection/588840
Or this one?
http://www.cobjoecottage.net/pictures/rubberfactory.gif
Or maybe this one?
http://www.edinburgharchitecture.co.uk/images/jpgs/fountainbridge_brewery_aw06l_114.jpg

Lively waterside environments all...


Daniel
#8 Posted by Daniel on 26 Sep 2017 at 09:40 AM
For those asking about the India Quay scheme that EDI was working on - last I heard (from a Tolcross CC newsletter) was that the investor bankrolling it pulled out after the Brexit vote. Which is great.

One of the local councillors then said to me on twitter that the Council has taken the site back off EDI, although its still appearing on their website under their current projects. Not that there have been any updates in the last year.

I don't know how I feel about this. There's obviously a desperate need for more homes and this is smart and fine. I'm also fully onboard with the lack of parking spaces - Cala take note when you resubmit for the old High School.

But there's also so much vacant land and this isn't vacant, it's actually productive and useful.
MV
#9 Posted by MV on 27 Sep 2017 at 10:30 AM
Spot on #7. Architects are great at reimagining history.... there is nothing on this site worth saving.

I think the proposal looks sharp and I particularly like the depth and massing achieved. It certainly isn't "over scaled" compared to some of its neighbours.

In my experience, QS's only love flat brick boxes, this scheme is a QS's nightmare and as #3 said - (reassuringly) expensive!

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