November 21 2023

Updated plans to introduce 11 flats above ground floor retail on Portobello High Street have been filed by Block Nine Architects after their initial attempt was denied consent.

As before two existing shops will be demolished to capitalise on the air rights in the busy town centre but the footprint of the replacement block has been reduced to appease planners concerned that the building would be detrimental to the conservation area.

Key changes include reducing a rear projection with freed-up space used for ground floor external amenity, although the number of apartments remains the same at 11.

Explaining their new approach in planning documents the architects wrote: "We have reviewed the proposals in relation to the proposed height, depth and layout and have amended this to create a building form which is no longer considered overly dominant but rather a proposal which has a positive contribution to the spatial character of the historic environment and ties in with the scale of the surrounding buildings."

The material palette remains as before with principal facades faced in natural sandstone punctuated by corten steel fins and cladding. A recessed upper floor will be clad in zinc.  

1 Comment

#1 Posted by Daniel on 23 Nov 2023 at 12:30 PM

Offt, that extra floor.

Are the internal room sizes still as miserable, is the more important question?

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