July 9 2019

The City of Edinburgh Council has granted planning permission for a riverside dining space within a former public convenience overlooking the Water of Leith.

Designed by Fraser Livingston Architects the dining destination will be named The Toll House and offer views of the area from a landscaped terrace and large format picture windows.

The brick lower floor of the current structure will be retained for the new enterprise with an asymmetric pyramidal pavilion replacing the current roof to provide the bulk of the new accommodation.

Promoting the buildings re-use the architects wrote: “The repurposing of this now derelict former public convenience - on what is a constrained site - has been conceived to create a contemporary marker that animates the surrounding street scene. The form of the reinterpreted building will positively activate the corner of Brandon Terrace, Huntly Street and Inverleith Row, with generous window openings imbuing the building with a civic presence.”

A contrasting warm timber interior is planned to improve oversight and lighting of an adjacent walkway.
 

6 Comments

#1 Posted by Inahuf on 9 Jul 2019 at 22:01 PM

Repurposed? There’s practically nothing of the old loo block left! The architects should be done by the ASA for misrepresentation...

#2 Posted by Philip on 10 Jul 2019 at 09:24 AM

Why dump a timber clad, rural form in the centre of the city...? especially given its "Toll House" branding?
Pretentious and poor response to context.

#3 Posted by boaby wan on 10 Jul 2019 at 10:39 AM

"re-use" to get around those pesky accessibility regs?
Don't actually mind this proposal tbh, is the end client a resurrected Earthy? Be good if it was

#4 Posted by filistines on 10 Jul 2019 at 14:15 PM

look chaps...we thought about stating it would be like an attic conversion to the wcs. (landing B&Q presidential range garden shed/room on top of the lavs sounded a bit naff)

#5 Posted by SAndals on 12 Jul 2019 at 09:48 AM

I like their design for the café at the Helix.

#6 Posted by JohnMF on 12 Jul 2019 at 10:05 AM

Shame on the city for closing the public toilets; they'll rue the day when they are old men.

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