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Arched arcade to define Princes Street hotel

December 11 2020

Arched arcade to define Princes Street hotel

Fund manager Legal & General has published plans to develop a former department store at 109-112 Princes Street, Edinburgh, as a 210-bed hotel.

A design team led by ICA have been commissioned to oversee the £50m redevelopment which will retain the listed facade and a permeable ground floor frontage while redeveloping the interior of the site through to Rose Street.

This approach will see confused and misaligned interior floorplates demolished, enabling a rationalised new build to be inserted that maximises views of Edinburgh Castle and allow for purpose-built facilities to be created such as an events space, basement spa and rooftop bar.

Central to the chosen approach will be a new infill facade conceived as a 'delicate curtain' at 111 Princes Street framing guest bedroom balconies. Employing a series of double-height stacked arches designed to echo its listed neighbours and defining a new pedestrian connection to Rose Street.

Outlining their facade solution ICA wrote: "For this facade it is proposed to introduce a new thin veil facade which is highly decorated - with the decoration almost acting as a visual storytelling device.

"This sculptural approach leaves a number of potential avenues of exploration open - with potential ideas such as taking sculptural cues from the facade decoration of 109 and 112 and using themin a modern collage, or the creation of a piece of newly commissioned sculptural art or even just a series of different textured surfaces.

"To achieve the required aesthetic it is proposed to use a Glass-fibre Reinforced Concrete which would allow maximum flexibility of design, detailing and finish."

The proposed materials palette comprises glass-reinforced concrete, panelled render and zinc with white glazed brick specified for interior courtyard elevations. 

Direct pedestrian access will be offered between Princes Street and Rose Street
Direct pedestrian access will be offered between Princes Street and Rose Street
Interventions to the rear will see an overbearing double-stacked access bridge spanning Rose Street Lane South rebuilt as a single storey link
Interventions to the rear will see an overbearing double-stacked access bridge spanning Rose Street Lane South rebuilt as a single storey link

11 Comments

Nairn's Bairn
#1 Posted by Nairn's Bairn on 11 Dec 2020 at 15:12 PM
Elegant, beautiful, nice setback from the street. I like it. Use of GRC will be interesting to see.
shabbadoo
#2 Posted by shabbadoo on 11 Dec 2020 at 17:49 PM
Very nice indeed! A good response to the streetscape. Perhaps, could the mid-section utilise a 'double height' arch, to pick up on adjacent bay window forms....?
The Bairn
#3 Posted by The Bairn on 11 Dec 2020 at 20:57 PM
At last something worthy of these pages!!
Overall a pleasant response to its location.
Mind you that flat roof is a bit start IMHO and probably worthy of more detail or even a wee dummy roof introduced and setback like its neighbour.
Brian Sewell
#4 Posted by Brian Sewell on 12 Dec 2020 at 11:13 AM
CZWG China Wharf 1983
George Buchanan
#5 Posted by George Buchanan on 12 Dec 2020 at 12:02 PM
Delightful
Sir Ano
#6 Posted by Sir Ano on 14 Dec 2020 at 09:29 AM
I like it, I like it a lot. I wonder how it will be viewed in planning given its prominent location.
Peter
#7 Posted by Peter on 14 Dec 2020 at 11:23 AM
Hat tip to all involved.
Archie
#8 Posted by Archie on 14 Dec 2020 at 11:54 AM
@Brian Sewell not really though.
Robert Leslie
#9 Posted by Robert Leslie on 14 Dec 2020 at 12:10 PM
At last an architect with vision and a sense of symmetry well done.
MV
#10 Posted by MV on 14 Dec 2020 at 14:51 PM
I see all you guys have satrted the Christmas drinking early. I enjoy the positivity towards schemes, especially given how rare that is on here, but this proposal is simply weird. The description is weird architorture nonsense. Just weird. Weird.
Positive Comments Only
#11 Posted by Positive Comments Only on 15 Dec 2020 at 17:32 PM
Mmm... Arches are so hot right now!

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