West End Medical Practice

From the outset, both the cathedral and the medical centre had the aspiration to create a ‘Therapeutic community’ supporting both the physical and mental aspects of wellbeing.

In order to achieve this number of community consultations took place with the following groups involved: Architectural Heritage Society of Scotland, Edinburgh World Heritage the Cockburn Society, West End Community Council and public consultations.

In addition to providing a medical practice for the local community, the project also supports the cathedral through two main interventions, namely: the Masons workshop and the Walpole Hall extension / refurbishment.

The Masons workshop provides a new customised workspace for the Masons and their ongoing restoration work both locally and nationally with Historic Scotland. The facility is designed specifically to support the stonemasons with specialised extraction systems installed and new work yard for material storage and external working.

The Walpole Hall extension brings together both the Walpole Hall and the Song School through a new foyer with welfare facilities supporting a variety of community functions. The extension formalises and brings together the Mason’s workshop, medical practice, Song School and Walpole Hall around a new landscaped courtyard.

The location of the medical practice now activates the North West corner of the Cathedral grounds. The scalloped façade of the medical practice allows the existing trees to Manor Place to be retained whilst providing an opportunity for a new active green edge.

Public areas are situated on the ground level with barrier free access from the street, and wide corridors ensuring all patients can reach GP’s areas easily. The practice has retained its existing patient list whilst additional patients have been attracted by the new facility. Numerous positive reactions have been received from patients, relating to several aspects of the project such as the ‘quality of light, space and landscape’.

The Cathedral congregation and Song School now have a modern facility within a familiar setting which allows them to host a variety of functions and performances and provides an opportunity to welcome guests prior to performances or regular visitors to coffee mornings.

The project is firmly rooted in the community through its variety of uses and built form. By working with existing physical and social context the project supports the immediate and wider communities.