October 5 2022

Rapid growth around the Haymarket Station continues with the submission of plans for a net zero office building and a separate hotel within the vicinity of the transport interchange.

7N Architects have authored the latest chapter in the area's transition to a key business hub with the mixed-use plans for 20 Haymarket Yards, billed as a 'new kind of workspace' for the post-pandemic economy.

The highly accessible workspaces will plug directly into the city's public transport system and cycle network, offering occupants seamless transit between home and work. Internal winter gardens and landscaped roof terraces will also offer workers a contemplative space away from the desk.

In a planning statement, 7N wrote: "The office is not dead. There is a significant demand for a new kind of workspace that is sustainable and enhances the well-being of workers.

"The pandemic has caused every organisation, in both the public and private sectors, to review their office space requirements and the quality of that environment. With hybrid working, the amount of space that each organisation needs may be less than it was before the pandemic but the quality and nature of that office space have become a key priority for attracting and retaining staff and meeting Environment, Social and Governance (ESG) policy commitments.

"Much of the existing office space in Edinburgh cannot meet this sea-change in demand and is considered to be no longer fit for purpose by many organisations."

Works will see the current Elgin House demolished, replaced by an office block and hotel set within a 'low-speed environment'. Both buildings will reserve their ground floors for communal spaces including a shared workspace and cafe.

The design team includes Scott Hobbs Planning; OPEN; Woolgar Hunter; Atelier Ten and SWECO. 

1 Comment

#1 Posted by Neil on 7 Oct 2022 at 13:23 PM

This has to be a good thing - the low-density 90s business park style development along Haymarket Yards has been feeling increasingly incongruous and wasteful for such a well-connected and central location, especially with the tram route running right past it.

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