Planning permission sought for The Registers
June 17 2015
The Registers this will see a neo-classical bank HQ at 42 St Andrew Square restored by Morgan McDonnell whilst a sixties office block and Victorian warehouse on West Register Street are demolished to make way for new build elements designed by Hoskins Architects. Hoskins will be renovating a Venetian Gothic warehouse at 28 West Register Street however.
Chris Stewart commented: “We are delighted to be able to deliver a comprehensive regeneration of this dark and uninviting part of the city centre. Restoring more than 90 per cent of the listed fabric of the site, as well as the neglected surrounding lanes, is a major heritage gain for Edinburgh as these buildings can, once more, be put back into business and commercial use and thus can be universally appreciated and enjoyed by all.
“We have reworked our plans to ensure our final design proposals are visually compelling and sit comfortably in Edinburgh’s skyline.”
Intended to complement the St James Development the scheme will open up a warren of alleyways to form a new thoroughfare, boosting footfall in a forgotten corner of the city centre.
Chris Stewart Group contend that a Victorian tenement up for demolition id of no historic or architectural merit
Plans have been subtly amended following a public consultation to reduce skyline impact
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6 Comments
#1 Posted by A Local Pleb on 17 Jun 2015 at 13:23 PM
A disappointing collection of bland uninspiring boxes!
#2 Posted by CadMonkey on 17 Jun 2015 at 13:23 PM
Comparing the January PAN image linked to this one contradicts the statement that "plans have been subtly amended following a public consultation to reduce skyline impact."
This set of images show a higher building to the January PAN image?
Before/PAN Stage/Application visuals would be useful to demonstrate the benefit (if any) of the PAN process.
This set of images show a higher building to the January PAN image?
Before/PAN Stage/Application visuals would be useful to demonstrate the benefit (if any) of the PAN process.
#3 Posted by Another Local Pleb on 17 Jun 2015 at 13:36 PM
I think it looks really good. Boxy yes but bland no.
Be honest, whilst it's a little higher than its neighbours (1 storey in real terms), its not exactly having a signigicant impact on skyline.
Be honest, whilst it's a little higher than its neighbours (1 storey in real terms), its not exactly having a signigicant impact on skyline.
#4 Posted by visitor on 18 Jun 2015 at 07:55 AM
this collection of buildings has been lying empty for a long time. The bank has been slowly deteriorating / flooding etc, as various Eastern European 'bankers' have lost their shirts on this investment. Many an Architect has courted countless developers to turn this around. It looks like someone finally has! I hope it genuinley gets across the finishing line. This wil reinvigorate this corner, which is alarmingly vacant for this important Sqare.
#5 Posted by A Local Pleb on 18 Jun 2015 at 13:12 PM
I agree #4 that it is important to court a solution that will get across the finishing line however given the importance of the square I thought it would have merited something more imaginative? The images convey to me corporate developer led blandness coupled with constraint (no doubt imposed by planning conditions influenced by Cockburn Association).
#6 Posted by Neil C on 18 Jun 2015 at 13:15 PM
According to the third image, this block is currently home to a McDonald's, a KFC and a Jobcentre. Uninspiring surroundings for an uninspiring building.
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