March 22 2021

An under-construction Edinburgh hotel is to benefit from the addition of a seventh-floor 'garden sanctuary', affording guests and the public a chance to soak up rooftop views.

The Virgin Hotel within and around the Old Town India Buildings is subject to a late amendment by ICA Architects that would permit the creation of an 86sq/m outdoor space without the need for any structural alterations.

Instead, unutilised roof space overlooking the Cowgate would be handed over to garden planters and outdoor benches and chairs, with only a setback 1.1m bronze steel perimeter balustrade betraying the use change.

In a statement, ICA wrote: "The development of a rooftop garden is to provide hotel guests, event attendees, restaurant guests and local residents alike with a relaxing outdoor space, capturing fantastic views over the Edinburgh Old Town roofscape towards Edinburgh Castle and beyond.

"The proposals do not include any structural alterations to the existing consented design and require no new construction other than the provision of a balustrade to delineate the accessible roof space." 

1 Comment

#1 Posted by Justine Gordon-Smith on 24 Mar 2021 at 00:15 AM

Anyone that actually knows the Cowgate know that this is an idea dreamed up on a drawing board with no concept of reality. The Cowgate is a toxic thoroughfare with industrial vehicles., fumes and lots of drunk revellers. The guests won't be able to open their windows at night as the noise will cause sleep less nights and as for the roof garden it will just be high enough to capture all the fumes. Strong design is about fusing imagination with reality, this is not that.

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