British Home Stores started in Brixton, London, UK in 1928. It became a public company in 1931 and merged with Habitat/Mothercare to form Storehouse plc in 1986: Bhs replaced British Home Stores as the registered company name.
Edinburgh Store
There are proposals to redevelop Princes St from Malcolm Fraser (latterly apparently by Broadway Malyan Architects) and this classic Brtish Home Store [BHS store] by well-respected Robert Matthew, Johnson-Marshall & Partners may be under threat.
Cockburn Association Comment:
British Home Stores
In my recent examination of Princes Street I find an element of disagreement between these two books as to which is the best Princes Street Panel building. McKean promotes the New Club as ‘by far the best result of the Princes Street Panel recommendations’ while BOS suggests British Home Stores (Robert Matthew, Johnson-Marshall & Partners) as ‘the first and best of the redevelopments that followed the Princes Street Panel guidelines’.
Edinburgh: Rear of Store - image by Adrian Welch
The Princes Street Panel was convened to recommend principles and standards that should be applied to the control of building development and to securing appropriate environmental standards in the First Edinburgh New Town. Its work (1954-1979), however, is remembered for its effects on Princes Street and especially the first floor walkway that was intended to run the length of the street but never completed.
British Home Stores, Edinburgh: Princes St View
Of the examples that exist I would suggest that British Home Stores and the New Club are the only buildings that are of architectural rather than of historical interest. At present it is only the latter that is listed Category A by Historic Scotland as ‘In-situ reinforced concrete, with plate glass and Rubislaw granite facings’. I am therefore starting a campaign to remedy this mistake and anyone who would like to carry a placard please contact the Cockburn Association office.
BHS Edinburgh store - image © adrian welch: 2005
Now I am the first to admit that in terms of interior the New Club wins hands down mainly because it rescued a few pieces of Baroque panelling from the skip when they demolished the Old Club. My focus, however, is on the exterior of the buildings where I believe that British Home Stores is a graceful addition to Princes Street. This is a great example of 20th Century architecture in Edinburgh using materials, glass and pale granite that were not part of the traditional pallete.
If we look at what has been built since Bhs no one has succeeded in designing a building that adds value to the Princes Street.
A quick glance at other buildings by the same firm in Edinburgh reveals the Royal Commonwealth Pool, David Hume Tower, Edinburgh Airport, Wester Hailes Education Centre but unfortunately includes the former Lothian Regional Headquarters on George IV Bridge. You can’t win them all!!
Martin Hulse, Cockburn Association May 02
More Scottish Architects: Scottish Architecture
British Home Stores, 64 Princes Street, Edinburgh, Midlothian EH2 2DJ
RMJM - Key Projects:
Palm Island Dubai
British Home Stores, Edinburgh (Robert Matthew)
Scottish Parliament, Edinburgh
Newcastle College
Homes for the Future, Glasgow
Tron Theatre, Glasgow
Glasgow Harbour - various buildings
Falkirk Wheel
Lothian Regional Council, Edinburgh (Robert Matthew)
Hume Tower, Edinburgh (Robert Matthew)
Scottish Public Pensions Agency (SPPA) HQ, Galashiels
British Home Stores - Bhs website: www.bhs.co.uk
Edinburgh Shopping Malls, Retail Parks:
Fort Kinnaird Shopping Park.
Ocean Terminal, Leith
ASDA Edinburgh store Edinburgh Shopping Centre, The Jewel, southeast Edinburgh
St James Centre, central Edinburgh
Cameron Toll Shopping Centre, south Edinburgh
Gyle Shopping Centre, west Edinburgh
Edinburgh Shops:
British Home Stores
Burtons
Harvey Nichols
Jenners
Frasers
British Home Stores, Edinburgh: 0131 226 2621
Edinburgh Buildings : back to index
Adjacent building to the east of BHS is Marks & Spencers Edinburgh