PJMP Architects
Princes Exchange, Earl Gray St / Lauriston Place, Tollcross
photo © adrian welch sep 2006 with lumix camera
Princes Exchange stands guard over a major entry to Edinburgh's city centre. It faces the south-west to the Tollcross junction and beyond up to Bruntsfield. It has similarities with other major city traffic nodes. Like the Top of Leith Walk and the Haymarket interchanges it revitalises a site that has been empty for many (25) years, it forms a landmark at a historic traffic interchange complete with old clock.
Princes Exchange Edinburgh: image from PJMP Architects
Designed by PJMP, the Princes Exchange won the award for best new commercial project in Scotland for 2001. The Princes Exchange pulls back from the junction using a bowed frontage framed by strong corner blocks and a raised plateau. Entry to the underground car park is by way of neat little angled blocks that integrate with the stepped hard landscaping.
Princes Exchange, Edinburgh: image from PJMP Architects
The Princes Exchange palette is mostly silvered cladding panels set against green-tinted glazing. Office accommodation is set either side of an axial atrium with views on the upper floors back into the city and its Castle.
PJMP Architects: Princes Exchange PR
An acclaimed design by Percy Johnson-Marshall & Partners (PJMP) has helped Teesland Group to secure the Commercial Development of the Year award at the recent ceremony held in Edinburgh for the Scottish Property Awards.
Princes Exchange Edinburgh: image from PJMP Architects
PJMP designed the
ground-breaking Princes Exchange development in Edinburgh, which won the
award for best new commercial project in Scotland. The judges remarked
it was a "landmark building and an important gateway to the city"
and it had "revitalised a site that has been empty for 25 years".
Princes
Exchange, Edinburgh: image from PJMP Architects
The category was open to any Scottish office, retail or leisure/mixed
use project completed in the year 2000. Developers, agents, architects,
owners and contractors were able to enter, with the judges looking for,
a full description of the project and its background, the quality of construction
and finishes, how well the scheme made use of the site and whether or
not it has helped revitalise an area or improve property value.
Princes
Exchange Edinburgh: image from PJMP Architects
Peter Bowman, Managing
Director of PJMP added, "PJMP had to ensure that the design fitted
the historical significance of such a high profile gap site. Any development
would bound to receive wide public interest because of its location and
the fact the land has been vacant for decades. The competition was tough
but PJMP were delighted to be associated with the award".
Princes Exchange
Edinburgh: image from PJMP Architects
The Scottish Property
Awards were organised by Property Week magazine and were hosted by TV
personality Clive Anderson. The event was held at Cromdale Hall at the
Edinburgh International
Conference Centre.
PJMP Architects: Princes Exchange - Building PR: 25 Jul 2001
Scottish
Architecture
Edinburgh Walking
Tours
Background to Percy Johnson-Marshall (now PJMP Architects):
Percy Johnson-Marshall was an urban designer, regional planner and educator
who embraced 20th century theories of human spatial organisation and postwar
reconstruction. Johnson-Marshall was employed as an architect in both
public and private sectors, and in both further and higher education.
Percy Johnson-Marshall:
born 1915, India; died 1993, Edinburgh.
Percy Johnson-Marshall began his career as a planner in 1936. In 1959
Johnson-Marshall began a career with the University of Edinburgh Department
of Architecture, first as Senior Lecturer and then, in 1964, as Professor
of Urban Design and Regional Planning with his own department within Sir
Robert Matthew's School of the Built Environment (1967). Percy Johnson-Marshall
was a director of the Architecture Research Unit (1961-1964) and founder
of the Planning Research Unit - PRU (1962). The PRU was involved in the
preparation of regional plans including those for the Lothians, Grangemouth-Falkirk,
and the Scottish Borders.
Percy Johnson-Marshall and Associates was launched in 1962 with the commission
as planning consultants to the University of Edinburgh for its Comprehensive
Development Area. PJMP projects include master plans for Sao Paulo, Porto,
and Islamabad, reports for the Scottish Development Department, and redevelopment
schemes in UK towns such as Edinburgh, Kilmarnock and Salford.
Background to Teesland:
Teesland Group is a property fund and asset management company specialising
in indirect property investment vehicles.
Fully listed on the London Stock Exchange since 2002, Teesland are an
earnings-based business with offices in London, Leeds and Edinburgh. Key
Teesland clients include HBOS, Hermes, Henderson, Insight Investments
and the Scarborough Group.
Bank of Scotland headquarters,
east side of St Andrew's Square, Edinburgh
Bank of Scotland HQ, The Mound, Edinburgh:
Following the merger of the Halifax Building Society and the Bank of Scotland
MFA has been appointed for a major refurbishment of the Bank
of Scotland Headquarters in Edinburgh.
Useful Link re PJMP & Percy Johnson-Marshall: www.johnson-marshall.lib.ed.ac.uk
PJMP combined with Mckeown
Alexander Architects to form jm
architects in 2004
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