Dramatic New Dome Planned for Fire-Hit Cowgate Site in Edinburgh

The owner of the Old Town site devastated by a massive blaze today unveiled a new image of the proposed building.


SoCo buildings image from Weber Shandwick 2006

A stunning glass dome would be constructed on the corner of Chambers Street and South Bridge under the £40 million plan by Whiteburn Projects.

The dome, designed by award-winning Edinburgh architect Allan Murray, would be the landmark feature of a proposed hotel on the Cowgate site.

The design has been inspired by the great domes of Robert Adam’s original plans for the Old College and Register House, both in Edinburgh.


SoCo buildings image from Weber Shandwick 2006

The former tenement site, which will feature a variety of new uses such as the hotel, serviced apartments, art gallery, shops, restaurants and bars, is set to become the lynch-pin of a new vibrant city district called SoCo.

Whiteburn Projects officially took ownership of SoCo last month following 18 months of complex negotiations with the site’s eight owners.

The Edinburgh-based company is now in talks with a number of hotel operators to occupy the 12,000 sq m site, which lies in the heart of Edinburgh’s World Heritage Site and Old Town.

A planning application is expected to be submitted to the City of Edinburgh Council later this year, with the development set to be completed within three years.

The South Bridge/Cowgate site was previously home to a host of retail outlets, offices, pubs and venues, including the Gilded Balloon comedy venue, Bridge Jazz Bar, La Belle Angele nightclub, Leisureland amusement arcade and the University of Edinburgh’s School of Informatics. The buildings were destroyed by a major blaze in December 2002, which attracted worldwide attention.

Today, Allan Murray said: “This computer-generated image illustrates the new glass dome forming a new feature on the important corner of Chambers Street and South Bridge. This is not only a contemporary response to the French Mansard roof that was demolished on the same building by the 1920s, but it is also inspired by the great domes of Robert Adam’s original design for the Old College and Register House in Edinburgh. It will become one of the most dramatic hotel spaces in the city and a wonderful addition to the Old Town.”

John Shepherd, chief executive of Whiteburn, said: “We are very pleased to have purchased this important site in the heart of the Old Town and look forward to the challenge of putting back a very significant building. It was certainly the most complex transaction we’ve ever undertaken, involving the separation of the ownerships between the destroyed and remaining parts of the tenement, and I’m grateful to the joint owners for their patience whilst our respective legal teams delved into the title complexities.

“We have already taken many steps to secure the support of the City Planning Department and relevant statutory bodies in helping us redevelop this complex site and relish the opportunity to create a 21st century building here to enhance and link South Bridge and the Cowgate. It’s obviously a site that has generated enormous public interest since the sad demise of the former buildings and we’ll want to leave no stone unturned in ensuring we’ve reached the right solution.”

He added: “Our marketing is now fully underway and we have had strong interest from several leading hotel operators. We’re also keen, if we can, to establish a public venue such as a gallery, festival fringe spot, concert space or specialist cinema as part of the wider redevelopment.”

Ends September 2006

The eight former owners were:

Luminar Dancing Limited
Georgina Codona
Cowgate Arts Limited
Mapprop Property Investment
University of Edinburgh
Hafid Mahboubi
Iain McKain
Unique Pub Properties

Please note the purchase contract with Hafid Mahboubi is subject to a reconstruction and forward sale agreement for a nightclub shell on the location of his former La Belle Angele nightclub, subject to planning and licensing.

Whiteburn Holdings Ltd, incorporating Whiteburn Projects Ltd, is a family-owned development company. It kick-started the Edinburgh pavement café revolution in the 1990’s with Café Rouge; created Scotland’s first genuine lofts at Leith Lofts and built the best commercial office building in Scotland and the UK (The Tun – winner of two BCO Awards in 2003).

Issued 11 Sep 2006 by Weber Shandwick on behalf of Whiteburn

New Vision for Fire-Hit Cowgate Site in Edinburgh

SoCo buildings image from Weber Shandwick 2006

A £40 million vision to breathe new life into a prominent Old Town site in Edinburgh, which was devastated by fire in 2002, was unveiled today (22 May 2006).

Following conclusion of a complex negotiation to purchase the site from the eight former owners in December last year, the major regeneration project will now be driven by Edinburgh-based, family-owned development company Whiteburn, which also constructed the award-winning Tun building beside the new Scottish Parliament.

The vacant site, which is bounded by South Bridge to the east and the Cowgate to the north, together with the remaining corner tenement on Chambers Street, will be transformed into a vibrant new city district. The developers believe that the new hub, aptly named SoCo, will act as a catalyst to attract new interest and investment in the area, which lies at the heart of the Old Town and forms part of Edinburgh’s World Heritage site.

The company has launched a worldwide search for potential occupiers or co-investors for the prime 12,500 sq m city centre site, which could eventually feature a variety of uses such as a hotel, serviced apartments, retail, offices, art gallery and a nightclub, in a new building. Alternative plans also include a significant amount of new housing to strengthen the city centre and inner city communities.

Award-winning Edinburgh architect Allan Murray, who also designed The Tun for Whiteburn, has been enlisted to draw up proposals for the site. Central to the design are open squares and walkways linking South Bridge and Chambers Street to the Cowgate.

Construction of SoCo is expected to create around 100 jobs and more than 200 once the building has been completed.

John Shepherd, chief executive of Whiteburn, said: “At SoCo, thrilling 21st century architecture will bring together all the levels and layers of this intricate and energetic part of town. It will pitch you right into the heart of everything Edinburgh has to offer and kick-start the regeneration of this well-known but disconnected quarter.”

Jonathan Sutton of Storeys:ssp, agent for the developer, said: “SoCo will be a fabulous location for a hotel, luxury apartments or new HQ. As an exciting cultural centre, it would be perfect for a gallery, filmhouse, concert hall or fringe venue. We’re already fielding enquiries from a variety of potential end users.”

Mr Murray said the proposed new building will act as a catalyst in the regeneration of the South Bridge and Cowgate areas of Edinburgh.

“Good urban design is not simply about buildings or facades. It is about finding the right dynamic mix of uses, forging useful pedestrian links, making new urban spaces and creating a sense of place and character.

“Our vision seeks to assist in the regeneration not only of the South Bridge, but also of the Cowgate and Chambers Street, linking them together perhaps for the first time since the 19th century.”

He added: “Bringing together vibrant new uses that address both the South Bridge and the Cowgate, SoCo will redress some of the concerns that many of us have over the quality of environment.

“We look forward to creating a new piece of high quality architecture in this much neglected part of the Old Town.”

A planning application for SoCo is expected to be submitted to the City of Edinburgh Council later this year. The re-development is expected to take around three years to complete.

SoCo Edinburgh - Buildings PR 26 May 2006




Old Town Fire Competition: Edinburgh Fire


SoCo - Background Information

Formerly a multi-owned group of tenements, once housing a variety of pubs, clubs, studios and venues on Cowgate, such as the Gilded Balloon, The Living Room and La Belle Angele. The University of Edinburgh’s Informatics department was based on the upper levels above shops and an amusement arcade on South Bridge. Prior to 1976, it was home to the J&R Allan department store.

The buildings were ravaged by fire in December 2002. Two thirds of the tenement was subsequently demolished, leaving a gaping hole between South Bridge and the Cowgate.

A City of Edinburgh Council planning brief calls for high quality redevelopment, with an opportunity for the best of contemporary design in the World Heritage Site.

Agreements reached to consolidate ownerships in December 2005 under Whiteburn Projects, developer of The Tun (an award-winning, multi occupied office building on Holyrood Road), following almost a year of complex negotiations, with completion of site purchase expected shortly

Site includes upper floors of remaining 19th Century South Bridge/Chambers Street corner building. Redevelopment opportunity for approximately 12,500 sq m for a range of uses.

Whiteburn is seeking hotel, aparthotel or serviced apartment operators to anchor a new bespoke development. There may also be space for public use such as a gallery, possible festival venue and for retail and licensed premises. The former La Belle Angele nightspot will also be reinstated.

A key aim is to make the site more permeable, with open squares and walkways linking South Bridge and Chambers Street to the Cowgate. The SoCo redevelopment will also act as a catalyst in the regeneration of the area.

SoCo Design Team

Developer: Whiteburn Projects
Architect: Allan Murray Architects
Agent: Storeys:ssp
Structural Engineers: Will Rudd Davidson
Services Engineers: Whitby Bird
Cost Consultants: CBA
Lawyers: Brodies LLP

For further information visit www.soco-edinburgh.com

Edinburgh : back to index


Whiteburn – a Profile

Whiteburn is a Scottish family-owned property investment and development company created in 1985, but whose roots stretch back three generations.

In the last 10 years, Whiteburn has focused on breathing new life into townhouses, warehouses and breweries, mainly in Edinburgh.

Whiteburn:

Led Edinburgh’s pavement café revolution by re-configuring a vacant Georgian tenement in the New Town commercial and shopping area. Now home to Café Rouge, Po Na Na and offices, the building was sold to Festival Inns in 2003.

Created Scotland’s first genuine loft apartments, Leith Lofts, in two former bonded warehouses in Maritime Street, Edinburgh.

Developed The Tun in Holyrood Road, judged the UK’s best commercial office building in 2003. The building is home to, among others, the BBC, British Council Scotland and the European Parliament.

Transformed the neighbouring Clock Tower brewery building for the successful Pizza Express restaurant group.

The early years

David Shepherd, chairman of Whiteburn, then senior partner of J&E Shepherd Chartered Surveyors, created the Keiller Shopping Centre (now Forum Centre) on the historic Keiller’s jam factory site in the heart of Dundee.

David was instrumental in consolidating and expanding the investment portfolio, acquiring a number of tenement, shop and office properties in Dundee, which have been maintained and improved over the years.


The jewel in Whiteburn’s crown in Dundee is the Royal Exchange office building. Formerly housing the Guardian Royal Insurance Company and a number of government departments, this is now home to one of Dundee’s business success stories, Henderson Loggie Chartered Accountants, along with several other local businesses and training centres.

John and Sam Shepherd took over the day-to-day running of the business with the establishment of Whiteburn Projects Ltd as the development arm in 1992.

With John as chief executive and brother Sam as finance director, Whiteburn employs a small but experienced team to manage the diverse portfolio and create exciting new investments in Edinburgh, Dundee and elsewhere.

Whiteburn: www.whiteburn.co.uk

The Tun, Holyrood won two British Council for Offices Awards in 2003 in the best commercial office category Scotland and UK. The Tun also received a Civic Trust Mention in 2004.
Refer: www.the-tun.co.uk

Leith Lofts was the subject of an ITV Home Show in 1999, where a number of owners told the story of how they were able to fit out their own apartments in the development.

John Shepherd is also chief executive of Northern Housing Company Ltd, a charitable housing company, providing affordable homes for rent in Dundee and Perth.





Old Town Fire Ideas Competition, Edinburgh