Caltongate Edinburgh Development, Old Town Property Images, Architects, Scottish Capital Buildings

Caltongate Edinburgh Architecture

New Street Bus Station Redevelopment in Old Town, Scottish Capital City

post updated 29 October 2023

Previously for the Cuckfield Group by Gensler Architects with Hackland & Dore Architects

Caltongate Approved
Approved by Ministers Sep 2008 – no Public Enquiry

Previously:
Calton Gate proposals approved, but to be referred to Scottish ministers + demolition of Canongate tenements unapproved.

Caltongate Edinburgh Development

Calton Gate by Gensler Architects
£100m mixed-use development, New Street, Edinburgh receives detailed planning permission from City of Edinburgh Council:

redevelopment image from Gensler Architects

Calton Gate was designed for the Cuckfield Group by one of the world’s largest Architects practices, Gensler, with Hackland & Dore Architects of Edinburgh.

Gensler Architects – Building

The development boasts a central location within the Waverley Valley and will create a new business hub comprising over 200,000 of office space, 55 apartments as well as retail/leisure opportunities.
Calton Gate – PR issued by Weber Shandwick (Edinburgh) for The Cuckfield Group

Planning Permission Approved for the Development of Calton Gate, Edinburgh
Cuckfield Group, has received detailed planning permission for Calton Gate, a £100 million mixed-use development designed by award-winning international architects, Gensler, on the site of the former New Street Bus Station in Edinburgh’s Old Town.
Ronald Persaud, Cuckfield Group chief executive says: “Calton Gate is an exciting mixed-use development that will boost new investment and help rejuvenate the area to create a new commercial hub in Edinburgh’s East End.

building photo © Adrian Welch

“Over £100 million will be invested in the development and the site will be cleared to make way for a new scheme which will integrate 200,000 sq ft of premium office space, 55 high specification apartments and a 28,000 sq ft arts and media centre. The plans also include a health and fitness centre plus cafes, bars and restaurant facilities.

“The regeneration of this district is vitally important for the prosperity of Edinburgh and our proposals combine both historic influences and functional contemporary design to create a striking new development that will marry state-of-the-art office buildings with premier housing and leisure facilities. We expect the development to appeal to companies within the financial, legal and new media industries keen to take custom built, premier facilities in the centre of town.

building photo © Adrian Welch

“Our priority in developing these plans has been to create an attractive, appealing development that reflects the site’s setting within a World Heritage city and is in keeping with the framework of the existing Waverley Valley Strategy. We have worked closely with a number of community and conservation bodies, including World Heritage Trust, The Cockburn Association, Scottish Civic Trust, Royal Fine Arts Commission and Joint Mobility Unit to ensure that Calton Gate is in tune with its surroundings and that the design of the buildings achieves this aim.

“We are also aware that it is important the Calton Gate development works for residents and businesses alike, and we have worked with the people of Edinburgh to create the best scheme possible. We will now continue with our extensive consultation process as we move forward to ensure the final scheme meets the needs of the whole community.”

Calton Gate – Building PR 21 Mar 2002

New Street Masterplan

On completion Calton Gate will comprise:

* 200,000 sq ft of premium office space within minutes of Edinburgh’s road and rail links
* 300 underground parking spaces
* a new arts and media centre providing a new venue for small conferences or business events
* a number of cafés, bars and restaurants that will extend the vitality of the area beyond working hours
* 55 high specification apartments
* a natural pedestrian route from the new Scottish Parliament building at the eastern end of the Royal Mile to the Executive buildings on Calton Hill via access through the site and a possible new bridge link at the northern end of the development.

Award-winning Architects, Gensler, is the creative force behind the Calton Gate masterplan.

Architectural features include:

* innovative green roofscapes – planted roofs that can be accessed on different stepped levels by the building occupants
* glass-walled ‘hanging atria’ inside buildings to create a flood of natural light into internal open spaces
* consideration of existing and creation of new views across the Waverley Valley
* a cantilevered building to form an attractive architectural feature and focal point gateway off Calton Road
* underground vehicle access and parking
* a series of linear buildings across the site finished in sandstone and glass
Calton Gate Environmental features include:
* the removal of all contaminated land currently present on the site from previous use
* green roofscape – landscaped rooftops to provide insulation and improved acoustic qualities and to enhance the appearance of the scheme from the city’s Calton Hill
* landscaped public squares, pedestrian routes and easy access for disabled people

Jones Lang LaSalle, DTZ and Smith Cole Wright were appointed as joint agents for Calton Gate which is due for completion in 2004.

Cuckfield Group
The Cuckfield Group was formed in 1997 and currently has a development portfolio worth over £350m throughout the UK. The company has been active in the Scottish property scene for the past two years and is currently involved in a £14m commercial development at Renaissance House, in Lady Lawson Street, Edinburgh and a £35m mixed use scheme in Bonnington Road, Edinburgh.
Further developments are planned for Glasgow.

Gensler Architects

Gensler is an international architecture and design firm that was founded in San Francisco in 1965. In 35 years Gensler has grown from one office to a broad-based organisation with offices in London, Amsterdam, Hong Kong, Tokyo and a total of 18 offices in the USA. Gensler’s London office opened in 1989.

Gensler London has a team of 210 staff and has designed over 25 m sqft of office space and is responsible for over £1 bn of construction in the UK.
21.03.02

Caltongate building PR issued for Cuckfield Group by Weber Shandwick Worldwide

Calton Gate : current proposals

Scottish Parliament

Also by Gensler Architects: IBM E-Business Innovation Centre, London – winner of “best workplace” at the UK National Lighting Design Awards 2002

More Scottish Architects:

Edinburgh Walking Tours : Architecture Walking Tours

Edinburgh Old Town

New Street Edinburgh is by CDA with Allan Murray Architects