Riego Street Edinburgh, Tollcross Building Architect News, East Fountainbridge Project Competition, Contest Plans

Riego Street, Edinburgh : Architecture

Building Contest in Tollcross, east Fountainbridge : Scotland, UK

post updated 22 October 2023

Development Proposal

Date: 2007-

Architects: Gareth Hoskins Architects; jmarchitects; Michael Laird Architects

Invited Competition

Riego Street Edinburgh

Location: Tollcross, east Fountainbridge, central Edinburgh

Award: Feb 2008

Developer: Kilmartin

Tollcross is a major road junction to the south west of the city centre of Edinburgh, Scotland. It takes its name from a local historical land area.

It lies between the more affluent area of Bruntsfield and the Grassmarket. A key landmark is The Queen Victoria Jubilee Clock at the foot of Lauriston Place.

The earliest reference to Tollcross dates from 1439 with Tolcors being the typical early form. From the earliest, the name has referred to an area of land.

It is called “Lands of Tolcross” in a 1649 Charter of Charles II. In an Act of 1771 in the reign of George III, when suburbs outside the royalty of Edinburgh were made into districts, one of the districts was “to be one District called Toll-Cross”.

The junction is formed by Earl Grey Street (an extension of Lothian Road originally named Wellington Street) to the north, Lauriston Place to the east, Brougham Street to the south-east (leading to Melville Drive which cuts through The Meadows), Home Street to the south (which leads to Bruntsfield), and West Tollcross to the west.

In the middle of the junction is a distinctive ironwork pillar clock which has been one of the city’s landmarks since 1901. Many Victorian and Edwardian photographs feature the clock at what was a busy tram hub. It was gifted to the city by Provost James Steel and Treasurer Robert Cranston, and was one of four similar clocks made by the Edinburgh clockmakers, James Ritchie & Son.

Scottish Architecture News

Buildings close by to Riego Street:

Princes Exchange

image © Adrian Welch