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October 23, 2004
'Edinburgh Nouveau'
Edinburgh is acquiring a number of rather similar new buildings.
Harvey Nichols with Multrees Walk to the left. Photo © S Holledge
The Harvey Nichols department store in St Andrews’s Square is an example: stone with large windows, and panels of opaque green glass and grey-painted metal with shallow faux balconies. Multrees Walk, the unsuccessful shopping street around the side of Harvey Nichols is in the same style.
The buildings are dull and conservative, expensive looking and a bit vulgar, vaguely reminiscent of 1970s Chinese hotel architecture. I’ve been wondering about a name for the style: maybe ‘Edinburgh Nouveau’?
Work underway at 33 Princes Street: the usual suspects? Photo © S Holledge
The building now going up at 33-41 Princes Street (formerly C&A) is apparently derivative. Does it reflect the taste of the Edinburgh Council Planning Department? The design is by 3D Architects. Judging by illustrations on the internet the company were originally putting forward designs for a much more radical building, which would also have been less obtrusive.
33 Princes Street billboard. Photo © S Holledge
www.cda-group.co.uk/cdaflash.html
Posted by Simon Holledge at October 23, 2004 11:01 PM
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