The category A-listed Scottish Widows HQ in Edinburgh is to be converted into a 385-room hotel, despite heritage and infrastructure concerns.
The Scottish Widows building, designed by Scottish architect Sir Basil Spence in the 1970s, has been empty for six years, since it was vacated by the insurance giant.
The building is distinct for its 12 hexagonal modules, five of which will be knocked down to facilitate the conversion.
Permission had already been granted for the demolition, but council planners were asked to approve the transformation of the seven remaining modules into a hotel instead of office space, as originally agreed.
The council granted permission – as well as listed building consent – for the development at a meeting on Wednesday.
The Architectural Heritage Society of Scotland objected to the plans, claiming that the changes would affect the Bürolandschaft open plan design which is “central to the building’s design intent”.
“The hotel scheme subdivides the entire floorplate of all seven retained modules into perimeter guestrooms off internal corridors – a more extensive loss of open-plan character than the consented office refurbishment,” they contend.
“This should be properly assessed and weighted, not dismissed as a loss of something already lost.”
Southside Community Council also objected to the scheme due to concerns around transport and parking infrastructure.
Council officers, however, took a different view, concluding “the proposals will preserve the character of the listed building and its setting, in accordance with the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) (Scotland) Act 1997 and relevant HES guidance”.
They added: “In terms of physical alterations, the proposed external works to this category A listed building and its associated landscaping are relatively minor in terms of visual impact within the South Side Conservation Area, including on existing street level and elevated views of the site.”
Historic Environment Scotland (HES) said some of its original heritage concerns for the building had been allayed and welcomed the retention of the existing reception area and the bronzed curtain walling on the exterior of the building.
The body welcomed the scheme “as it offers several conservation benefits to the building when viewed against the consented scheme”.
Similarly, archaeologist John Lawson warned about “adverse impacts on both the fabric and character” of the structure, but welcomed revisions to earlier plans.
Describing the project to councillors, a planning officer explained that the hotel scheme has a number of advantages over the previous office plan.
Due to a lower requirement for daylighting, the hotel can retain the same panelling as before, while the striking entrance module, which was to be pulled forward in the office scheme, can be kept “exactly as it is”.
The only disadvantage the planning officer admitted was “the subdivision of the floor plates to form bedrooms”, which they claim is “easily reversible”.
Another advantage cited was the removal of a proposed plant room, which opens up opportunities for the restoration of the original interior planting design by celebrated landscape designer Dame Sylvia Crowe.
In response to a question from SNP Councillor Amy McNeese-Mechan on transport, the officer responded by saying that the developer’s modelling was not anticipating issues with traffic:
“If it were in operation [as an office], it would coincide a lot with the school run.
“So whilst there’ll be more trips over the course of the day, the timing will be different, so it won’t generally clash with the school run.
“And most people will arrive, but there’ll be some coaches, there’ll be taxis, and there are a lot of buses, but what they’re not anticipating is private car use.
“Although there is a small provision to cover the possibility and to alleviate any overspill into the surrounding area, so this has all been modelled, and transport are content that the existing network can cope fine with it.”
Edinburgh Council Planning Convener Hal Osler, summing up her views before approving the scheme, said:
“Having been on the site visit to this, it is an incredible structure, and it was very sad to see it in its degraded state as we did over two years ago.
“So I can only imagine that it’s probably not any better than it previously was.
“It is a very complicated structure, and it is really difficult to know how you get something that’s so iconic into some kind of usage. And it is important, obviously, that happens.”
She added: “I think this is an improvement, I think when we looked at it previously, there was a lot of intervention that had to happen to make it even work slightly.
“I can imagine that if you’re coming to stay in the city, it’d be quite an iconic place to stay, so, I do think this is a positive.
“I do take on board individuals’ concerns about the kind of the movement around and how busy it is.
“But note the fact that a lot of work has been done to remove some of the conflict issues away from the road.”
In planning statement, developer Vita said: “As a result of the careful design of the interventions and changes proposed the special interest of the listed building would not be notably adversely impacted, and would be sustained.”
