4
NEWS
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T
his month’s project report is, to echo the words of the founder of the practice behind the trasnsformation of the defunct Edinburgh Royal Infi rmary, Rab Bennetts, a “refreshing tale of the unexpected.” Although one of the discoveries was a building riddled with dry rot, there were many positive discoveries around
how the original ‘Baronial’ design from the 1870s would support the new function of education facility and workspace as the Edinburgh Futures Institute, including its spacious Nightingale wards.
One of the many important heritage buildings in Edinburgh, the former hospital with its turreted Gothic Revival clocktower had nonetheless been neglected since the NHS left at the beginning of the new millennnium. Having become something of a liability in recent years due to its deterioriating condition, Bennetts asserts that the fi rst design move was to “reassert the existing building’s confi dence” by reopening the central entrance under the clocktower. NHS priorities had meant that the A&E entrance to the east had been the de facto main entrance, meaning this grand entrance had been consigned to history, until now.
Another example of how heritage planning values have provided some fruitful cues for new architecture is how the new public square is perfectly central, with new ramps to allow access for all. It’s also fl at, despite the sloping site, which has been excavated to provide a large lower ground level auditorium space. Finally, it’s surrounded by two glazed ‘light-boxes’ bringing light down but also signal that the building has a new sense of purpose, without being grandiose.
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Rather than being constrained by the existing building, the architects have been freed up by the generous dimensions of the Victorian design, to provide workspaces and education facilities with light, high quality environments. And the widened hospital ‘street’ connecting the wards works to encourage serendipitous interaction between the various stakeholders, including academics and students.
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While the design aligns with the wider than normal, but “rational” stone pillar structure, the contrasts between new stairs and other construction, and the original grand fi nishes provides the liveliness that gives such heritage refurbishments a lasting merit as a combination of old and new. And whether possible, existing features have been retained, such as making the interior of one turret an additional fi re escape stair. Read my report on page 22.
James Parker, Editor
There are some new additions to the existing fl oor plan, such as inserted lecture theatres, but the overall look of the building is protected and enhanced. It is a great example of how heritage assets can be renewed, not to mention the upfront carbon benefi ts of reuse, which have been projected at an impressive 361 kgCO2
e/m2 .
FROM THE EDITOR
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EDINBURGH FUTURES INSTITUTE Bennetts Associates gives a new lease of life to a historic Royal Infi rmary for the University of Edinburgh
ADF01_2025
Covers.indd 1 09/01/2025 17:03
01.25
ON THE COVER...
Bennetts Associates nine year transformation of an Edinburgh landmark creates a new home for the University’s Futures Institute.
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Cover image © Peter Cook For the full report on this project, go to page 22
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ADF JANUARY 2025
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