Edgy interior for Victorian landmark
On the outside, 1 St Andrew Square looks every inch the traditional city building.
Commissioned as the Prudential Assurance district head office, it was actually designed to be built in red brick like all the company’s other regional offices around the UK, but the City of Edinburgh had other ideas. It was constructed of red sandstone in 1892.
It may still be a typical Victorian office building from the street,but step inside and you find urban modernity.
The “defurb” principles on which the inside of the building has been designed – with exposed pipework and ventilation, walls of brick left undressed and a four-story glass atrium – are more reminiscent of a London Shoreditch style than a stuffy Edinburgh insurance office of the late 19th century. Four floors of office space, totalling 15,500sq ft, are available.
Standard Life Investments, which already owned the building next door which it is refurbishing as its head office, bought 1 St Andrew Square in 2016.
The ambition was to do something completely different in style while rescuing the building; reusing the fabric where possible and turning it into the sort of Grade A space which is currently lacking in Edinburgh.
The square, unlike Charlotte Square which sports uniform Georgian architecture, has had its original buildings replaced over the years so presents a selection of different eras, from Georgian to brand new.
Its location is a big draw for office workers, close to the bus and train stations and on the tramline and is likely to become even more sought-after as the whole area is undergoing a transformation.
Just off the square, the Register Lanes area is the subject of a £100 million redevelopment, while the St James Quarter development is valued at £850m.
Colin Hall, development director of the Standard Life’s real estate investments says: “With these redevelopments the focus of the city seems to be shifting to the east. We definitely see a future cluster of activity for business, retail and leisure focused on this area.”
Hall says the whole refurbishment of 1 St Andrew Square: was managed in order to try and recycle the building.
“Stripped back walls quite sim- ply means fewer materials going into the building.
“Owning and refurbishing the building next door at the same time meant that improvements could be made to both.”
The cost of buying and refurbishing of 1 St Andrew Square represents a £15m investment for Standard Life which now owns the whole of the south side of the square.
Hall says: “We hope to attract creative companies who are wanting to have all the benefits of the location, offer their staff a unique place to work and give visitors and clients a bit of a surprise on coming in.”
What is more, some impressive names will soon be on the doorstep. The ground floor has already been let to Wahaca and The Ivy is the latest restaurant of six to confirm a tenancy in the building next door.
“The focus of the city seems to be shifting to the east”
COLIN HALL
STANDARD LIFE