Fences go up at Jenners as refit works set to start
Construction work to restore the iconic former Jenners on Princes Street is set to start
Fences have gone up around the building which was gutted by a blaze in January 2023, claiming the life of hero firefighter Barry Martin.
A major five-year restoration project is under way to breathe life back into the grade-A listed building, after it was bought by Danish billionaire Anders Holch Povlsen.
Plans to turn it into a hotel, cafes and rooftop restaurant and bar were green-lighted in 2022. Some works have already been completed inside the building which is expected to reopen next year.
The anticipated new development will include more than 10,000 square metres of hotel space, 7,000 square metres of retail space including cafes and restaurants.
Project manager Anders Krogh previously said the plans for the building will aim to create the “best possible framework for future users”.
He said: “The project is first and foremost about helping to preserve a historic building in Edinburgh. Already when we acquired the building, we knew that it came with a great deal of responsibility.”
The vision on the Jenners website states: "The vision is to preserve the historic features and fabric whilst at the same time safeguarding its future by creating commercially viable uses. The development recognises the significance and tradition of the Jenners building, and the department store element remains key to the project.
"With its convenient location and grand nature, the building is also well placed to accommodate a high-end hotel with a restaurant and bar.
"Restaurants and cafes are proposed around the Grand Saloon on the second floor – providing food and beverage provision for both the retail and hotel offerings. A new bar is proposed within the top floor of the hotel, occupying the new floor and corner turret facing St Andrew Square.”
"The proposal will reestablish the architectural quality of the original building, with the sensitive restoration of surviving features, the reinstatement of lost original elements and the careful insertion of new infrastructure.”