THE architects who will design the £200 million expansion of the St James Centre have been unveiled.
Two award-winning companies - the Building Design Partnership (BDP) and Allan Murray Architects - will work together on a masterplan which should be submitted to the owners Henderson Global Investors (HGI) by the end of next year, when it will also b
e made public.
BDP director Peter Coleman said luxury homes with sweeping views of the city, a doubling of retail space, roof-top bars, restaurants and cafes are all set to feature in the plans.
He added a major investigation will now be launched to determine the design which will be most attractive to the public.
"We want to make sure we get the approach that's right for Edinburgh, so what we want to do is undertake an appropriate urban analysis of what is there and how the St James Centre fits in to the east end of the New Town," he said.
"At the moment, it doesn't fit in wonderfully well and it's a rather underwhelming area. We want to transform it to a wonderful place, somewhere exciting and unique to the city."
Mr Coleman said that Leith Street would be the biggest challenge for designers, as heavy traffic and the centre's car park deter visitors from the area.
He said the high-rise St James House office block was also likely to be demolished in favour of buildings where restaurant-goers and residents could enjoy sweeping panoramic views of Calton Hill, Salisbury Crags and the Castle.
Mr Coleman said: "It may be appropriate for us to bring in some residential uses back into the city centre.
"We would also look to create some roof-top restaurants and cafes so we can give the people somewhere in the St James Centre where they can enjoy the city."
BDP has vast experience of drawing up redevelopment masterplans and has been involved in the £900m regeneration of Liverpool city centre. It has also produced masterplans for Sheffield and Livingston, as well as Melbourne's waterfront district.
Edinburgh-based Allan Murray Architects is also on board after being involved in projects such as the Omni Centre and The Tun.
Allan Murray said: "The St James quarter is an extremely important area in the city centre and has tremendous potential for the whole of Edinburgh. This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to revitalise the city centre."
The revamp would see the centre's shopping space more than double to around 950,000 square feet and space created for up to 2000 cars.
HGI recently purchased the St James Shopping Centre for £184m and announced its intention to redevelop the site.
It is hoped that the masterplan will be completed by the end of next year. A planning application is likely to be submitted by the end of 2008.
Henderson Shopping Centre fund manager Myles White said: "The appointment of the design team represents a crucial first step in our plans to create modern retail space within the city centre. BDP and Allan Murray Architects both demonstrated a strong commitment to quality design and urban planning.
"The design team will work closely with key stakeholders, including the city council to ensure the redevelopment provides a major boost to the retail offering in the heart of the Scottish Capital."
DESIGNERS ARE WIZARDS OF AUSSIE DOCKLANDS MAKEOVER
THE design firm appointed to oversee the development of the St James Centre has also been responsible for two massive regeneration schemes in England and Australia.
Building Design Partnership drew up the masterplan for the on-going £900 million Paradise Project aimed at regenerating the heart of Liverpool.
At 42 acres, the scheme is the largest city centre regeneration project in Europe. It includes 1.6 million square feet of retail space, leisure facilities, apartments, hotels, recording studios, offices and a gallery.
It is expected to bring huge benefits to the area by creating new jobs, housing and business opportunities as well as attracting tourists. One of the centrepieces will be a pedestrianised shopping boulevard.
The firm also oversaw the acclaimed transformation of Melbourne's old docklands into a vibrant waterfront district to tie in with the hosting of the Commonwealth Games. Hundreds of homes, shops and restaurants, as well as a public square and a marina, were built.
The full article contains 750 words and appears in Edinburgh Evening News newspaper.
