Basic Site Details
| Name: | Scottish Office, Victoria Quay |
| Town, district or village: | Leith |
| City or county: | Edinburgh |
| Country: | Scotland |
| Parish: | |
| Status: | |
| Grid ref: | |
| Notes: | Victoria Quay was purchased at a cost of £46million, the acquisition of the building followed the principles of the Private Finance Initiative (PFI). The chosen procurement route was Management Contracting. Provides accomodation for 1500 office staff. The building is economically designed and the construction cost was approximately 20% less than similar buildings in Edinburgh. The repetitive structural system favoured prefabricated construction; the structure is set to a grid based on a basic 1.5m pre-cast module. The building incorporates high levels of insulation, passive solar control and opening windows; a large thermal mass and sophisticated building management systems were put in place to minimise energy consumption and reduce costs of occupation. An Access Audit was undertaken by the Scottish Office to ensure provisions were made for the needs of disabled people. A number of artistic commissions were placed in the public areas of the building; A Scottish Oak reception desk by designer Erik de Graaf. A geometrical tile design in the central rotunda by Dundee artist Elizabeth McFall. An etched and sandblasted glass screen by Glasgow artist Tracy MacKenna. Tapestry made in Edinburgh by artist Jo Barker. |
Building Type Classification
| The building is classified under the following categories: | |||
| Classification | Original classification? | Notes | |
 | Government office | Yes | |
Events
| The following date-based events are associated with this building: | ||||
| From | To | Event type | Notes | |
| 1995 * | Won award or awards | RIAS and Scottish Enterprise Regeneration Design Award | |
* earliest date known from documented sources.
People
Design and Construction
| The following individuals or organisations have carried out design/construction work. Where architects or practices worked together, matching letters appear beside their names in the Partnership Group column. | ||||||
| Name | Role | Partnership Group | From | To | Notes | |
| Anna Welch | A | 1993(?) | 1997 | Landscape Designer | |
| Brian Stewart | A | 1993(?) | 1997 | ||
| Colin Doyle | A | 1993(?) | 1997 | ||
| David Orlowski | A | 1993(?) | 1997 | ||
| Emily Peel Yates | A | 1993(?) | 1997 | Landscape Designer | |
| Gary Milliner | A | 1993(?) | 1997 | ||
| Ian Douglas Burns | A | 1993(?) | 1997 | ||
| John Wilson Hornal | A | 1993(?) | 1997 | ||
| Kieran Breen | A | 1993(?) | 1997 | ||
| Michael ('Mick') Alexander Haig Duncan | A | 1993 | 1997 | Project director | |
| Robert Matthew, Johnson-Marshall & Partners (RMJM) | A | 1993 | 1997(?) | ||
| Ruth Vaughan | A | 1993(?) | 1997 | ||
| Simon White | A | 1993(?) | 1997 | ||
| Stephen Hall | A | 1993(?) | 1997 | ||
| Trafalgar House Construction | A | 1995(?) | 1997 | ||
| Robert Matthew, Johnson-Marshall & Partners (RMJM) | A | 1997(?) | Structural and Service engineering | ||
Clients
| The following individuals or organisations have commissioned work on this building/design: | ||
| Name | Notes | |
| Howard Day | Project Director, Victoria Quay Ltd |
| The Scottish Office | |
Related Buildings, Structures and Designs
Parent Structure and Site
| This structure is related to the following parent structure or site (click the item to view details): | ||
| Building name | Notes | |
| Leith Docks Regeneration | Mixed use redevelopment of Leith Docks including housing, retail and a permanent mooring site for the Royal Yacht Britannia. |
References
Bibliographic References
| The following books contain references to this building: | ||||||
| Author(s) | Date | Title | Part | Publisher | Notes | |
| Princeton Arch Staff | 1995 | Rassegna 64: Edinburgh | Princeton Architectural Press | p63. Charles McKean, "How Grand are the Projects?" | |
Periodical References
| The following periodicals contain references to this building: | |||||
| Periodical Name | Date | Edition | Publisher | Notes | |
| Architects Journal | 7 December 1995 | pgs 29-37 | ||
| Building Design | 29 March 1996 | p16 | ||
| Concrete Quarterly | 1997 | Winter | Concrete Society Awards in the Heart of the West End, p16 | |
| Prospect | September 1995 | autumn issue 57 p5-8 | ||
| Scotsman | 27 September 1993 | Leith Project Displays Its True Colours, by Brian Edwards | ||