buildings such as thc lil(‘(' and Scottish \Vidou's haxc madc a slight improvcmcnt. though thcsc hlockhustcrs-tin-stcrtiids do show considcrahlc llaws. Mr liarrcll himscll complaincd with no hint of irony on a rcccnt trip to lidinhurgh that thc quality of somc buildings on his patch lcl't a lot to hc dcsircd. licstival Squarc‘s ncw sihling (‘onlcrcncc Squarc is morc organic. hut lacks locus and scnsc ol‘ placc. ln summar}. thc lixchangc is good tor husincss. hut not l'or architccturc. Rcccnt glimmcrs ol hopc arc otlcrcd hy tliosc cclcctic rogucs at Scottish Widows and thc plcinair joys ol' thc Shcraton
llcalth (‘luh Pool. llowcx‘cr tlicrc is no accounting tor tastc: it
you likc rc-hcatcd nco—classicism and ovcrhloun pomposit}; this could hc your Mccca.
Calton Square & omniedinburgh
xlrt'liilvt'ls': xl/lun illurmt' Arr/Iilct'ls; T/H’ l’urr l’urlm'rs/ii/i ‘thrc's thc \‘icw of thc sca gonc'." cxclaimcd in} \\ ilc coming down l.cith Strcct rcccntl); ama/cd at thc spccd ol‘ construction on this sitc tpicturc pagc It) and Mt). 'l'hc c} csorc ol' concrctc rcinlorccmcnt that tiscd to sprout lrom concrctc padd} liclds has hccn harvcstcd: \‘icws to (‘alton Hill and l.cith Walls arc
.h‘u ,. t. .5 g l gm" ‘V
no\\ sc\crcl_\ liinitcd. l.citli Strcct ttscd to hc onc ol‘ tltc I‘tiughc‘t‘ parts ol' toun. isllt)\\ll l'or sccd) drinking liolcs and dcns ot' iniquity Although onc can hardl} itnaginc \\'arncr \‘illagcs rc— capturing this lla\our. it makcs scnsc to rcsitalisc this al‘ca hctxx'ccn thc l’l;t}ilttll\c‘ and l’rinccs Strcct: an cmpt) ‘linls corridor" \\ ill hc gladl} lost.
'l‘lic sitc has hccn cmpt} l‘or around 3t) _\cars. and likc thc holc l'illcd in h} Saltirc ('ourt. htiilding hcrc patclics an unlortunatc gap in thc cit'\‘s huilt cmironmcnt. 'l'hc \xcstcrn scction takcs thc lorm ol~ olliccs h} .v\llan .\lurra_\ \xith what is hccoming a ll'iltlk‘lllill'h prim acting as a landmark lacing up l.cith Strcct. Baillic (iill‘ord is duc to takc up a Iargc proportion ol‘ thcsc prcmiscs. 'l‘lic castcrn sitc h_\ thc l’|a_\ housc is. ot‘ coursc. thc tuclxc-scrccn \Varncr Villagcs (‘incma. \xith rcstatu‘ants. hcaltli club and a nightcluh to hoot. (lnc l\c_\ aspch ol thc schcmc \s'ill hc thc \ic\\ doun lrom ('alton llill: it's too carl_\ to iudgc this. hut pra_\ that ('alton Stltiarc can hpr amclioratc tlic \ isual damagc donc h_\ thc St .lamcs ( ‘cntrc.