St James Quarter is a large galleria retail shopping centre and residential development in the centre of Edinburgh, Scotland. It is situated in the east end of the New Town.

History

The site is built on the site of the St. James Centre which closed in October 2016 and the adjoining New St Andrew House office, which was formerly occupied by the Scottish Office.[2]

View of St James Quarter and W Hotel from Leith Street.

The retail centre opened on 24 June 2021.[3]

On 29 September 2022, HRH Princess Royal officially opened the development.[4]

Constitute sections

Retail galleria

The new shopping centre makes space for 850,000 sq. feet (78,967.584 m2) of retail space, with the neighbouring John Lewis & Partners store being the shopping centre's anchor. The retail centre has a capacity of 80 units, alongside an Everyman Cinema and the food hall Bonnie & Wild.[5][6] The W Hotel and Roomzzz Aparthotel opened in 2023.[7][8]

W Hotel

W Hotels is a 12-storey hotel in the centre, which opened in Winter 2023. [9][10]

Transportation

The development is situated close to Edinburgh Waverley railway station, Edinburgh Bus Station and the St Andrew Square & Picardy Place tram stops, along with multiple bus stops close by.

Controversies

The "Ribbon Hotel" has proven controversial amongst residents of Edinburgh and the media, due to its perceived resemblance to a poo emoji.[11] This led in 2015 to inspectors being sent from UNESCO, regarding its potential impact on Edinburgh's skyline and its World Heritage Site status.[12]

References

  1. ^ "St James Quarter". Nuveen.
  2. ^ "Demolition complete at St James Centre site". BBC News. 4 January 2018.
  3. ^ "Edinburgh Chamber of Commerce: Inspiring Connections".
  4. ^ "Princess Royal talks to shoppers as she officially opens St James Quarter". 30 September 2022.
  5. ^ "Grand retail complex signs up more tenants".
  6. ^ "Bonnie & Wild's Scottish Marketplace".
  7. ^ "St. James Quarter". St. James Quarter. Retrieved 11 June 2021.
  8. ^ Wightman-Stone, Danielle (17 November 2015). "John Lewis to anchor Edinburgh St James development". FashionUnited. Retrieved 11 June 2021.
  9. ^ The St James Quarter (21 October 2023). "Explore St James Quarter".
  10. ^ "Pictures: Milestone for 'ribbon hotel' build as 'final flourish' added to Edinburgh's skyline". HeraldScotland. Retrieved 11 June 2021.
  11. ^ Wainwright, Oliver (8 July 2021). "'A great city has been defaced': why has a poo emoji arrived on Edinburgh's skyline?". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 6 February 2024.
  12. ^ "A Building That Looks Like a Turd Is Threatening Edinburgh's World Heritage Status". Bloomberg.com. 9 November 2015. Retrieved 6 February 2024.