Victoria Quay, Edinburgh Explained

Victoria Quay
Native Name:Scottish Gaelic Cidhe Bhictòria
Status:Complete
Building Type:Government building
Location:Victoria Quay
Address:Victoria Quay, Leith
Location City:Edinburgh
Location Country:Scotland
Current Tenants:Scottish Government
Start Date:1993
Opened Date:1996
Destruction Date:-->
Unit Count:-->
Parking:672 car parking spaces (incl. 79 for visitors)
Website:Scottish Government

Victoria Quay (VQ) (Cidhe Bhictòria in Scottish Gaelic) is a Scottish Government building situated in Leith, Edinburgh, relatively close to the HRY Britannia museum ship.

History

The building was set on redeveloped dockland and housed parts of what was then known as the Scottish Office. With the advent of parliamentary devolution in 1999, these offices became part of the then Scottish Executive, now the Scottish Government. It was intended that some 1,500 civil servants would work at Victoria Quay.[1]

The building was designed by Robert Matthew Johnson Marshall, and there are some prominent nods to naval architecture in the design. Its construction began in 1993, and it was officially opened by Queen Elizabeth on Monday 1 July 1996.[2] [3]

This building launched Leith's regeneration programme proper. New luxury flats, converted bond warehouses, bistros, bars, and restaurants followed. Until Victoria Quay opened, most of these official posts were at New St. Andrew's House (NSAH) on James Craig Walk, Jeffrey Street and Brandon Street in central Edinburgh. New St. Andrew's House (NSAH) was closed in phases from 1995 to 1996 as a result of the presence of asbestos in the building, and lay empty until demolition in 2017.[4]

References

55.9782°N -3.1735°W

Notes and References

  1. Book: Fontoynont, Marc . Daylight Performance of Buildings. 2014. CRC Press. 978-1134257065.
  2. Web site: Scottish Government (Victoria Quay). Gazetteer for Scotland. 31 December 2022.
  3. Web site: Victoria Quay, Edinburgh. Edinburgh Architecture . 31 December 2022.
  4. News: Demolition of Edinburgh's most unloved landmark. 26 July 2017. The Herald. 31 December 2022.