Saltire Court sets new standard for openess

Edinburgh office development Saltire Court has reached completion on an extensive refurbishment programme.

Situated at 20 Castle Terrace in the Capital, the building has more than 180,000sq ft of predominantly grade-A office accommodation across seven floors, plus the restaurant Dine and the Traverse Theatre.

Currently, 2,320sq ft of space is available on the ground floor, with larger open-plan suites of 19,024sq ft and 10,057sq ft on the second and third floors, marketed by CBRE and Savills.

The refurbishment was undertaken by asset management firm Advance RE Development, along with a comprehensive rebranding project, to modernise the building in line with the latest workplace trends.

At the hub is its five-story high entrance space, now a bright and modern concourse comprising twin atria and the reception area.

The interior offers an architectural nod to the grandeur of Edinburgh Castle – visible through many of the building’s windows – with white walls, greenery, muted granite, and a combination of natural and luminous lighting. Overhead walkways and internal windows on each floor suggest openness and connectivity.

The second atrium to the rear houses the Winter Garden, a calm internal area which is fitted with a 5.5-metre wide by 3m high screen, thought to be the largest available in an office building in the city.

The Winter Garden will be used for a cultural programme of events, including screenings, art exhibitions and book launches.

On a practical level, the refurbishment has seen the installation of cycle racks in the basement and shower facilities, heated changing rooms, a drying room and secure lockers.

Stewart Taylor of CBRE says: “Saltire Court is architecturally and geographically situated at the interchange of the city’s Old and New Towns.

“The refurbishment aims to reflect this, retaining the building’s unique internal features but breathing some new life into the communal areas to align them with the expectations of the next generation of office workers.

“At the heart of the concept is the 21st century co-working and collaborative culture that we are increasingly seeing in the workplace, with spaces that allow for connectivity between people and organisations a key element.”

Current occupiers at Saltire Court include Deloitte, CMS Edinburgh, Quilter Cheviot, KPMG, Close Brothers, Shoosmiths, Dunedin and Martin Currie.

The development is also located near Codebase, the UK’s largest technology incubator, housing a diverse range of technology start-ups.