Archiving the City: Edinburgh

Edinburgh has taken on numerous personas over the course of its existence. The city has come to represent the tale of two towns compiled of different lives, riddled with unique histories. The Old Town, primarily built in the 12th century, followed the typical Medieval “fishbone” layout and was contained within walls to protect the castle from English attacks. The New Town, built in the late 18th century, was the result of overcrowding. What is often overlooked is the land that lies between these two narratives - the gently carved valley, a natural product of melted ice that currently holds the Princes’ Street Gardens; an archive to the city of Edinburgh.

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So, why is it that such a beautiful, lush piece of land was treated with such neglect for so many years?

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Through rigorous studies of Edinburgh’s layered past, a clear perception of the city has emerged. In a city so well defined by its landscape, it is only appropriate to create an architecture defined by the context, both physically and contextually, resulting in a shift in the perception of Edinburgh’s coveted valley

Location: Princes Street Gardens, Edinburgh

Project Type: Academic

Date: Sep. 2019 - Jun. 2020

Portfolio: 

Technical Report: