Claremont Crescent, Edinburgh

Brief

The site, built around 1823, forms part of the Category A listed Claremont Crescent and until recently operated as a hotel. Our clients acquired the buildings with the ambition of sympathetically restoring and enhancing their historic character while creating a collection of high-quality contemporary homes.

A key objective was the removal of a poorly conceived mid-20th-century rear toilet block that disrupted the elegant composition of the Crescent’s rear elevation. In its place, the brief called for sensitive contemporary extensions that would improve functionality and strengthen the relationship between the buildings and their gardens, while respecting the architectural significance of the listed townhouses.

Proposals

Our design carefully balances the conservation of the townhouses’ historic character with the requirements of modern residential living. Decades of unsympathetic alterations were removed to reveal the clarity, proportions and elegance of the original architecture. Significant interventions included reinstating the historic feu division between the two properties, restoring basement access stairs, and reopening front lightwells to improve natural daylight throughout the lower levels.

The former hotel was transformed into seven contemporary apartments, with internal layouts rationalised to provide generous, well-proportioned living spaces, with principal rooms oriented to maximise views and natural light. Comprehensive conservation ensured that surviving period features, including cornices, ceiling roses and decorative detailing, were carefully repaired and reinstated where necessary.

At the rear, the intrusive mid-20th-century extension was replaced with a refined contemporary addition clad in natural stone. Elegantly proportioned glazing and metal louvre screens provide a contemporary architectural expression that sits comfortably alongside the historic fabric. The new extensions create bright, open-plan living spaces and provide direct access from the basement apartments to the private gardens, strengthening the connection between the homes and their outdoor setting.

The result is a thoughtful restoration and transformation that celebrates the heritage of Claremont Crescent while delivering a collection of elegant, contemporary homes designed for modern living.

Claremont Crescent, Edinburgh

A sensitive conversion of two historic townhouses to transform a former hotel into seven contemporary apartments, preserving the generous scale and character of the original buildings while introducing timeless modern living. Carefully designed rear extensions complement and enhance the historic fabric.

Project Team

S1 Developments Ltd