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The award-winning team from Edinburgh practice Staran Architects has completed their latest project, The Edinburgh Gin Distillery at The Arches, as part of the wider re-development of Waverley’s iconic railway arches.

Located on a UNESCO World Heritage site, and within Edinburgh’s Old Town Conservation Area, the new distillery is built around five of the historic East Market Street Arches which date back to 1875. As well as once acting as a pop-up festival venue and Viking axe throwing spot, it’s reported that the site was also a temporary home for a Bertram Mills Circus elephant in the 1950s.

The Staran team overcame several challenges when designing the new distillery due to its unique and historic location. As well as preserving protected views across the city, they had to ensure accessibility, despite steeply sloping surrounding streets, and allow for a new electrical substation within the building.

The historic arches have been retained with much of the original stonework on show. The new build element takes up the remainder of the brownfield site and houses a mezzanine bar and rooftop terrace. The decision was made to incorporate a stonework element into the new build section to help it sit more harmoniously with the existing stone arches, whilst the dark terracotta cladding and curved glass corner creates a contemporary contrast with the existing, listed elements. Importantly, the glazed corner allows the bespoke, working copper stills to be viewed from the street.

Co-founder of Staran Architects, James Ferguson, said: “Staran is passionate about redefining the use of historic spaces, and have a lot of experience in this field. The Edinburgh Gin project provided an exciting challenge and allowed us to continue our involvement in the regeneration masterplan, which began for us with The Arches back in 2015. It has been wonderful to see this area become a vibrant part of the city over the past 10 years.

“The site provided an incredible opportunity to combine a modern, bold and striking design with the historic nature of the distillery’s city surroundings. We are very proud of this latest addition to the city centre and for playing a key role in delivering a space which will serve the distillery in its capacity to make gin and provide a unique space for visitors to enjoy.”

Sustainability was also an integral part of the design.  The building is fully electric with an A rated Building Energy Performance, and a fabric first approach was taken to include high levels of insulation, energy efficient glazing and natural daylighting. The building’s heating is provided by air source heat pumps and the external terracotta cladding, glazing and stonework was sustainably and responsibly sourced and is completely recyclable.

The team’s work on the £150m New Waverley Masterplan began back in 2015 when they were brought onboard to create multiple business units within the existing Arches that would act as the ‘front door’ to the regeneration project. The Arches are now home to a diverse range of start-up companies, independent retailers, cafés and restaurants, and have helped to revitalise this corner of Edinburgh’s city centre. Since then, the Staran team have converted the Canongate Venture building into Apple Apartments – subsequently the BrewDog Hotel, converted Cranston Street Crannie into a community hub and led on the design and delivery of the Ronaq Restaurant, now Yaduvanshi.

The Staran team was brought onto the distillery project by Edinburgh Gin owners, Ian Macleod Distillers Ltd. in 2018.

Finlay Nicol, Distillery Manager at Edinburgh Gin stated, “This launch is a true milestone for the brand, representing our relentless dedication to innovation and excellence in all things gin. We believe this is more than just a distillery — it’s a testament of our rich heritage, knowledge and commitment to sustainability, and our brand-new stills alone are an embodiment of this.”