After the fire: what will Edinburgh's restored Jenners Building look like?
Scaffolding is coming down over the winter, revealing the Princes Street landmark for the first time since it was gutted by fire in 2023.
The Jenners Building on Princes Street. File photo. · Photograph: Stinglehammer (CC BY-SA 4.0)
After more than two years hidden behind scaffolding, the restored facade of Edinburgh's Jenners Building is about to be revealed.
The A-listed Princes Street landmark, once known as Scotland's Harrods, was badly damaged by fire in 2023, two years after the department store closed. Owner AAA United, which bought the building in 2017, has been leading a major restoration ever since.
Revealed in stages
External scaffolding will be removed in stages over the winter, giving the public their first look at the work. Among the most visible changes will be the return of the famous gold-lettered JENNERS signs, which have been refurbished and put back.
Andrew Keith, managing director of The Jenners Building, said the Victorian craftsmanship was extraordinary and that Edinburgh was getting the building back, although there was still a great deal to do inside.
Craftspeople from across Scotland
Designed by William Hamilton Beattie and completed between 1895 and 1905, the building is one of the capital's finest examples of Renaissance Revival architecture.
Ratho-based Graciela Ainsworth Sculpture Conservation has restored the 22 female caryatids and 12 statues on the east and south facades, 30 years after first working on them in 1995. Prestwick's Rainbow Glass Studios restored the decorative glass, Falkirk firm Matheson carried out lead roof work, and Stirling Stone assessed and repaired every section of stonework.
What comes next?
The 20,000 square metre redevelopment spans four connected buildings and 12 storeys. It will become a mixed-use destination with shops, restaurants, cultural spaces and wellbeing facilities. No opening date has yet been given.