The winning design has been selected for the £25 million West Princes Street Gardens redevelopment in Edinburgh.

A team led by US-based practice wHY has had its concept design chosen following a competition which involved hundreds of submissions.

During the competition's second stage, seven shortlisted teams produced concept designs for a new landmark Ross Pavilion; a visitor centre with café; and improvements to the surrounding Gardens.

The competition jury met on 11 July to interview the seven teams shortlisted for the initiative and unanimously selected wHY as the winner. Their team includes Edinburgh-based design studio GRAS, Groves-Raines Architects, Arup, Studio Yann Kersalé, O Street, Stuco, Creative Concern, Noel Kingsbury, Atelier Ten and Lawrence Barth.


The new Pavilion will provide a flexible platform for the imaginative arts and cultural programming, allowing visitors and residents to engage with a variety of events all year round.

The Ross Development Trust said: "The competition winners proposed an organic landscape-focused scheme that respects the historic setting but also animates the Gardens through the introduction of a new undulating promenade, transformed access from Princes Street, sculptural seating and dynamic open views."

Norman Springford, competition Jury Chair, said: "We thoroughly enjoyed meeting all the shortlisted teams and understanding each approach. However with wHY, they demonstrated an impressive collaboration which respects and enhances the historical context and backdrop of the Castle and the City, whilst creating new heritage and increasing the green space within the Gardens. All of which were key aspects for us all and respected the importance of the space within a World Heritage Site."

Kulapat Yantrasast, Founder and Creative Director of wHY, said: "wHY is built around an ecology of disciplines, the convergence of ideas, experience, nature and people. The Ross Pavilion and West Princes Street Gardens represent this convergence and this was the perfect ground to further our approach to design."

wHY will now work with the Ross Development Trust, the City of Edinburgh Council and other stakeholders, and consult with the public, to take forward the project. Construction is expected to get underway in 2018.

(LM)