Argyle House Faces Demolition for Mixed-Use Rebuild

0:00It's March 31st. Welcome in. This is Edinburgh News Today, where local news meets AI. I'm Corey with the story. Argao House in Edinburgh, that brutalist spot from the Netflix series Dept Q, is staring down demolition for a mixed-use rebuild. Historic environment. Scotland just shot down its third bid for protected list of status, even though it checks all the boxes as a prime example of. 1960s Scottish Modernism. The building's design smartly nods to the historic hood, with blue-flint panels mimicking the castle rock, and sandstone finishes blending with nearby. 19th century terraces. It's one of the few big office blocks from that era, still standing in a major Scottish city after others got wiped out. Folks launched a campaign to save it once demo plans hit, but HES held back because the redevelopment is too far along. They rejected it before, back in 2007 and 2008, prioritizing the advanced planning stage. Developers want to swap it for a hotel, homes, offices, and shops, with pre-application

1:03talks rolling now. The current lease runs till 2033, so they're plotting ahead to keep the site pumping economic value. This saga shows how timing can trump architectural merit in these fights. Keep an eye on whether the council greenlights the tear down, or if campaigners. Rally for round four.