Royal London Mutual Insurance Society has submitted a planning application for the refurbishment and extension of its former offices at 1 Thistle Street and 2 Queen Street in Edinburgh.
Designed by Edinburgh-based Morgan Architects, the 108,000 sq ft redevelopment will serve as a new Scottish headquarters for up to 1,600 employees.
The scheme will feature a new auditorium, employee cafe, two new roof terraces with views across the city and extensive bike parking.
The business is currently based in an office on Haymarket with additional space at Waverley Gate. The move to the Thistle Street site marks a return to St Andrew Square where the business has had a presence since the 19th century.
Peter Josse, group chief operating officer at Royal London, said: “As one of the largest financial services employers in Edinburgh, we are thrilled to advance our plans to transform our former offices into a future-proofed, best-in-class Scottish headquarters. This development will complement our new customer service centre at Waverley Gate which will open later this year.”
Guy Morgan, from Morgan Architects, added: “Morgan Architects has been working with Royal London to repurpose these buildings, creating the potential to extend the existing buildings through a judicious new build and a reinterpretation of the office which meets the needs and aspirations of this prominent site. Our design will retain, repair, reconfigure and upgrade as much of the current buildings as possible while also creating a new sustainable office fit for contemporary purposes.”
