Housing development taking shape at former New Town tram depot

Housing development taking shape at former New Town tram depot

The historic site of one of Edinburgh’s original tram depots is set to become the city’s latest high-profile housing development.

Construction is well underway at Square & Crescent’s Henderson Place development, which is set to bring 42 contemporary homes to the previous Silvermills Tram Depot site in the New Town.

Bordering Edinburgh’s World Heritage Site, the development located between Stockbridge and Canonmills will comprise a mix of homes – from studio flats to four-bed apartments, with a sales launch on track for early next year.



Multi-level biodiverse roofs will add greenery and contrast to the use of traditional red brick and building techniques. Striking ironmongery helps reflect the character of the surrounding area, which includes the neighbouring former Royal London office building on Henderson Row, the last remaining portion of the former depot.

Euan Marshall is co-founder and joint managing director at Square & Crescent, which is renowned for taking on challenging projects to create some of Edinburgh’s prime residences.

He said: “There is a real responsibility in bringing forward a new build development in such a prominent and historically significant location.

“We’ve worked with our architecture partners to create something that we believe will be a fitting next chapter - and nods to the past use of the site while bringing in highly contemporary touches.



“The green roof spaces should add a further point of interest and they reflect the low carbon building techniques and sustainability at the core of this project.”

Housing development taking shape at former New Town tram depot

Fittingly, the development is in a prime location offering extensive connectivity. Situated just half a mile from Princes Street, residents will have swift access to Dundas Street, Stockbridge, the new tram network and Waverley Station.

In the late 80s, the original depot building was demolished and transformed into office blocks, which will now be replaced with thoughtfully redesigned residential apartments. The former Royal London offices on Henderson Row preserved the last remaining portion of the original depot.



Reaching a five-storey high point, the dynamic development will feature private terraces and balconies, as well as private patios on some of the ground-floor properties.

Simon Cook, co-founder and joint managing director, said: “The site certainly has a rich history and that has been at the forefront of our minds throughout. The use of materials like traditional red brick with a precast stringer aims to preserve as much of that history as possible while adding a visually impressive building to the area.

“As we continue work on the project, we’re looking forward to bringing a broad mix of high-quality homes to the market, in a fantastic area.”

This is the latest project underway for Square & Crescent, which recently started construction works on its landmark Royal Meadows development, which will see the careful transformation of the old Royal Hospital for Sick Children building into apartments and townhouses.

Share icon
Share this article: