Design Hotels announces plans for Edinburgh debut
Design Hotels’ first member hotel in Scotland, Market Street Hotel, is set to disrupt Edinburgh’s traditional hotel scene this summer with its unique brand of neo-brutalism meets Scots heritage. Nestled between the New Town’s graciously elegant Georgian façades and the Baronial tenements of the Old Town, the 98-room hotel reflects both the architectural diversity of the forward-thinking capital and its rich cultural identity — both past and present. And with its spectacular rooftop Champagne lounge offering panoramic views across the Waverley Valley, the property is poised to offer guests an unparalleled insight into the city.
A deep affinity with Edinburgh’s visual identity and historic narrative is key to the overall design concept of Market Street Hotel. Starting with the façade, jmarchitects have conceived a fresh take on classic structural forms, clad in Scottish stone to both preserve and challenge the capital’s architectural landscape. For the interiors, Dutch design studio FG Stijl have channelled an aesthetic of brutal beauty inspired by the location’s character and history. The result is a contemporary pastiche of a traditional Scottish fortress — think cracked, earthen walls juxtaposed with the clean, minimalist lines of modern furnishings and unexpected bursts of traditional fabrics and tartans. Innovative reinterpretations of classic national motifs have also been cleverly woven into the multi-layered design, culminating in a series of five floating copper fireplaces that together replicate the first notes of ‘The Flower of Scotland’.
The hotel’s pinnacle is the rooftop Champagne lounge, Nor’ Loft, an architectural masterpiece that is the toast of the capital’s UNESCO World Heritage skyline. Sitting under a folded roofscape in dark whinstone, the 7th floor terrace is a social hub by day, serving breakfast, afternoon tea and small plates to the local and international creative crowd. Centred around an elegant Champagne table featuring over 10 prestige labels and an impressive spirits list, the terrace transforms into a veritable urban retreat by night — warmed by the open fireplace and soundtracked by the bustling streets below.
