The Tun, Holyrood Starts on Site
BBC secured as Anchor Tenant

Whiteburn's bold new, mixed-use development - The Tun, Holyrood - close to Scotland's emerging new Parliament building, recently celebrated its start on site, with Melville Dundas appointed as main contractor.

The highly specified building, which is opposite the new Scotsman Headquarters and Dynamic Earth, will comprise some 2,600m² (28,000 ft²) of first class open plan office accommodation and over 1,400m² (15,000 ft²) of retail, bar and restaurant facilities. Over 50% of the space is under offer with 30% now pre-let. The Tun will be ready for occupation March 2001.

The BBC has now joined Scottish & Newcastle as tenants for The Tun. BBC Scotland will occupy a purpose built space on ground, first and second floors, planned to be operational by the time the Scottish Parliament moves to their new building in summer 2001.

John McCormick, Controller BBC Scotland, said: "The Tun will offer an improved BBC presence which will encourage greater public access. It will also provide the flexible, creative workspace required to meet our future broadcasting needs."

Whiteburn's Director, John Shepherd, said: "We are delighted to make a start on site, having attracted such high profile tenants, in what will be a landmark building in this exciting new area of the City. BBC Scotland will command a very high presence here and we're looking forward to working with them over the next year or so to ensure a successful start to their Holyrood coverage."

With Scottish& Newcastle's plans for an upmarket wine bar well advanced and lettings to other blue chip tenants in the pipeline, letting agent, John A S McGregor said "We are also marketing the rooftop restaurant space, which has views across to Salisbury Crags and a dedicated lift. We are talking to the country's top operators to ensure Edinburgh's increasing demands for high quality food in exciting settings is well satisfied. We are also expecting keen demand for the remaining office space from firms and agencies, both large and small, looking to be represented near the new Parliament."

Designed by award-winning Edinburgh architectural practice, Allan Murray Architects, The Tun, with its subtly skewed and canted frontage onto Holyrood Road, combines a variety of cladding elements - patinated copper, zinc, planar glazing - to contrast with the original red and buff brick retained on the existing East Tun brewery building. The empathy created between old and new will produce a stunning result, especially when viewed from Salisbury Crags.

The general buzz at Holyrood grows daily, with the Holyrood Hotel and the Scotsman Headquarters now open for business, Dynamic Earth attracting well above its expected visitor numbers and the Scottish Parliament well under construction.

David Crichton, Chief Executive of LEEL said: "We are delighted to welcome BBC Scotland to Holyrood. The Corporation's decision to broadcast from The Tun building underlines the quality of the development and of LEEL's regeneration project for the area. It also confirms the strategic importance of Holyrood as a prime location at the heart of Scotland's national renaissance."

The site forms part of the "Holyrood Project" redevelopment being carried out on behalf of Dynamic Earth Charitable Trust by Development Services Partnership Ltd (DSP).