Argyle House, Edinburgh

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Argyle House
Argyle House - geograph.org.uk - 3789924.jpg
Argyle House, Edinburgh
Interactive map of the Argyle House area
General information
Location3 Lady Lawson St, Edinburgh EH3 9DS, Edinburgh, Scotland, United Kingdom
Year built1968
OwnerPGIM
Design and construction
ArchitectsMichael Laird & Partners

Argyle House is a building in Edinburgh, Scotland. The building is located in the city's Old Town on Lady Lawson Street and Castle Terrace. [1] Completed in 1968, it was originally used as government offices, but has since been sold many times. Today, it's used as office space by over a dozen companies and institutions, including the University of Edinburgh. [2] [3] The building has a series of relief panels facing Castle Terrace (opposite Castle Terrace Car Park). [4]

Contents

History

Argyle House sits in West Port in the city's Old Town. Designed by Michael Laird and Ian Rogers, it finished construction in 1968. [5] Initially leased to the government by the local council, it was acquired by PGIM in 2023 for £38 million. [6] It was previously owned by Kennedy Wilson, who had bought it from Fordgate in 2014. [2] The building was subsequently used by the University of Edinburgh and the tech company CodeBase. [7]

In November 2025, a proposal of application notice (PAN) was submitted to Edinburgh council with plans for the demolition of the existing building and redevelopment of site as a mixed hotel, office, flats and retail space. [8] [7]

In film

The building featured extensively as a fictional police station in the TV show Dept. Q. [8]

References

  1. "About | Argyle House". www.argylehouseedinburgh.com. Retrieved 2025-07-07.
  2. 1 2 D'Souza, Charlotte (2023-12-06). "PGIM sees potential in Argyle House, Edinburgh's 'ugliest building'". PERE. Retrieved 2025-07-07.
  3. "55 Companies in EH3 9DR, Argyle House, 3 Lady Lawson Street, Edinburgh - Endole". open.endole.co.uk. Retrieved 2025-07-07.
  4. "View Of Relief Panels On Castle Terrace". trove.scot. Retrieved 2025-11-12.
  5. "Argyle House - Edinburgh in Pictures: The Illustrated Guide to Edinburgh". www.edinburghinpictures.co.uk. Retrieved 2025-07-18.
  6. Walker, Peter A. (2023-10-23). "Edinburgh's Argyle House acquired". businessInsider. Retrieved 2025-07-18.
  7. 1 2 Murden, Terry (2025-11-12). "Codebase HQ Argyle House facing demolition – Daily Business". Daily Business. Retrieved 2025-11-12.
  8. 1 2 "Edinburgh council considers plans to demolish Dept Q police station". BBC News. 2025-11-12. Retrieved 2025-11-12.

55°56′48″N3°12′04″W / 55.9467°N 3.2010°W / 55.9467; -3.2010