Cables Wynd House, better known as the Leith Banana Flats [1] [2] or the Banana Block [3] because of its curved shape, is a nine-storey local authority housing block in Leith, Edinburgh. The building, in fact, has ten storeys. The ground floor is called Cables Wynd and the nine floors above constitute Cables Wynd House. This often leads to confusion in postal and other services.
Under construction between 1962 and 1965, for many families the complex offered a welcome improvement over the overcrowding and slum housing conditions that were still common problems at the time. [4] There is now extensive security in the building which includes a 24-hour staffed concierge, key fob entry system and security camera system on every walkway and in each of the 4 lifts. The building is well maintained with walkways and lifts cleaned on a daily basis by council employees.
On December 1, 2011, at 03:30, Lothian and Borders police were called to an incident involving in early hours of the morning Staffordshire terrier attacking residents of Cables Wynd House where 3 men and 2 injured. [5] On 13th March 2012, City of Edinburgh Council announced plans in response to the dog attack incident to help residents identify dangerous dog breeds that had been banned under the dangerous dogs act. [6]
In 2012, communal heating and other energy measures were installed by the City of Edinburgh Council. [7]
On 28 June 2024, The Edinburgh Evening news reported that residents had a meeting with City of Edinburgh Council at Edinburgh City Chambers over the elevators state of disrepair that caused a number of residents to become stuck in them. Councillor Katrina Faccenda tabled a motion to include the renewal of the elevators as part of the retrofit project. [8]
The building was designed by Alison & Hutchinson & Partners under the leadership of Robert Forbes Hutchinson. It contains 212 flats and has a 24-hour concierge service situated on the ground floor, and CCTV coverage. Most of the properties use deck access, but the ground floor flats are accessed via individual front doors. Some of these properties are preferentially allocated to older people, but in recent years many young families have been allocated larger flats in the building. All but five of the flats remain in public ownership as of 2015 [update] . [9]
The entire building (along with the nearby Linksview House of similar design, though not curved) was awarded an 'A' listing by Historic Environment Scotland from January 2017, being cited as one of the best examples of 'brutalist' architecture in Scotland. This is the highest rating which can be awarded to a building in Scotland. [10]
In Irvine Welsh's Trainspotting , the flats were the childhood home of the character Simon "Sick Boy" Williamson.
In 2007, the block was used during filming of Wedding Belles , which was also created by Irvine Welsh.
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The Old Town is the name popularly given to the oldest part of Scotland's capital city of Edinburgh. The area has preserved much of its medieval street plan and many Reformation-era buildings. Together with the 18th/19th-century New Town, and West End, it forms part of a protected UNESCO World Heritage Site.
The colony houses of Edinburgh were built between 1850 and 1910 as homes for artisans and skilled working-class families by philanthropic model dwellings companies. The first development was the Pilrig Model Buildings, near Leith Walk. Later developments across the city were built by the Edinburgh Cooperative Building Company Limited, founded in 1861. The founders of this company were influenced by the Reverend Dr. James Begg and the Reverend Dr. Thomas Chalmers, ministers of the Free Church of Scotland, who campaigned to improve the housing conditions of the poor.
Silvermills, once an ancient village, has been part of Edinburgh since 1809.
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Henderson Street is a street in Leith, a district of the city of Edinburgh, Scotland. It forms a curving artery between Great Junction Street and an area known as the Shore, where the Water of Leith runs into the Port of Leith/Leith Docks. Henderson Street lies within the boundaries of the Leith Conservation Area and includes several listed buildings.
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The Old Town Hall is a municipal building in Queen Charlotte Street, Leith, Scotland. The old town hall, which was the meeting place of Leith Burgh Council, is now used as a police station. It is a Category A listed building.
TheShore is a historic and picturesque street in the centre of Old Leith, the harbour area of Edinburgh.