St James Quarter

St James Quarter

View of St James Quarter and W Hotel from Leith Street
Location	Edinburgh, Scotland
Coordinates	55°57′15.13″N3°11′18.29″W / 55.9542028°N 3.1884139°W / 55.9542028; -3.1884139
Address	St James Quarter St James Crescent Edinburgh EH1 3AD
Opening date	24 June 2021
Developer	Nuveen
Owner	Nuveen
Architect	Allan Murray Architects BDP
Anchor tenants	1 (John Lewis & Partners)
Floor area	1.7 million sq ft (160,000 m2) [1]
Parking	1,600
Public transit	Edinburgh Waverley St Andrew Square Picardy Place
Website	stjamesquarter.com

St James Quarter is a large galleria retail shopping centre and residential development in the centre of Edinburgh, Scotland. It is situated in the east end of the New Town.

History

The site is built on the site of the St. James Centre which closed in October 2016 and the adjoining New St Andrew House office, which was formerly occupied by the Scottish Office. ^[2]

Interior of the centre in 2024

The retail centre opened on 24 June 2021. ^[3]

On 29 September 2022, HRH Princess Royal officially opened the development. ^[4]

In October 2025, it was announced that St James Quarter would be rebranded under the Westfield brand in 2026, after Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield (URW) purchased a 25% stake in the shopping centre. ^[5]

Constitute sections

Retail galleria

The new shopping centre makes space for 850,000 square feet (79,000 square metres) of retail space, with the neighbouring John Lewis & Partners store being the shopping centre's anchor. The retail centre has a capacity of 80 units, alongside an Everyman Cinema and the food hall Bonnie & Wild. ^{[6] [7]} The W Hotel and Roomzzz Aparthotel opened in 2023. ^{[8] [9]}

W Hotel

W Hotels opened the 12-storey hotel in Winter 2023. ^{[10] [11]}

Transportation

The development is situated close to Edinburgh Waverley railway station, Edinburgh Bus Station and the Edinburgh Trams stops at St Andrew Square & Picardy Place. There are also multiple bus stops close by.

Controversies

The "Ribbon Hotel" has proven controversial amongst residents of Edinburgh and the media, due to its perceived resemblance to both the poo emoji and a Walnut Whip. ^{[12] [13]} This led in 2015 to inspectors being sent from UNESCO, regarding its potential impact on Edinburgh's skyline and its World Heritage Site status. ^[14]

References

1. "St James Quarter". Nuveen. Archived from the original on 16 April 2021.
2. "Demolition complete at St James Centre site". BBC News. 4 January 2018.
3. "Edinburgh Chamber of Commerce: Inspiring Connections".
4. "Princess Royal talks to shoppers as she officially opens St James Quarter". 30 September 2022.
5. "St James Quarter in Edinburgh to get new name after sale deal". Edinburgh News. 24 October 2025. Retrieved 24 October 2025.
6. "Grand retail complex signs up more tenants".
7. "Bonnie & Wild's Scottish Marketplace".
8. "St. James Quarter". St. James Quarter. Retrieved 11 June 2021.
9. Wightman-Stone, Danielle (17 November 2015). "John Lewis to anchor Edinburgh St James development". FashionUnited. Retrieved 11 June 2021.
10. The St James Quarter (21 October 2023). "Explore St James Quarter".
11. "Pictures: Milestone for 'ribbon hotel' build as 'final flourish' added to Edinburgh's skyline". HeraldScotland. Retrieved 11 June 2021.
12. Wainwright, Oliver (8 July 2021). "'A great city has been defaced': why has a poo emoji arrived on Edinburgh's skyline?". The Guardian. ISSN   0261-3077 . Retrieved 6 February 2024.
13. Reid, Scott (30 April 2025). "Landmark Edinburgh hotel likened to a walnut whip sold in key deal". The Scotsman . Retrieved 25 June 2025.
14. "A Building That Looks Like a Turd Is Threatening Edinburgh's World Heritage Status". Bloomberg.com. 9 November 2015. Retrieved 6 February 2024.