Ocean Terminal

Leith Docks

Opened 2001

   ©

Ocean Terminal is a £120m shopping and leisure complex that opened in October 2001.  It is on the eastern side of Western Harbour in Leith Docks, close to the new Headquarters of the Scottish Office.

The Royal Yacht, Britannia, is a now a visitors' attraction, moored beside Ocean Terminal.

Expansion

For some time now, Forth Ports Authority have expected that Ocean Terminal would be extended as other developments in Leith Docks progressed.

However Forth Ports' announcement that they would like to extend it by building a 30 storey, 100 meter high tower came as a surprise. 

This announcement which appeared in the Evening News on April 2, under the front page headline: "The Sky's the Limit" has provoked concern amongst conservation bodies and letters of complaint in the Evening News.

Blueprint

If a 30 storey tower were  built at Ocean Terminal  it would become, by far, the tallest  building in Edinburgh.  The tallest building to date in the centre of Edinburgh is the 13-storey Exchange Tower, off Lothian Road.

Forth Ports Authority said that:

-   the tower is part of a blueprint for Leith Docks, due to be submitted to the city council in May 2007.

-  their vision  has been partly inspired by Manchester's tallest building, the 47-storey Beetham Tower, which FPA describe as "just fantastic".

-  they plan to hold a design competition to draw up detailed plans, and would like work on extending Ocean Terminal to begin within the next two or three years.

- they might include a new concert arena and museum in the development.

-  they would like to build a Guggenheim-style contemporary art gallery, probably near the proposed Cruise Liner Terminal at Leith Docks.

Edinburgh city council aims to protect views of the city skyline.  This effectively prevents the building of tall buildings in the city centre.

Evening News  April 2, 2007:  pp.1, 5, 12