Ribbon Building, Edinburgh

 


The Building

The 12-storey Ribbon Building forms part of the W Hotel in St. James Quarter, Edinburgh. Designed by Jestico + Whiles and opened in 2024, this 'go big or go home' coiled structure is an ode to the celebratory spirit of Edinburgh.

The top storey has a 360 degree outdoor terrace offering views across the city and beyond.

The Photograph

I was heading home from Glasgow by train, which necessitates a change at Edinburgh. I headed across first thing for a 4pm train, giving me a few hours to reacquaint myself with Auld Reekie. I decided to head towards Leith Walk, and glimpsed this building as I reached the St James Shopping Centre.

The W Hotel (which is a premium Marriott hotel) is made up of three buildings with this one as the centrepiece. This means the building is quite enclosed, so I had to make a few images to create this view.

The facade is striking and invokes a ribbon forming a spiral, with a mixture of metal cladding and glass - which I have tried to emphasis in how I treated the picture in Photoshop.

Taken with a Laowa 15mm f/4.5 Shift lens on Sony A7RII.

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