Architects cannot be given carte blanche in the Old Town

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Archiseek / UK / Scotland / News / 2006 / May 24

If beauty is in the eye of the beholder, then it is not surprising that there is little consensus of opinion on the changing face of Edinburgh through its most dramatic period of development since the disastrous 1960s. The Scottish Parliament building sums it all up - an inspiration to some and a concrete monstrosity to most others, it is either loved or loathed, with little room for debate in the middle. The Cockburn Association, one of the most outspoken guardians of what is good about Edinburgh, does not mince its words about plans to transform the Grassmarket, describing them as "bland and corporate". It is a label that can be readily attached to many of the developments which have risen from a plethora of gap sites in the city over the last decade, when the pace of construction has been quite unprecedented.

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