Omni Centre, Edinburgh

Entertainment complex in Scotland

Omni Centre

Omni Centre, in 2011

Location| Edinburgh, Scotland, UK
Coordinates| 55°57′22.18″N 3°11′7.94″W﻿ / ﻿55.9561611°N 3.1855389°W﻿ / 55.9561611; -3.1855389
Address| Greenside Row
Edinburgh
EH1 3AA
Opening date| 2002[1]
Developer| Pillar Projects, Parlison Properties Ltd
Owner| Triple B[2]
Architect| Allan Murray Architects
No. of anchor tenants| 1 (Vue)
No. of floors| 10 (including 3 sub levels).[3] 1 floor is used for retail space while 2 are used for the cinema.[4]
Parking| 990
Public transit access|  Edinburgh Waverley
Picardy Place
Website| omniedinburgh.co.uk

The Omni Centre is an entertainment and leisure complex in Greenside, Edinburgh, at the top of Leith Walk. It attracts over 4 million visitors a year,[5] and was acquired in April 2024 from previous owners Nuveen by a group related to the Bata Shoe business.[2][6]

## Overview

[edit]

The Omni was built on a steeply sloping site at Greenside Row, part of Edinburgh's New Town, on the location of a former church that was closed in 1978. It opened in 2002 creating a modern glass curtain wall, incorporating parts of the facade of the now demolished church.[1] It is a five-minute walk from both Edinburgh Waverley railway station and Edinburgh Bus Station. Picardy Place tram stop is just across the road from the main entrance, with several connecting bus stops close by. The Centre is close by St James Quarter.[3]

The complex is anchored by a 12-screen Vue cinema, a health and fitness club, a luxury five-star hotel (The Glasshouse Hotel) and has a multi-level underground car park. The complex has several bars and restaurants, including JD Wetherspoon, Nando's and a street food market.[2] Outside the centre are two large scrap metal giraffe sculptures called Dreaming Spires, made by artist Helen Denerley as a result of a contest held by the Centre[7] and installed in 2005.[8]

In 2023 it was one of two main venues for the Edinburgh International Film Festival.[9]

## The Glasshouse Hotel

[edit]

The Glasshouse Hotel

Glasshouse hotel looking up to Calton Hill

General information
Location| Edinburgh, Scotland
Coordinates| 55°57′8″N 3°11′22″W﻿ / ﻿55.95222°N 3.18944°W﻿ / 55.95222; -3.18944
Opening| June 2003; 21 years ago (June 2003)
Owner| YTL Hotels
Management| Autograph Collection Hotels
Technical details
Floor count| 3
Other information
Number of rooms| 77
Number of suites| 20
Website
theglasshousehotel.co.uk

The Glasshouse Hotel is part of the Omni Centre complex, and opened in June 2003[10] It is located on Greenside Place, next to the Playhouse Theatre, on the edge of Edinburgh's New Town. It was built on the site of Lady Glenorchy's Free Church incorporating the façade of the church as its frontage. The hotel has 77 bedrooms (of which 20 are suites, all named after a specific brand of whisky) and two acre roof garden, overlooking Calton Hill.

## References

[edit]

1. ^ a b "Omni Centre". The Gazetteer for Scotland.
2. ^ a b c Alistair Houghton (3 April 2024). "Edinburgh's Omni Centre acquired by Triple B". Insider.co.uk.
3. ^ a b "The Omni Centre". Nuveen. Archived from the original on 15 December 2023. Retrieved 20 September 2024.
4. ^ "Centre Map". 27 October 2022.
5. ^ "Edinburgh Omni Centre to get new contemporary Japanese restaurant 'within months'". Edinburgh Live. 15 February 2024.
6. ^ "Triple B Expands Portfolio with Acquisition of OMNi Centre in Edinburgh, Scotland's Premier Leisure Hub". Triple B. 4 April 2024.
7. ^ "'Dreaming Spires'". Atlas Obscura.
8. ^ "Scrap metal giraffes are sticking their necks out for art". The Scotsman. 27 July 2005.
9. ^ "Edinburgh Film Festival attracts 10,000 attendees to six-day event". Screen Daily.
10. ^ "Edinburgh's Glasshouse is a first for Eton Group". The Caterer. 28 May 2003. Retrieved 26 November 2022.

## External links

[edit]

* The Glasshouse Hotel
* Autograph Collection Hotels

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Culture and leisure facilities in Edinburgh

Current|

| Entertainment
venues|

* Bedlam Theatre
* Church Hill Theatre
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* The Cameo
* The Dunard Centre (proposed)
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|

Libraries|

* Advocates Library
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Museums and
galleries|

* Camera Obscura
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Sport|

* Ainslie Park
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Former|

| Culture|

* Edinburgh Filmhouse
* Cygnet Theatre
* Gateway Theatre
* The George Cinema
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* Theatre Royal

|

Sport|

* Beechwood Park
* Chancelot Park
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