After being confined to darkness for decades, the once abandoned Waverley Arches in Edinburgh have been given a new lease of life – and copious amounts of daylight- thanks to an ambitious restoration programme and new glazing package from Senior Architectural Systems.

Developed and delivered as a design and build scheme by Union Projects, the C-listed railway arches which date back to 1878 have been refurbished as part of the wider New Waverley Developments scheme to provide a new and eclectic complex of shops, bars and restaurants.

Surrounded by Edinburgh’s rich history, the once boarded up arches have been sympathetically designed by Union Projects and Staran Architects to provide modern and comfortable retail spaces that have been opened up by the use of Senior’s extensive range of aluminium glazing solutions.

Installed by GG Glass and Glazing Ltd, each of the units feature Senior’s thermally enhanced SF52 aluminium curtain walling, SPW600e windows and robust SD commercial doors. The aluminium frames were powder coated at Senior’s in-house facility to create a black matt finish that perfectly complements the industrial heritage of the railway arches.

As each of the arches gradually rises in height, the flexibility of Senior’s SF52 aluminium curtain walling was vital in ensuring the seamless integration of the modern glazing systems into the historic structures.