Cables Wynd House and Linksview House have won a national architecture award, despite renovation work worth £69m still ongoing.
Known locally as the ‘Banana Flats,’ these brutalist tower blocks in Leith have won the “Future Reuse” category at the Architects’ Journal Retrofit and Reuse Awards.
This took place on 24 September at The Troxy in East London.
The award celebrates clever innovation in the physical and environmental adaptation of buildings.
A spokesperson from the award, Merlin Fulcher, said: “The judges were struck by the clarity and ambition of the environmental and conservation-focused upgrade.”
One jury member relays the projects as: “A really carefully balanced intersection of heritage, climate resilience, sustainable approaches and social justice”.
This success follows an earlier award this year for the ‘Banana Flats’ at the Scottish Design Awards, whilst also being shortlisted at The Pineapples Award in 2025 for Community Engagement.
Despite the attention given to the buildings, works are not due to be complete until 2028.
Planning permission for Edinburgh City Council’s £69m scheme was approved on 1 October 2025.
The council’s energy-based retrofit and regeneration scheme aims to bring the block up to the Energy Efficiency Standard for Social Housing.
It has the predicted outcome of an 80 per cent reduction in overall energy use per dwelling.
Cables Wynd House and Linksview House were built in the 1960s and contain 310 households, 98 per cent of which is for social rent.
Historic Environment Scotland awarded Category A listed status in 2017.
Image by Berk Usar for The Student
