Having lain empty for many years, the grounds to the rear of the former Edinburgh Odeon represented an unsightly gap in the streetscape. 7N transformed this challenging restricted site into a bespoke student housing development containing 86 generous studios and flats. The new development offers residents unrivalled accommodation in the heart of the University Quarter, complete with carefully framed views over the historic city skyline and the inviting green spaces of the Meadows and gardens adjacent to the site. Sympathetic in scale and proportion to the neighbouring tenements, the new frontage to Buccleuch Street uses a contemporary palette of materials which reference the white Hathenware facade of the retained Category A listed 1930s cinema entrance on Clerk Street. The project also secured the future of the cinema’s auditorium and foyer for use as a cultural venue.