IT is perhaps not as loved as the Scott Monument or Edinburgh Castle, but a 1960s department store is to join the list of city buildings saved for future generations.
The Bhs store on Princes Street is to be given a B-listed status by government agency Historic Scotland.
The move means that planners will now need consent for any alterations to the building.
The decision drew criticism from deputy council le
ader Steve Cardownie, who said it could jeopardise future developments on Princes Street and told Historic Scotland to "get a life".
Dr Deborah Mays, head of listing at Historic Scotland, said: "If you wanted to point to an example of a purpose-built, post-war department store, this really is the best example.
"It shows how the approach to enticing customers through and around the shop has changed from the time that Jenners, for instance, was constructed and is the result of a deliberate attempt to reinvigorate the retail provision on Princes Street to cater to more modern shopping needs."
But Cllr Cardownie said the decision could stall investment in the famous shopping street.
"Each to their own, but some of them (Historic Scotland] need to go out and get a life," he said.
"I'm sure people will be surprised by this decision and will be looking with a new sense of wonderment at this building."
The building, at 64 Princes Street, was completed in the late 1960s and was among a group of developments built with first-floor walkways.
Dubbed "panel buildings" after a panel of Edinburgh planners, the ultimate intention was to create a continuous second street above Princes Street.
Designers RMJM, who would later work on the Scottish Parliament building, were also responsible for other city icons such as the Royal Commonwealth Pool and Edinburgh University's David Hume Tower.
Leading architect Malcolm Fraser, whose projects include the Scottish Storytelling Centre on the Royal Mile, said not all modernist buildings deserved a bad name.
He said: "There are a lot of very bad 1960s buildings on Princes Street, but this is not one of them.
"I think it's interesting that there are people who would wipe out all traces of the 1960s, but I note that there were, 40 years ago, those who felt the same about all Victorian architecture. The building that Bhs replaced was fabulous and I still regret its passing. I applaud Historic Scotland for taking the initiative here."
Dr Miles Glendinning, director of the Scottish Centre for Conservation Studies at Edinburgh College of Art, said there was a "nostalgia" for the design of the 1960s and 1970s.
He said: "This is an excellent decision. The Bhs building is significant in urban design terms as an exemplar of the Princes Street plan of the 1960s. There's a lot of nostalgia among the public for the sixtiess and seventies. The decision to list this building might baffle someone of Princes Charles' age, but younger people very much appreciate and comprehend modern design."
The full article contains 506 words and appears in Edinburgh Evening News newspaper.
