Teviot Row House building works

In line with this investment, upgrade works are now underway to Teviot Row House, the world’s oldest purpose-built Students’ Union.

As work has progressed and areas of the building have been further uncovered, it has been identified that a complete rewiring of the building is now required. Carrying out these additional repairs is essential for safety and compliance, and ensures that we provide excellent facilities for our students, staff and visitors. This means that unfortunately we now expect Teviot to open to all students in early 2026. 

We’re working with the Students’ Association to upgrade Teviot Row House so it’s welcoming, accessible and environmentally efficient. 

• To date, none of the building is fully wheelchair accessible without assistance. This will change to almost all areas becoming freely accessible to wheelchair users. The main entrance at Bristo Square will be ramped and Charles Street Lane will also have ramped access. 
• By adding insulation, refurbishing windows and improving glazing and LED lighting, we’re making the building more environmentally sustainable for future generations of students. 
• We’re also providing better toilets, improving fire protection and making it easier to find your way around. 
• The building works are necessary to bring Teviot Row House into line with current legislation, including replacing the electrical wiring.
• The upgrade of Teviot’s services and facilities is long overdue so this much-loved building meets the needs and expectations of our students and visitors.

Teviot has a special place in our students’ hearts and we’ll ensure its unique character, history and design is preserved.   

• We are enhancing and modernising facilities such as the café and bar areas, and repurposing spaces to create a new student community lounge, group workspaces, a wellbeing studio and a gallery. 
• The historic character of the exterior and interior of the building, including much-loved spaces such as the Library Bar, the Dining Room, the Debating Hall and Teviot Garden, are being entirely retained.
• The Sports and Underground bars are being joined to create a bigger, accessible café bar with level access, which will function as a flexible space for both day and evening events.   

We have a range of welcoming central spaces for socialising, studying and for clubs and societies to meet. 

• The iconic, dome-covered Potterrow building overlooks Bristo Square and is open 7 days a week from early to late as the main student hub for central campus, with bars, food and a nightclub and events space. Students’ Association services – The Advice Place, Student Voice Hub, Student Opportunities team and the main Welcome desk – remain in Potterrow in their current locations.
• Less than 10 minutes’ walk from Bristo Square, the Pleasance has a café bar and a range of performance and get-together spaces and plays host to lots of our clubs and societies.  
• The Study Hub at 40 George Square provides more than 300 open plan study spaces over four floors, which can be used on a drop-in basis.