History

© Courtesy of HES (Bedford Lemere and Company Collection)

A Historic Landmark

The site was once home to Kennington & Jenner, founded in 1838 by Charles Kennington and Charles Jenner as a linen draper, and later known as the Jenners department store. After a devastating fire destroyed the original premises in 1892, Charles Jenner worked with Scottish architect William Hamilton Beattie to conceive an entirely new retail experience. The principal building opened in 1895 and was later extended through to Rose Street in 1905.

A Radical Vision

Charles Jenner wanted to create a store that showcased the very best of modernity and innovation in Edinburgh and the world. In its ethos, design, and construction, the Building embodied a new way of thinking about commerce, weaving together civic responsibility, social engagement, discovery, and leisure.

Bedford Lemere’s 1895 photography reveals the richly appointed interiors of the original store – adorned with decorative detail and providing a sumptuous backdrop for the display of goods.

© Courtesy of HES (Bedford Lemere and Company Collection)

‘One lingers in Jenners with much pleasure, on account of the thoroughly artistic and elegant style in which the arrangement and decoration have been conceived.’

Promotional literarure marking the opening of the store 1895

Entrance from Princes Street, c. 1895

© Courtesy of HES (Bedford Lemere and Company Collection)

Ladies’ fashion department, c. 1895

© Courtesy of HES (Bedford Lemere and Company Collection)

The Tea Room, c. 1895

© Courtesy of HES (Bedford Lemere and Company Collection)

Fabric department, c. 1895

© Courtesy of HES (Bedford Lemere and Company Collection)

China and glass department, c. 1895

© Courtesy of HES (Bedford Lemere and Company Collection)

Vintage black and white illustration of The Jenner Building in Edinburgh, built by Charles Jenner, showing a grand multi-story building with ornate architecture, flags on the roof, and horse-drawn carriages and pedestrians on the street in front.
Vintage black and white illustration of The Jenner Building in Edinburgh, built by Charles Jenner, showing a grand multi-story building with ornate architecture, flags on the roof, and horse-drawn carriages and pedestrians on the street in front.

An Edinburgh Institution

Over its 130-year history, The Jenners Building has been at the luminous centre of Edinburgh’s landscape, a source of pride and the epitome of aspiration – a cherished local and national symbol with a global outlook.

Today, it is one of the most beloved Victorian structures in Scotland, holding a unique place in the country's social and cultural fabric.

‘Kennington and Jenner will open their premises at 47 Princes Street... on Tuesday, May 1st’

The Scotsman, 28 April 1838

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Timeline

1838

Kennington and Jenner opens on Princes Street

Black and white photograph of the original Kennington and Jenner store on a city street in 1838, featuring multiple stories with large windows, storefronts on the ground level, and a horse-drawn carriage parked nearby.

1892

Fire destroys the original building

A black and white photo of a building with burned and damaged walls and windows in 1892, debris on the ground, and smoke or soot covering the scene.

1895

The pioneering purpose-built department store opens

Black and white photo of an ornate purpose built Jenner Building with arched ground-floor entrances, decorative window frames, and balconies in 1895.

1905

The building is extended, completing the block

Black and white photo of the 19005 Extension of The Jenner Building with multiple stories, some with rounded balconies and large windows, in a city street.

1911

Jenners receives a Royal Warrant

The royal coat of arms of the United Kingdom featuring a lion and a unicorn, with a motto 'Nemo Me Impune Lacessit' at the bottom awarded as a Royal Warrant to the Jenners.

1925

Jenners Depository opens

Close-up view of a brick building with white-framed windows and a large sign on the top that reads "JENNERS DEPOSITORY."

1962

1960s redevelopment and extension to Princes Street

1960s redevelopment and extension of The Jenners building to Princess Street. Showing balconies and windows.

1970

Extension along Rose Street completed

A city street with several pedestrians walking along the sidewalk. The building on the right side has a tan exterior with black-framed windows and a sign that reads 'JENNERS'.

2005

Jenners is sold to House of Fraser

Close-up of a building's ornate facade with a prominent sign reading 'JENNER'S' in large gold letters.

2017

Anders Holch Povlsen buys The Jenners Building

City street composite of The Jenners Building in Edinburgh with historic and modern buildings, pedestrians waiting at crosswalk, and traffic lights

2024

The David Chipperfield Architects designed redevelopment of The Jenners Building commences on site

A composite image of The Jenners Building with people walking in front of a modern building and an ornate historic-looking building with a "JENNERS" sign on top.