Johnnie Walker Princes Street is a major visitor experience in the centre of Edinburgh, created as part of Diageo’s £185m investment in Scotch whisky tourism. The attraction transformed a historic former department store into a modern, multi-sensory destination, offering immersive storytelling, tasting experiences, rare whisky casks, and exceptional hospitality spaces with panoramic rooftop views across the city.

FES was appointed as MEP partner for this landmark project, delivering the full mechanical, electrical, and public health works. This included complete replacement of legacy building infrastructure and the installation of new systems to support advanced audio-visual displays, bespoke lighting, exhibition technology and operational hospitality facilities across eight floors.

A major component of the brief was the development of programmable lighting and environmental control systems that enable the experience to continually adapt and evolve. FES engineered lighting, ventilation, and air conditioning solutions that could serve both precision-controlled whisky environments and high-traffic public spaces, whilst maintaining comfort and operational resilience throughout. Sustainability was a core priority, with the project opening with a Green Tourism Gold Award, supported by energy-efficient systems, smart controls, rooftop planting, sedum roofs and biodiversity enhancements.

Delivered through the pandemic period and within a listed city centre structure, this project demanded exceptional coordination and problem-solving. Working collaboratively with creative, contractor, and client teams, FES helped enable a world-class visitor attraction that blends heritage, technology, and future-forward storytelling.