Bristo Square was conceived in Percy Johnson-Marshall's 1962 Comprehensive Development Area plan as a new civic square enclosed by Student Amenity buildings and the University of Edinburgh's Victorian graduation hall. This new square was to replace the old Bristo Street and its plan depended upon the re-alignment of Potterrow and Lothian Street by Lothian Regional Council. In 1979, a design by Percy Johnson-Marshall & Associates, with Jamieson, MacKay & Partners as consulting engineers was approved. Following the re-alignment of the road, work on the square was completed in 1982.