'Forth plinth' will be Waverley's answer to Trafalgar Square

Published on Wednesday 9 September 2009 22:09

EDINBURGH's main railway station would boast the capital's answer to the fourth plinth in Trafalgar Square under plans being drawn up by a leading gallery in the city and a major heritage body.

The award-winning Ingleby Gallery is in talks with the station's owners over the creation of a new public art space near the Calton Road entrance to the station, on part of the remains of an old footbridge closed almost 60 years ago.

Sculptures, large-scale artworks and installations would be set on the abandoned plinth if the plan gets the green light from Network Rail. It is surrounded by a storage yard and covered in weeds, but lies opposite the Ingleby – the UK's biggest privately owned gallery outside of London.

Trafalgar Square's fourth plinth has become a popular public art space and is currently the site for Antony Gormley's One and Other project.

Supporters hope the Waverley plinth project can still go ahead even though Network Rail has resisted calls to restore the bridge, which historically linked the Old Town with Leith Walk. The bridge – part of which still extends under the station's roof – was one of the conditions of an act of parliament allowing the creation of a rebuilt Waverley in 1892, but was closed in 1950.

Edinburgh World Heritage put forward the idea just weeks after plans to revitalise a notorious link between North Bridge and the station were unveiled. The body has been a key player in a project that will see artist Martin Creed transform the Scotsman Steps for next year's Edinburgh Art Festival.

Edinburgh World Heritage director Adam Wilkinson said a major opportunity would be lost if the plinth was knocked down without some temporary use being found for it. "Although you don't really see the plinth as you go into the station, it's clearly visible from Calton Road and to be frank it looks pretty grotty.

"We've put forward with the gallery a proposal to Network Rail for the repair of the plinth and its use for the temporary display of public art. It would become Edinburgh's answer to the fourth plinth in Trafalgar Square.

"We're just floating the idea at the moment, but we're hoping Network Rail will be receptive. At the moment, we've only been told that it is to be demolished for 'operational purposes', but we've not yet had any clarity on what these purposes might be."

Network Rail officials say the remains of the old bridge will have to go as part of the station's 130 million refurbishment.