Edinburgh Arts Developments 2023: 10 ambitious and bold projects set to transform the cultural landscape of the Scottish Capital in the coming years
Edinburgh has always punched above its weight culturally and the city is set to get some incredible new buildings to help it continue to do so.
From the Hogmanay celebrations to the many festivals held over the summer months, Edinburgh’s cultural events attract hundreds of thousands of visitors to the Capital every year, adding millions of pounds to the city’s coffers.
While the the arts have had a tough time in the last few years, first with the pandemic and now with the cost of living crisis a range of buildings are in the pipeline to ensure Edinburgh continues to be a cultural Mecca in a post-Covid world.
Here we take a look at 10 of them, as featured on development website www.skyscrapercity.com.
1. Dunard Centre
Planning permission has been approved for the £65 million Dunard Centre in the New Town. It will create a 1,000 seat concert hall, 200 seat studio, rehearsal/recording space, a multi-purpose space, a café and bars in a building connected to the A-listed Dundas House. The centre is due to be completed in late 2026.
Photo: David Chipperfield Architects
2. National Centre for Music
A number of projects have been mooted for the A-listed Old Royal High School building on Calton Hill, but the £55million National Centre for Music has now been green lit. It will convert the 1829 landmark into a residential music school with capacity for 120 pupils, three performance and rehearsal spaces, and a multi-functional hub with café, gallery and visitor centre. No timetable for construction has yet been revealed.
Photo: Richard Murphy Architects, Simpson & Brown Architects
3. Scottish National Gallery Project
The ongoing Scottish National Gallery Project is due to be completed in summer 2023 and will feature a redesigned gallery, circulation and entrance areas, and the re-landscaping East Princes Street Gardens at a total cost of £22 million.
Photo: Hoskins Architects
4. King's Theatre Restoration
The £25million refurbishment of the famous A-listed King's Theatre is expected to be finished by summer 2024 and will see improvements to front of house, auditorium, stage and backstage areas, and add a new learning and participation studio, bars and a cafe.
Photo: Bennetts Associates