Exhibition of architectural sketches show lost visions of Edinburgh

An impressive Prince Albert Memorial Keep at Edinburgh Castle and a cylindrical-shaped Sean Connery Filmhouse are amongst a collection of unrealised architectural drawings to have gone on display together for the first time

Now the lid has been lifted on 250 years’ worth of ditched designs, rejected visions and unsuccessful competition entries which could have shaped the “Athens of the North” entirely differently.

Plans for the monuments, memorials and new buildings which were left on the drawing board or scuppered after a public outcry have been brought together for the first time for a new exhibition.

They include a new tower for Edinburgh Castle – designed by architect David Bryce – which was intended as a memorial to commemorate the death of Prince Albert in 1861.

A proposal for a cylindrical-shaped Sean Connery Filmhouse

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Frank Charles Mears envisaged a “Sacred Way” which would have seen a series of new monuments and memorials created in the shadow of the castle to honour those who fell the First World War.

Little-seen alternative designs for the Scott Monument, the Forth Bridge, the Usher Hall, the St James shopping centre and Murrayfield Ice Rink are all featured in the Unbuilt Edinburgh exhibition.

The show, created for a nationwide Festival of Architecture, features some of the city’s most controversial modern developments, including the Scottish Parliament.

A new Sean Connery-backed Filmhouse cinema, designed by architect Richard Murphy, was earmarked for Festival Square, but were opposed by the city council and the Sheraton Hotel, while an underground shopping centre in Princes Street Gardens was shelved due to the level of opposition.

The Edinburgh Architectural Association and Historic Environment Scotland are behind the exhibition, on show at the offices of Architecture and Design Scotland, off the Royal Mile, until 20 May.

Co-curator Neil Gregory, architecture and industry operational manager at HES, said: “Unbuilt Edinburgh offers visitors a tantalising view of what the capital could have looked like had different decisions been taken.

“These drawings help us make sense of the cityscape we see today. They highlight the history of some of its major landmarks and the careers of some of Scotland’s leading architects.”

Architect Roderick Binns, the other co-curator, added: “This exhibition is a wonderful showcase of Scottish architectural talent, innovation and creativity over the last 250 years. It charts the wider developments in Edinburgh’s architectural landscape. It also helps demonstrate how design and architecture throughout this period has helped shape and inform the Edinburgh around us today.”