The Dunard Centre

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Coordinates: 55°57′25″N 3°10′50″W / 55.9569°N 3.1806°W / 55.9569; -3.1806
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The Dunard Centre
Map
Full nameThe Dunard Centre
Former namesIMPACT Centre
Address36 St Andrew Square
Edinburgh
Scotland, United Kingdom
Public transitSt Andrew's Square, Edinburgh Trams
Construction
ArchitectDavid Chipperfield Architects
Services engineerNagata Acoustics
Website
https://dunardcentre.co.uk

The Dunard Centre (officially the Dunard Centre supported by the Royal Bank of Scotland and previously known as the IMPACT Centre) is a planned concert hall to be located in the city centre of Edinburgh, the capital of Scotland.[1] The proposed venue is currently being designed by David Chipperfield Architects, with a variation to the existing planning application scheduled for 2021. The Dunard Centre is being designed to be a world-class venue with the very best in modern acoustics and will be a venue for all kinds of music and performance: from orchestral to jazz and from pop to folk, welcoming chamber groups, soloists, bands, choirs, comedians and dance ensembles. It will be an informal cultural hub with education and community outreach central to its vision.

The Dunard Centre will be the home of the Scottish Chamber Orchestra and serve as a principal venue for the Edinburgh International Festival.

The Dunard Centre is expected to cost at least £75 million,[2] of which £25 million will be contributed by the local and national governments as one of the investments facilitated by the Edinburgh and South East Scotland City Region Deal, £35 million from Carol Grigor, an American arts benefactor, through the Dunard Fund, and a further £15 million being raised through a fundraising campaign. The fund also agreed to underwrite any cost overruns or capital deficits in the Dunard Centre's first three years of operation.[3]

History[edit]

In December 2016, an international design competition was announced by the international music and performing arts charitable trust (IMPACT) Scotland to be located to the rear of Dundas House, a Royal Bank of Scotland building, at 36 St Andrews Square. The area is within the New Town UNESCO world heritage site, which has seen considerable development in recent years, with new developments at 3–8, 35 and 42 St Andrews Square, as well the recent Multrees Walk and ongoing St James Centre redevelopment.[4] Many Scottish architects, as well as much of the Scottish press and the Royal Incorporation of Architects in Scotland (RIAS), expressed dismay at IMPACT's decision to run the competition from London, which was seen as sidelining Scottish practices.[5]

A shortlist of six architects was released in late January 2017, consisting of Adjaye Associates (with Sandy Brown, Buro Happold and DHA Designs); Allies & Morrison (with Charcoalblue, Speirs & Major, Harrison Stevens and Buro Happold); Barozzi Veiga (with Alan Baxter, Max Fordham, Kahle Acoustics, 3DReid and Ian White Associates); David Chipperfield (with Arup, Whitby Wood,[6] GROSS MAX and Theatre Projects); KPMB (with Simpson & Brown Architects, David Narro Associates, Arup, Sound Space Vision, rankinfraser landscape architecture and Transsolar Energietechnik); Richard Murphy (with Arup, Graven Images, GROSS MAX and Montagu Evans).[7] In April of that year, David Chipperfield Architects were announced as the competition's winners, along with Edinburgh firm Reiach and Hall, with a public consultation running until the 30th.[8]

On 23 August 2018, the developers lodged their planning application with the City of Edinburgh Council.[9] This design differed slightly from earlier renders, with the lower floors being pared back and simplified.[10] On 24 April 2019, the Development was approved by six votes to four votes by the Development Management Sub Committee of the City of Edinburgh Council after five hours of debate.[4][11]

Reception from the arts and heritage community[edit]

The centre has been attracted the attention of residents and heritage groups due to its design and location within the Old and New Town of Edinburgh, a UNESCO world heritage site:

Fergus Linehan, the head of the Edinburgh International Festival, said that "artistically and socially, it's a truly transformational project for the Festival."[1] He went on to say the hall would provide a space or acts that would not be suitable for the city's existing concert hall, the Usher Hall, saying "If you're talking about new composers, and digital or electronic work, they don't really fit into that". The Festival hope the hall will become "an exciting place to be", which they say will make it "easier for [them] to attract new and younger audiences".[1]

The Scottish Cultural Secretary, Fiona Hyslop, said "The economic and cultural benefits will be felt throughout Scotland."[12]

Adam Wilkinson from the Edinburgh World Heritage Trust praised the architects for showing "a good understanding of the World Heritage Site".[13]

The Architectural Heritage Society of Scotland emphasized a need to project the existing Dundas House building, describing it as "arguably the most important town house in all of Scotland". The charity claimed the development would "detract from the historic building's character, greatly diminishing its special interest and status as the focal point of the east end of Edinburgh's New Town plan".[14] They lodged a formal planning complaint with the Council over the Dunard Centre's "excessive scale and massing".[14]

A local heritage group, the Cockburn Association, supported the plans, saying they "welcome the considerable effort the developers have undertaken to positively consult with a wide variety of stakeholders".[15] The group believed the building would "contribute significantly to the artistic life of the city" and serve as a catalyst for the revitalisation of the surrounding area.[15] The group praised a number of aspects of the Dunard Centre proposal, such as the public access through the site's ground floor lobby, although they requested legal recognition of this right-of-way for the long term,[15] and the site's strong transport links and proximity to tram and bus stops and Waverley Station.[15] However, the Cockburn Association stipulated a number of recommendations they had for the project that the annex block rooftops feature simple, clear roof detailing to avoid large sections of panelling,[15] or that the building's final surface finishes be made to acknowledge the surrounding buildings’ stone exteriors.[15] They also had concerns about concert attendees' cars overstraining parking in the New Town. They sought to encourage attendee parking within the St James Centre development, possibly through a relationship providing reduced evening parking rates.[15] The group also proposed that there be an integration between public transport and concert ticketing, such as free bus or tram tickets being included, to encourage its usage.[15]

The Edinburgh International Book Festival expressed an interest in holding future events in the Dunard Centre, which is located at the opposite end of George Street from their current site in Charlotte Square.[16]

Opposition from property developers[edit]

The centre has been controversial with local businesses, however: the developers of the nearby St James Centre, TH Real Estate, lodged a complaint about the Dunard Centre's proposed lorry access, which would see daily HGV deliveries along a pedestrianised shopping street.[17] They also criticised the building's height, suggesting it would block views from and of their W Hotel[18] as the well the building's large size and its facade, describing it as being made "entirely of concrete".[19] In response, the Dunard Centre's owners threatened to sue the St James Centre's developers after they distributed letters urging surrounding residents and businesses to object to the concert hall's development.[20] The Dunard Centre's developers claim the letters were factually inaccurate and that the hall would benefit the local area.[20] TH Real Estate also complained that the Dunard Centre had not been made to bury their building services underground, which their neighbouring development had been forced to.[13]

Gleneagles, a local hotel, also objected to the concert hall, saying they had not been included within the planning submission's noise impact assessment.[21] The Dunard Centre's developers released a statement saying that the concert hall and studio space would feature "high sound insulation performance" and would thus provide "effective control of noise emissions to neighbouring buildings".[21]

Current[edit]

The Dunard Centre is currently being redesigned, with a variation to the planning application planned for 2021.[22]

Ownership of the land behind Dundas House was transferred to IMPACT Scotland at the beginning of 2023, with the hope that building work could start within the year.[23]

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b c Brian Ferguson, "Edinburgh Festival chief hails ‘transformational’ new concert hall", The Scotsman, 27 April 2019. Retrieved 27 April 2019.
  2. ^ Ferguson, Brian (20 August 2020). "First new concert hall in Edinburgh for a century scaled back after legal wrangle". The Scotsman. Retrieved 5 November 2020.
  3. ^ "APPROVAL FOR EDINBURGH'S DUNARD CENTRE | Impact Scotland". impactscotland.org.uk. Retrieved 28 April 2019.
  4. ^ a b "Dunard Centre, New Edinburgh Concert Hall Building". www.edinburgharchitecture.co.uk. Retrieved 28 April 2019.
  5. ^ "London calls the tune: Scots architects snubbed over £45m concert hall design". The National. Retrieved 30 April 2019.
  6. ^ "The IMPACT Centre Public Consultation Presentation" (PDF).
  7. ^ "IMPACT announces shortlist of architects". IMPACT Scotland. Retrieved 28 April 2019.
  8. ^ "david chipperfield-designed 'IMPACT centre' planned for edinburgh". designboom | architecture & design magazine. 20 March 2018. Retrieved 28 April 2019.
  9. ^ "IMPACT centre enters planning phase". www.sco.org.uk. Retrieved 27 April 2019.
  10. ^ Ravenscroft, Tom (28 August 2018). "David Chipperfield reveals latest visuals for Edinburgh concert hall". Dezeen. Retrieved 28 April 2019.
  11. ^ "Edinburgh to get first concert hall in 100 years after councillors approve plans", The Edinburgh Evening News, 24 April 2019. Retrieved 27 April 2019.
  12. ^ "Edinburgh Festival chief hails 'transformational' new concert hall". www.scotsman.com. Retrieved 27 April 2019.
  13. ^ a b Hopkirk, Elizabeth (26 April 2019). "Chipperfield's Edinburgh concert hall approved after five-hour grilling". Building. Retrieved 28 April 2019.
  14. ^ a b "Edinburgh's new concert hall is condemned by critics for being 'too large and too tall'". www.scotsman.com. Retrieved 30 April 2019.
  15. ^ a b c d e f g h "The Cockburn Association - For Everyone Who Loves Edinburgh". www.cockburnassociation.org.uk. Retrieved 28 April 2019.
  16. ^ "Edinburgh book festival eyes new concert hall as it outgrows home turf". www.edinburghnews.scotsman.com. Retrieved 30 April 2019.
  17. ^ "Concerns raised over heavy goods lorries using busy Edinburgh shopping street for new concert hall". www.edinburghnews.scotsman.com. Retrieved 27 April 2019.
  18. ^ Waite, Richard. "Chipperfield's £45m Edinburgh concert hall narrowly approved". Architects Journal. Retrieved 27 April 2019.
  19. ^ "Kevin Buckle: High streets shops are in trouble the world over". www.edinburghnews.scotsman.com. Retrieved 27 April 2019.
  20. ^ a b Wade, Mike (18 October 2018). "Impact Scotland could sue St James owners over letters in concert hall row". The Times. ISSN 0140-0460. Retrieved 27 April 2019.
  21. ^ a b Bol, David (8 April 2019). "Gleneagles raises issue over noise from Impact Centre". The Edinburgh Reporter. Retrieved 27 April 2019.
  22. ^ Ferguson, Brian (30 January 2020). "Edinburgh's new concert hall to be redesigned". Edinburgh Evening News. Retrieved 28 October 2020.
  23. ^ "Exciting news about Edinburgh's new concert hall!". SCO.org. 30 January 2023. Retrieved 19 January 2023.

55°57′25″N 3°10′50″W / 55.9569°N 3.1806°W / 55.9569; -3.1806

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