Nine years after the project was first announced, the Dunard Centre completes its transition from aspiration to construction
Good news for Edinburgh. The city’s first purpose built concert hall for 100 years moves one step closer to being built with confirmation over the past few days that IMPACT Scotland have signed a contract worth £162 million with construction company Balfour Beatty. The Dunard Centre is scheduled for completion in 2029.
Sited at the rear of the Royal Bank of Scotland’s former HQ Dundas House in Edinburgh, the Dunard Centre will be a short walk from Edinburgh Waverley train station — the prospect of a concert hall built to meet present-day concert audiences is an unexpectedly exciting prospect.
This was certainly the case when Thoroughly Good visited for a site visit with IMPACT Scotland CEO (formerly Dunedin Consort) Jo Buckley. Whilst the scene may have seemed underwhelming Buckley’s sincere enthusiasm for the project was obvious. Artist impressions of buildings are always, when you’re looking at a flattened car park, going to uplift, there is a real sense that this is a destination designed so that the architecture as overture. The adaptable interior – viewed in virtual reality – looks set to be a warm and inviting space that echoes the history of the surrounding area.
All eyes will be on IMPACT Scotland to ensure it comes in on budget. There is concern that such a major construction project amid an economic downturn doesn’t follow the same path the construction of Edinburgh Tram did which saw its initial estimated cost more than double. Local press appear to already be adopting a sceptical stance, The Scotsman describing on 24th October the £20 million from First MSP John Swinney as ‘a lifeline’. Anticipated disaster drives clicks-throughs.
Whilst the project first officially kicked off with a call to architects in 2016, final planning permission wasn’t granted until 2021 with RBS handing over the site 2023. The weight of scepticism is directly proportional to the point in time when agreement on such an investment was really secured. Money speaks more forcibly than aspiration.
The funding raised so far bodes well. £100 million raised already from private philanthropy, £10m from the Scottish Government (its original City Region Deal) plus £10m from the UK Government (City Region Deal), £5m from the City of Edinburgh Council, £20m additional pledge from the Scottish Government and £20m matching donation from Dr Carol Colburn Grigor.
