The IMPACT Centre Legend: “A new 1,000 seat venue is something to be celebrated. #ALTON(IL What IMPACT Scotland is proposing is a game-changer. Introduction 2 Holyrood Palace Making such a high standard of acoustics available to so many Welcome to this public consultation event relating to proposals put forward 3 Scottish Parliament musical genres will be an incredible gain for 4 St. Giles’ Cathedral by IMPACT Scotland for The IMPACT Centre supported by the Royal Bank Edinburgh and Scotland” 5 The Queen’s Hall of Scotland on land in its ownership at Dundas House, St. Andrew Square, Edinburgh. 3COTT-ONUMENT 1 7 The Mound Donald Shaw, musician, composer and director 8 Edinburgh Castle 4HISISTHElRSTOFTWOCONSULTATIONEVENTSWHICHARETAKINGPLACETOINFORM 9 Usher Hall the proposals for the site. It is taking place in advance of the submission 3T-ARYS#ATHEDRAL of detailed planning and listed building consent applications to the City of 2 %DINBURGH#OUNCIL4HISlRSTEVENTEXPLAINSTHEBACKGROUNDTOTHESITEAND 6 3 ITSCONTEXTANDSEEKSYOURVIEWSONKEYISSUES9OURFEEDBACKWILLBEUSEDTO inform the preparation of initial development options. 7 The IMPACT Centre 4 IMPACT Scotland is leading an ambitious project to create a new world-class performance venue in Edinburgh. The IMPACT Centre supported by the Royal 10 8 "ANKOF3COTLANDWILLBETHElRSTNEWVENUEOFITSKINDTOBEBUILTINTHECITYIN one hundred years and will embrace all musical genres – attracting performers 9 ANDAUDIENCESLOOKINGFORACOUSTICEXCELLENCEINAWELCOMINGANDDIVERSE cultural hub. 4HISEXCITINGNEWPUBLICSPACEINTHEHEARTOF%DINBURGHWILLOFFERA SEATAUDITORIUM SEATSTUDIOFORPERFORMANCE REHEARSALANDRECORDING AS well as delivering an educational outreach programme to inspire and support both young and old. The IMPACT Centre will provide an acoustically thrilling auditorium for all kinds of musical performance – from orchestral to jazz, folk and electronica - welcoming chamber groups, soloists, choirs and dance 5 ENSEMBLESFROM%DINBURGHANDFURTHERAlELD The IMPACT Centre will create a new home for the internationally acclaimed Scottish Chamber Orchestra, world-class space for the Edinburgh International Festival and be a year-round bustling arts destination for The IMPACT Centre Edinburgh International Festival performers, audiences and the wider community. Through partnerships, creative programming and community outreach it will engage and encourage “It is very important to the future development of the participation of people of all ages and from all backgrounds. Edinburgh International Festival that all our venues are of the best international quality. We would adopt the new Meeting a need “A new auditorium with such a commitment to acoustic excellence is a complex not just for our much-loved morning concerts Edinburgh is a city bursting with creativity. It has a vibrant programme of thrilling prospect for those of us working to encourage more people in but as one of our principal, all-day performance venues. artistic performances throughout the year, culminating every summer in the Scotland to join choirs and enjoy performance at the highest level. It would also deliver creative learning and participatory world’s biggest arts festival. Despite this, the city lacks a purpose-designed, The central location with excellent transport links will make the venue opportunities, releasing individual potential and enabling MID SIZEDVENUEWHICHCANPROVIDEAWORLD CLASSACOUSTICEXPERIENCEANDACT accessible and a great asset to many cultural groups” local residents, as well as visitors, to share in the city’s as a hub for a range of different performance types. All this is set to change remarkable artistic achievements” WITHTHEDEVELOPMENTOF4HE)-0!#4#ENTRE %DINBURGHSlRSTDEDICATEDNEW -ORAG#AMPBELL #HIEF%XECUTIVEOFTHE.ATIONAL9OUTH#HOIROF3COTLAND space for music and the performing arts in one hundred years. Fergus Linehan, the Director of EIF IMPACT Scotland The International Music and Performing Arts Charitable Trust (IMPACT) “I see this is a global opportunity for a global city, combining the best of the old 3COTLANDWASFORMEDINANDISRESPONSIBLEFOROVERSIGHTOFTHE and the new to establish a venue that will attract performers, audiences and construction of The IMPACT Centre and will manage and operate the Centre visitors from around the world” on completion. Sir Ewan Brown, Chair of IMPACT Scotland The Trustees of IMPACT Scotland are responsible for the management and GOVERNANCEOFTHEPROJECT4HEYBRINGGREATEXPERTISEINAWIDERANGEOFlELDS including the arts, business, construction, education and the management of cultural organisations. For more information on IMPACT Scotland and the project to create The IMPACT Centre please visit: www.impactscotland.org.uk Education and outreach Scottish Edinburgh Royal Bank Chamber International “Our Big Noise orchestras, working with health, education and of Scotland Orchestra Festival social services, are already transforming the lives of some of Scotland’s most vulnerable and disadvantaged children and Key relationships helping them to achieve their full potential. This new facility will give young people in our most deprived communities the opportunity to play alongside and be inspired by professional musicians in world-class orchestras. It will prove that, as well as delighting us, the performing arts can be a powerful instrument of social transformation. It’s a thrilling prospect” Key funders Richard Holloway, Chair of Sistema Scotland Scottish Chamber Orchestra City Region Deal Dunard “With this wonderful support from the SCO’s long-term supporter, Dunard Fund, this Edinburgh & SE Scotland Fund project provides a fantastic opportunity for the SCO to provide an open, welcoming and unforgettable audience experience in a much-needed mid-sized performance venue with stunning acoustics in the heart of Edinburgh. Not only will it provide our internationally renowned orchestra with a splendid new home, it will also enable the SCO to reach out in ways that have not been possible in the past” Colin Buchan, Chairman of the SCO ƒ The IMPACT Centre supported by the Royal Bank of Scotland with Reiach and Hall Architects Site location The site occupies a key position in the heart of Edinburgh’s city centre and World Heritage Site. It sits at a fold in the urban grain between the calm ENLIGHTENMENTGEOMETRYOFTHE.EW4OWNANDTHELATERASYMMETRICALIGNMENT of St. James’ Square. The IMPACT Centre itself is to be located to the rear of $UNDAS(OUSE 3T!NDREW3QUARE Originally the home of Sir Lawrence Dundas, it became part of the Royal Bank OF3COTLANDESTATEIN/VERTHEINTERVENINGDECADESTHEHOUSEHASBEEN INCREMENTALLYEXPANDEDANDADAPTEDTOSUITTHEPUBLICNATUREANDOPERATIONAL NEEDSOFTHEBANK)TISINTENDEDTHATTHELASTOFTHESEADDITIONS THEREAROFlCE WINGBUILTIN ISTOBEREPLACEDBYTHENEWVENUE The project site comes under the ownership of the Royal Bank of Scotland. It includes Dundas House which is to be retained as an operational and publicly accessible bank branch as well as its surrounding car park, forecourt, approaches and outbuildings. It is bordered in the west by the civic space of St. Andrew Square and its SURROUNDINGBUILDINGS)NTHENORTHITABUTSTHEREARmANKSOF-ULTREES7ALK ANDTHE(ARVEY.ICHOLSDEPARTMENTSTORE)NTHEEASTITFACES%LDER3TREET THE Edinburgh St. James surviving original tenements of St. James’ Square, and the future Edinburgh St. redevelopment area James development currently under construction. To the south the site faces THERElNEDREARELEVATIONSOF'ENERAL2EGISTER(OUSEAND.EW2EGISTER(OUSE their archivists’ garden as well as the garden of Register Place, the Registers development and the atmosphere of the lanes themselves. Despite its relatively concealed position at the heart of this urban block, the SITEBENElTSFROMITSPROXIMITYTOEXCELLENTTRANSPORTINFRASTRUCTUREASWELL as offering the opportunity to complete the revitalisation of the east end of THE.EW4OWNBYBRINGINGTHEAUDIENCESANDVISITORSOFASIGNIlCANTPUBLIC building to the area and linking the surrounding neighbourhoods to one another. 4HE)-0!#4#ENTRESITELOCATIONPLANANDEXISTINGCONDITIONPHOTOGRAPHS ƒ The IMPACT Centre supported by the Royal Bank of Scotland with Reiach and Hall Architects Surrounding context In order to develop an appropriate architectural response for the site, it is imperative that its setting is fully understood and key issues that require CAREFULCONSIDERATIONAREIDENTIlED4HESETTINGISDESCRIBEDBYTHE SURROUNDINGPHYSICALCONTEXTANDOTHERELEMENTSTHATMAKEACONTRIBUTIONTO HOWTHESITEISEXPERIENCEDANDUNDERSTOODBOTHATIMMEDIATESTREETLEVEL and, where relevant, at a distance. Given its relatively concealed nature and the venue’s role as a public destination in the city, the impact and qualities of YH YJ THISSURROUNDINGCONTEXTHAVEASIGNIlCANTROLETOPLAYINTHEDEVELOPMENTOF Queen Street YB 9OR K0LA CE THEDESIGN7EEXPLAINONTHE0LANNINGPOLICYCONTEXTPANELHOWTHISDESIGN approach is being guided by national and local planning authority guidance. Bus station YD Edinburgh St. James George Street St. Andrew Square 3T*AMES3QUAREAND9ORK0LACE PM PN PQ PP Princes Street Waverley Station Tr am s t op Bus s t op Tr ain s t a t ion Car par king Surrounding transport infrastructure Register Lanes St. Andrew Square 0RINCES3TREETAND.ORTH"RIDGE ƒ The IMPACT Centre supported by the Royal Bank of Scotland with Reiach and Hall Architects Historical context The IMPACT Centre site is intrinsically linked to the development of Edinburgh ASACITYOVERTHEPASTTWOHUNDREDANDlFTYYEARS)TISTOBELOCATEDINTHELAND originally occupied by the gardens of the grade-A listed Dundas House, laid out ANDBUILTBY3IR7ILLIAM#HAMBERSIN"YINSERTINGANEWPUBLICBUILDING