News Story

Yesterday, the City of Edinburgh Council voted to approve a planning application by IMPACT Scotland for the Capital's first purpose-built music and performance venue in over a century. Decades in the making, the Dunard Centre is the cultural flagship of the Edinburgh and South East Scotland City Region Deal, drawing significant support from the City of Edinburgh Council and Scottish and UK Governments. Exceptionally generous philanthropic support especially from the Dunard Fund, as well as support from the Royal Bank of Scotland, will drive the creation of this major new cultural venue in the heart of Edinburgh's community.

The Dunard Centre will transform a hidden site just behind Dundas House on St Andrew Square into a medium sized concert performance hall with a capacity for 1,000 people.

The benefits for music and music lovers for generations to come cannot be overstated.
Gavin Reid, Chief Executive of SCO and Co-chair IMPACT Scotland

Architectural visualisation of the external entrance to the Dunard Centre.

The new building, which will become the artistic home for the SCO, will provide a place where people can come together to experience incredible performances, bold programming and unexpected collaborations, appealing to audiences of all ages and tastes for generations to come.

Built to the very highest architectural and acoustic standards, the Dunard Centre will have inspirational music-making at the fore. The award-winning design team, led by David Chipperfield Architects, are working alongside Nagata Acoustics - the leading acoustic experts who have made their name working on projects for renowned venues including the Walt Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles, the Philharmonie de Paris and Elbphilharmonie in Hamburg.

For the SCO the Dunard Centre will be transformational allowing the Orchestra to continue pushing the boundaries of music-making, inspiring and engaging with more and more people.

If you love music, we want you to be a part of this journey.
Fergus Linehan, Co-Chair IMPACT Scotland

“Yesterday's approval is tremendous news for the City and turns the ambition for a world-class centre for music and performance, into a reality. The Dunard Centre will become the new home of the Scottish Chamber Orchestra, and will be transformational. A stunning auditorium offering the very best in modern acoustics and boasting state of the art digital broadcast facilities will allow us to dream big, expand our repertoire, collaborate with ever more composers and artists, present our work innovatively, courageously and flexibly all with a new-found sense of adventure and ambition, always seeking to reach more and more people.”

Gavin Reid, Chief Executive of the Scottish Chamber Orchestra.

For more information on the Dunard Centre project visit the IMPACT Scotland website.