First Minister John Swinney led a ground-breaking ceremony marking the beginning of construction on the Dunard Centre site in the capital’s St Andrew Square after plans for the venue were first announced more than a decade ago.

The Dunard Centre will have the capacity to hold 1000 people and will be the new home of the Scottish Chamber Orchestra along with hosting all genres of music, including spoken word, comedy and corporate events.

Dubbed the “Hall for All”, the venue will also provide free-to-access, year-round public space for collaboration, socialising and creative projects, with 21st-century facilities for rehearsal and recording as well as bars and a café.

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Last month, Swinney pledged an additional £20 million from the Scottish Government for the £162m project, taking the total Scottish Government contribution to £30m, alongside IMPACT Scotland raising more than £100m to date from private philanthropy.

Speaking at the ground-breaking ceremony, the First Minister said “Hall for All” will be a shining example when public and private investors work together to invest in Scotland’s cultural industry. 

null (Image: Dunard Centre)

“It’s a privilege to break ground and mark the start of construction of the Dunard Centre,” he said. 

“The ‘Hall for All’ is a prime example of public and private investors coming together to invest in exciting, innovative projects that will help to grow our economy and significantly enhance Scotland’s cultural offering.   

“Jo Buckley was part of the Scottish delegation to attend Tartan Week in New York with me earlier this year and spoke at the iconic Carnegie Hall. 

“Partnerships were fostered and strengthened by this visit and it’s been a pleasure to once again address an audience of Scotland’s leading cultural and arts stakeholders as we prepare to start building this exciting new venue.”

Construction is expected to last four-years and once complete will transform a gap site behind the Royal Bank of Scotland’s branch and St Andrew Square in Edinburgh‘s New Town.

Dunard Centre will be the first major concert hall in the city since the Usher Hall opened in 1914. 

It is hoped the new venue will attract more than 200,000 people through its doors every year and be worth around £8.6m annually to Edinburgh’s economy.

An architectural rendering of the new concert hall (Image: David Chipperfield Architects)

Designed by renowned architect David Chipperfield, the project is being spearheaded by IMPACT Scotland, which was instigated by Carol Colburn Grigor’s Dunard Fund in 2016.

The American philanthropist Grigor’s Dunard Fund is the biggest single backer of the new hall, after already committing £35m to the project, and secured a £10m pledge from the UK Government, and a further £5m from Edinburgh City Council.

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Swinney joined representatives of the UK Government, City of Edinburgh Council, David Chipperfield Architects, Balfour Beatty and NatWest Group to mark the start of a four-year construction programme. 

Guests also enjoyed musical performances on the site, with singer-songwriter Dougie MacLean singing his iconic Caledonia with children from nearby Broughton Primary School, and Finlay MacDonald, director at The National Piping Centre, playing as part of the ceremony.

Dougie MacLean pictured singing Caledonia at the ground-breaking ceremony (Image: Ian Georgeson)

The Dunard Centre’s chief executive, Jo Buckley, thanked politicians and other guests for attending the ground-breaking ceremony and spoke about her personal focus on ensuring the venue plays a key role in enriching the lives of people across the city.

She said “Today’s performances offered a glimpse of the breadth and calibre of talent the Dunard Centre will bring to Edinburgh.

“It is hard to build a concert hall – but important things are never easy. And what we are building here is not just a concert hall. It is a commitment to people and to community and to the transformational power of culture, which we believe really does change lives.”

“This venue will truly be a ‘Hall for All’, creating an open, accessible, and welcoming space in the heart of the city. It will be a place where Scotland’s musical legends will inspire the next generation of artists, giving children their first encounter with a concert hall and allowing them to feel the electricity that comes from live performance.

“I want to thank everyone who attended today for being part of this important moment for the project, and for their continued support. Reaching this key milestone has been made possible thanks to a unique partnership between government and private philanthropy, the product of which will be a world-class venue that Scotland can be proud of.”