dunard centre

The Dunard Centre, supported by Royal Bank of Scotland, will be Edinburgh’s first purpose-built venue of its kind in over 100 years, opening up a new public realm in the heart of the city and delivering a world-class asset for Edinburgh, Scotland and the UK.

Designed by David Chipperfield Architects, it will be the first Nagata hall in the UK, bringing together exceptional architecture, extraordinary acoustics and bold, ambitious programming to rival the best in the world in acoustic quality and audience experience.

Located behind the RBS Head Office building at No. 36 St Andrew Square, The Dunard Centre will be an inclusive cultural hub for all kinds of musical performance — from orchestral and choral, to jazz, indie, pop and folk, the centre will host all genres of music, alongside spoken word, comedy and corporate events. It will also provide free-to-access, year-round public space for collaboration, socialising and creativity, with 21st-century facilities for rehearsal and recording as well as bars and an indoor/outdoor café.

The Dunard Centre will be the new home of the Scottish Chamber Orchestra (SCO), and a key performance venue each August for the Edinburgh International Festival (EIF), supporting the exceptional quality and diversity of its festival offerings year-round and cementing Edinburgh’s international reputation as a year-round cultural capital.

Its wide-reaching community engagement programme, delivered in partnership with a network of cultural and third sector organisations, will create meaningful pathways for lifelong learning, connecting artists, audiences and communities. A vital investment in the city’s infrastructure, the venue will deliver wide-reaching benefits to the culture, tourism, hospitality and transport sectors through increased spend and job creation, as well as supporting the creative industries, bolstering creative education provision, and increasing access to the arts through digital technology and regional partnerships.

Total City Region Deal Investment: £10 million UK Government, £10 million Scottish Government and £5 million City of Edinburgh.

Lead Contact: Jo Buckley

Last updated: 28 January 2025