Dunard Centre marks start of construction with groundbreaking ceremony

Guests including First Minister John Swinney, singer-songwriter Dougie MacLean and pupils from Broughton Primary School gathered on site for a morning of music, speeches and celebration

Yesterday, ground was officially broken on the Dunard Centre, marking the start of a four-year build with a ceremony that celebrated this historic moment before construction begins later today.

Scotland’s First Minister John Swinney joined representatives of the UK Government, City of Edinburgh Council, David Chipperfield Architects, Balfour Beatty and NatWest Group on site, with guests enjoying a range of musical performances that showcased the breadth and calibre of talent the venue will bring to Edinburgh.

This included singer-songwriter Dougie MacLean delivering an emotive rendition of his iconic ‘Caledonia’ in collaboration with P6 pupils from nearby Broughton Primary School,  pipes from Finlay MacDonald, Director at The National Piping Centre, and a string quartet from the Scottish Chamber Orchestra starting the morning with a short performance. 

Kickstarting a series of speeches from stakeholders and partners, Dunard Centre chief executive Jo Buckley thanked politicians and other guests for attending the ceremony, speaking 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.”

Speaking at the groundbreaking, First Minister John Swinney said: “It’s a privilege to break ground and mark the start of construction of the Dunard Centre. 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.”

UK Government Scotland Office Minister Kirsty McNeill attended on behalf of the UK Government. She said: “The Dunard Centre will be a tremendous addition to Edinburgh’s cultural landscape and I welcome construction getting underway. The UK Government is a big supporter of the project, investing £10 million as part of our £300 million commitment to the Edinburgh and South East Scotland City Region Deal. 

“We look forward to continued close working with the ‘Hall for All’ partners so that local communities and visitors from around the world can enjoy such a world class facility as soon as possible. The UK Government is investing more than £2 billion in dozens of important local and regional projects the length and breadth of Scotland over 10 years, bringing much-needed economic and community renewal.”

Designed by David Chipperfield Architects with Reiach and Hall Architects, the Dunard Centre will be the UK’s first Nagata Acoustics hall, bringing together exceptional architecture, extraordinary acoustics and bold, ambitious programming to rival the best in the world in audience experience.

The Dunard Centre will be the first concert hall designed by Sir David Chipperfield. Speaking at the ceremony, the renowned architect said: “We are deeply honoured to have been selected to design this new cultural building in the historic heart of Edinburgh. We look forward to the concert hall becoming a significant contribution to Edinburgh’s cultural life and finding its place in the city’s extraordinary architectural and urban heritage”.

NatWest Chief Executive Paul Thwaite spoke about the bank’s support of the project, saying: “At the Royal Bank of Scotland, we are proud to partner in building a world-class facility here in the heart of Edinburgh. Seeing the Dunard Centre move from vision to reality is a testament to what ambition and collaboration can achieve. This world-class concert hall will be a huge asset to Edinburgh’s cultural life that will attract audiences from across the UK and further afield. We look forward to continuing to support this landmark project.”  

The construction of the new concert hall is being led by Balfour Beatty. Nick Crossfield, Divisional CEO of Balfour Beatty’s UK Construction Services business, said: “Breaking ground at the Dunard Centre is a landmark moment, taking us one step closer to realising Edinburgh’s first purpose-built concert hall in a century.

“We now look forward to working in close partnership with IMPACT Scotland and applying the highest standards of modern construction throughout, to realise this visionary design that will stand as a beacon for music and culture for generations to come.”

A combination of private and public funding has secured this world-class venue for Scotland and the UK. The Dunard Centre is part of the Edinburgh and South East Scotland City Region Deal, through which the Scottish and UK Governments committed £10 million each, alongside £5 million from the City of Edinburgh Council. Last month, First Minister John Swinney made an in-principle pledge of an additional £20 million in funding, which has been matched pound-for-pound by Dr Carol Colburn Grigor. Alongside the public funding, IMPACT Scotland has raised over £100 million to date from private philanthropy, setting a new capital funding record for a cultural project in Scotland.

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Previously only available in the South of England, the new training centre brings entry-level telecoms training to Scotland for the first time, helping to upskill the local workforce and create new routes into employment.

Following the success of the pilot, CTTS has expanded training delivery across the region and beyond, strengthening Scotland’s telecoms capacity and supporting inclusive growth.

Another example of how the IRES Programme is working with partners to create opportunities, unlock potential, and build the skills our regional economy needs for the future.

Watch the video to see how collaboration, innovation, and practical training are connecting people to Scotland’s digital future: 

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Watch this short video to find out more:

You can watch other videos which show how the City Region Deal’s projects and programmes are helping people, in the Annual Report 2024/25

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Edinburgh Innovation Hub already providing huge community benefits

The new Edinburgh Innovation Hub has had Community Wealth Building at its heart from the very start of its planning and construction, Minister for Public Finance Ivan McKee MSP heard yesterday.

Mr McKee visited the Edinburgh Innovation Hub (EIH) next to Queen Margaret University, Edinburgh - a joint venture between East Lothian Council and Queen Margaret University (QMU). It will be a nationally significant centre for innovation-driven business growth, creating new high-value employment, and is the anchor project of the planned Edinburgh Innovation Park. 

The 7,200 sqm Hub, which commenced construction in early 2024, is expected to be ready for new tenants by mid-October. If offers flexible laboratory, office and fully equipped meeting and conference spaces for rent by small to medium enterprises (SMEs) with a particular focus on life sciences, food and drink, tech, start-ups and companies and organisations with links to the university and strategic partners. There has been significant interest from potential tenants.

EIH is part of the Edinburgh and South East Scotland City Region Deal (ESESCRD) and is supported by £28.6 million from the UK Government, £1.4 million from the Scottish Government and £10 million from East Lothian Council.

Mr McKee met representatives from EIH, East Lothian Council, QMU, ESESCRD and the contractor Heron Bros on-site today and was particularly interested to hear about the embedding of Community Wealth Building from the outset.

Highlights include:

• Local spend: Heron Bros’ local spend within a 40 mile radius is over £400,000 over the course of the project, with more than £22,000 of charitable donations made and 50 hours of Heron Bros staff volunteering over the period.

• Local employment: More than 400 staff employed during the construction period, with 66% of labour from within the region. Two East Lothian residents were supported into newly created positions and have sustained their roles for the duration of the construction phase.

• Progressive Procurement – Meet the Buyer: Heron Bros and ESESCRD held a ‘meet the buyer’ event, inviting suppliers and contractors from the local area to attend during a critical procurement period of the project. Notable outcomes included: a local bricklaying subcontractor who attended the event being contracted to install all brickwork at EIH, now moving onto other projects with Heron Bros across Scotland; the local concrete supplier also attended the event and provided all concrete for the main structure, slabs and kerbing; the on-site caterer was an East Lothian social enterprise. The event also helped potential subcontractors gain a better understanding of public procurement including processes, timelines and accessing support from local enterprise agencies, giving them the best possible advantage to secure future work.

• Employability and Education: ESESCRD and Heron Bros engaged with various local schools and education partners offering numerous site visits and work placements. During these placements the site team and sub-contractors engaged in daily taster sessions with placement attendees, giving them real-world experience of the daily task of painters, electricians, plumbers, joiners, engineers and site managers.

• Construction Skills Academy/Scottish Pathways to Construction: Heron Bros, along with various industry partners, took a central role in the launch of a new industry-wide construction programme designed to support local individuals from under-represented groups progress into fair, secure and supported opportunities within the construction industry. Heron Bros delivered and shaped training, site visits and work placements – a great opportunity to engage the local population in construction and the EIH. The success of this pilot has led to the programme now being rolled out across Scotland.

Community Wealth Building has been a central pillar of the ESESCRD, with the ethos embedded across all projects, including the Edinburgh Innovation Hub, ensuring that investment delivers long-lasting benefits for our businesses, communities and people.

Community Wealth Building is a progressive economic model with a people-centred approach, which redirects wealth back into the local economy through various means including progressive procurement, fostering more social and environmentally-orientated businesses and co-ops, and fair employment including Real Living Wage employers and increased employment opportunities for local people and from priority groups.

QMU and East Lothian Council are recognised leaders in applying Community Wealth Building principles. QMU presented its approach as a national case study at the Local Government Improvement in Scotland conference in April 2025, while East Lothian Council has been cited by COSLA and the Scottish Government as an early adopter of the Community Wealth Building model. The joint venture to deliver the EIH is central to their shared work.

Mr McKee said: “The Edinburgh Innovation Hub at Queen Margaret University is a great example of how the Edinburgh and South East Scotland City Region Deal has embedded Community Wealth Building into investments made under the deal. To support further progress across Scotland, we have introduced a Community Wealth Building Bill to ensure that more wealth is retained in communities through fairer employment opportunities and the growth of local enterprises.”

Councillor Norman Hampshire, Leader of East Lothian Council, said: “The major investment in this project by the council and UK and Scottish Governments will help drive economic growth in our region and is already demonstrating significant and tangible benefits to our local communities, as the Minister heard today. I am delighted that the project, at its very early stages, has boosted local employment and local spend and has benefited our young people in work experience and placements and given a boost to important community groups and charities.”

Sir Paul Grice, Principal and Vice-Chancellor of QMU said: “QMU is proud to be at the forefront of the Community Wealth Building movement, and to be delivering the Edinburgh Innovation Hub in our joint venture with East Lothian Council. Along with driving inclusive economic development locally and nationally, the Hub will act as a gateway into QMU for businesses, increase opportunities at the University for industry-relevant research and knowledge exchange, promote an entrepreneurial culture, and increase the vibrancy of the area around the campus. The Hub is not just a new building, it is a new business.”

Cathal Heron, Regional Director of Heron Bros, said: “It’s been a privilege to help bring the Edinburgh Innovation Hub to life. From day one, we’ve worked hard to ensure the project delivers real benefits for the local community – not just through the building itself, but by creating jobs and supporting local businesses. We look forward to seeing the positive impact the Hub will have when it opens its doors.”

For more information on the ESESCRD Community Wealth Building and Benefits Portal please visit the website.  

More information on the Edinburgh Innovation Hub is on the website.

For more information on East Lothian Council’s Community Wealth Building approach, visit our website.

For more information on Queen Margaret University’s Community Wealth Building approach, see its website.