THE Royal High School Preservation Trust (RHSPT), a body set up to protect and sensitively develop the Thomas Hamilton building below Calton Hill in Edinburgh, has unveiled a new vision for the former school.
The plans, funded by a £45 million grant from Dunard Fund, will see the building transformed into the new National Centre for Music. The existing building will be repurposed to feature clearly defined spaces for education, community engagement and performance all set in fully accessible public gardens.
Features will include the auditorium being repurposed as a 300-seat concert hall. Further performance, rehearsal and break-out spaces will also be created. The addition of new public gardens and a restaurant/café has been tipped to increase public access and improve the building’s visual setting.
The plans come as RHSPT seeks to appoint a new chair for the trust as William Gray Muir steps down after eight years in the role. The new chair will lead the progress towards the board’s vision to return the Thomas Hamilton building back to viable public use.
Carol Grigor of Dunard Fund said, “The National Centre for Music will take its place confidently in Edinburgh’s cultural landscape, building on the city’s world-leading strengths as a UNESCO World Heritage City, a festival city and a forward-looking city that creates opportunity. Dunard Fund is delighted to fund such a culturally significant project and one that will leave a lasting legacy not just for the Edinburgh region but for Scotland as a whole.”
Trustee Colin Liddell added, “Dunard Fund and the board are very grateful to Willie Gray Muir for his leadership in creating the amazing opportunity and setting our vision for the future.”
Grant Mackenzie, CEO of the Royal High School Preservation Trust, commented, “Our aspiration is for the National Centre for Music to become a world leading cultural venue for musicians, no matter their background. The new National Centre for Music will engage teachers, community music organisations and professional performers to inspire the joy of music, nurture skills and foster innovation. Thanks to the generosity of Dunard Fund, we’re progressing to make this vision a reality.”
A revised planning application is due to be submitted by early 2024. Council leader Cammy Day said, “We are aware of the proposed change to the scheme and remain supportive of a project which will preserve a key historical building in the city.”
