We look forward to creating an exciting new cultural destination for Perth
– Francine Houben, Mecanoo creative director

A heritage listed city hall Scotland is about to undergo major works, after local authorities in Perth selected Dutch architects Mecanoo to transform the space into a new cultural venue for the city.

Perth & Kinross Council have selected Mecanoo to renovate the listed Perth City Hall, which will feature exhibition galleries, learning suites, a café and shops.

According to the council, the reinvigorated city hall will create "a new gateway" to the city, which will be brought back to life through “light touch” interventions that “embrace the building’s beauty and character, whilst improving accessibility and reinforcing existing connections.”

In the main hall, an inserted volume will create a flexible space for the exhibition of permanent and temporary collections from the council’s cultural archives. To draw visitors into the building, large glass openings will offer passers by interior views, while filling the main space with light. The public space around the building will also be renewed and illuminated by a lighting scheme that visually connects the space with the City Hall.

"Mecanoo stood out as having responded sensitively to the brief, conserving much of the historic building with an innovative and flexible design that will stand the test of time,” said council leader Ian Campbell.

"We felt that they paid particular attention to the needs of a wide range of visitors and the transformation of the area surrounding City Hall into a vibrant, inclusive civic space of which we can be truly proud."

Francine Houben, Mecanoo’s creative director, added: "We’re delighted to have been appointed for this prestigious project. We look forward to working together with the local community and Perth and Kinross Council to create an exciting new cultural destination for Perth."

Virtual reality impressions of the scheme can be explored here.

This isn’t the first time the studio have been tasked with transforming listed buildings into new public spaces that retain their original character. They have also worked on Mies van der Rohe’s Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library in Washington, DC; the Het Hof van Nederland heritage museum in Dordrecht; and New York Public Library’s Stephen A. Schwarzman Building.

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