The new music venue will not only provide a modern performance space for Edinburgh but also create a new public place in this somewhat hidden corner of the city
– David Chipperfield

The latest design proposals for David Chipperfield’s 1,000-capacity concert hall in Edinburgh – the city’s first in 100 years – have been publicly revealed for the first time.

The venue, situated behind the historic Dundas House at 36 St Andrew Square, will be the permanent home of the Scottish Chamber Orchestra (SCO) – with a “world class” auditorium and recital and recording space “to rival the best in Europe.”

In addition to chamber music, the venue, called the IMPACT Centre, will also host jazz, folk, rock, pop, electronica and classical performances, as well as solo and song recitals and small dance ensembles. Alongside the main auditorium, there will be two smaller halls with retractable seating to offer different capacity configurations.

The design direction outlined by David Chipperfield Architects, alongside Reiach and Hall Architects, can now be viewed online here.

“We are very excited to be working on the new music venue in a city renowned around the world for its arts and culture,” said Chipperfield. “The setting, within the context of Edinburgh’s historic New Town, is also both stimulating and challenging. The new music venue will not only provide a modern performance space for Edinburgh but also create a new public place in this somewhat hidden corner of the city.”

IMPACT Scotland’s Chair, Sir Ewan Brown, added: “This is an exciting stage in the creation of a vibrant new home for all kinds of music and performance in Edinburgh. We have set the bar high for our design team, asking them to produce a truly modern venue with exceptional acoustics, which also embraces and complements the heritage that surrounds it.

“This is a building being designed from the inside out, with at its heart, a hall offering world-class acoustics for performers and audiences. The design team have concentrated on getting this right, and we are now developing the look of this truly exceptional building and how it will sympathetically enhance its hidden location.”

Adjaye Associates, Richard Murphy, Allies & Morrison, Barozzi Veiga and KPMB were all in contention for the commission, but the vision outlined by Chipperfield's practice was enough to sway the developers of the £45m (US$58.1m, €53.2m) building.

Chipperfield’s practice are collaborating on the project with acoustic consultants Nagata Associates, who have worked on the Elbe Philharmonic in Hamburg. ARUP, Whitby Mohajer Engineers, Gross.Max Landscape Architects and Theatre Projects are also part of the design team.

The building is planned to be completed by 2020.

Competition win: Architects wHY will design cultural pavilion by Edinburgh Castle

Chipperfield triumphs in competition to design 'world class' Edinburgh concert hall