The Courier & Advertiser (Perth and Perthshire Edition)
Fencing signals longawaited start of work to transform city hall
perth: Building will become a new cultural venue by 2021
Perth City Hall is being fenced off ahead of its multi-million-pound transformation.
Last year, Dutch firm Mecanoo was picked to convert the Edwardian venue into a major arts hub.
It followed an international competition to find a designer for the highly anticipated project.
The city centre block has stood empty for more than a decade, while the local authority scrabbled to agree a way forward.
Councillors approved Mecanoo’s plan in August, after hearing it was the most affordable, as well as the favourite among local residents.
However, the decision proved controversial when it emerged that Edinburghbased LDN Architects had actually been given a higher score by the selection panel.
Next week, railings will be placed around the hall to secure the site for rudimentary examinations and measurements.
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The council will put up Heras fencing around city hall in preparation for forthcoming survey works
A Perth and Kinross Council spokeswoman said: “The council will put up Heras fencing around city hall in preparation for forthcoming survey works.
“The building is due to be transformed into a new cultural venue by 2021, and is being surveyed as part of the detailed design works.”
Around £20 million has been budgeted for city hall, as part of a £30 million investment in the city’s cultural assets including an overhaul of Perth Museum and Art Gallery.
The new-look hall, which could become home to the Stone of Destiny, is expected to bring in an extra 272,000 visitors to the city by 2023, pumping more than £1 million into the local economy.
Mecanoo’s construction costs were just over £11 million, although the company’s fee has been kept confidential.
The company was the preferred choice for Historic Scotland, which previously saved the building from demolition.
The heritage authority preferred the design because it did not radically alter the roof of the building, unlike proposals put forward by other designers.
Mecanoo, which has worked on landmark buildings across the world since the 1980s, is working on a planning application which is likely to be submitted later this year.