‘Hobbit house’ wins vote to be centrepiece of revamped Princes Street Gardens
● ‘Hobbit house’ wins backing in bid for venue in shadow of castle
The Ross Bandstand, centrepiece of Princes Street Gardens, in Edinburgh, will be transformed into an outdoor £25 million amphitheatre arena by US firm Why Architecture
WORK on a new outdoor concert arena for Edinburgh is set to get under way, according to the charitable trust which has tasked American designers with replacing the historic Ross Bandstand.
It is hoped the new-look amphitheatre in West Princes Street Gardens could be up and running by the end of 2019 if a fundraising drive is successful.
A series of green terraces and an “undulating” promenade linking the gardens to the Old Town will be created under the vision masterminded by Why Architecture, which has offices in both Los Angeles and New York.
It will be working with two Edinburgh-based design studios on the £25 million project, after fending off competition from six rival bidders with its design, which has been compared to a “hobbit house”.
The new Ross Pavilion will replace the current bandstand, which dates back to 1935 but is little used by concert promoters due to its declining condition and the cost of bringing in equipment.
A new indoor visitor centre, which will offer spectacular views of concerts staged in the shadow of Edinburgh Castle, will also be created opposite the pavilion, which will boast an exended stage for major cultural events.
Organisers of the contest – which has been backed by the city council and the city’s heritage bodies – said the winning vision would create “one of the most exciting performance spaces in the world.”
The new arena will be designed to ensure that events can be staged in the gardens throughout the year, while ensuring the space in front of the new pavilion is open to public access.
Live music has been staged on the site since 1853 while the first bandstand was erect- ed in 1877, gifted by the drinks tycoon William Henry Ross.
Why Architecture’s bid was drawn from 125 entries for the contest, launched in February by a new charitable trust set up by hotel tycoon Norman Springford, who has offered to help bankroll the new arena to the tune of £5m.
Mr Springford said: “Why came out on top of the finalists because they respected the setting of the castle and the link between the Old and New Towns. The tranquil garden space that we have will be maintained, but it can still perform on the odd occasions when there are major events.
“We’re very confident that our fundraising target can be reached. We don’t have a final design at this point. We’re still at a very early stage in the process, but we’d like to think of the end of 2019 or the beginning of 2020 as a target.”
Why’s recent projects have included the newest museum in Los Angeles, the Marciano Art Foundation, and Yoko Ono’s Skylanding project for Jackson Park in Chicago.
The firm’s landscape design director Mark Thomann said: “When we first saw the brief for the project we just thought ‘wow.’
“I had been to Edinburgh many years ago and when you first see the castle it’s a bit like a natural wonder. To be able to work on a project of such significance, with that much history and beauty, was very exciting. It’s such an incredible site.”