November 4 2019

The Ross Development Trust have published fresh images of a high-profile reimaging of Edinburgh’s Princes Street Gardens which would see the central public space transformed into an events space.

The £25m initiative would see the current Ross Bandstand replaced by a 6,000-seat amphitheatre, visitor and hospitality suite overlooking Edinburgh Castle and a family area located to the west of the Ross Fountain.

Dubbed The Quaich Project these additions are intended to sit incongruously within the surrounding landscape with only a glazed screen betraying the insertion of new events pavilion.

The Trust has been actively fundraising to realise its plans for the past year, raising £6.5m to date, in which time a number of changes have been carried out to the competition-winning design including scaling back a proposed ‘welcome centre’ on Princes Street by lopping off the top floor and reducing the volume of glazing.

Other amendments include further rationalising footpaths and the replacement of an existing concrete amphitheatre with grass. A formal planning application for the venture is expected to be lodged in March following a further round of consultations.

New York-based practice Why were appointed alongside GRAS to deliver their winning design for the gardens in August 2017.

4 Comments

#1 Posted by Ellie on 5 Nov 2019 at 08:26 AM

Where's the black plywood blocking the view for commoners?

#2 Posted by MVD on 5 Nov 2019 at 15:32 PM

Still looks crackin'
Well don GRAS

#3 Posted by ALAN WELSH on 8 Nov 2019 at 14:38 PM

This is a Public Realm asset
A Garden , not an exploitable event-space for the COMMERCIAL SECTOR
Following on from the Xmas Market and the Festival junk, Princes St gardens will soon be BLACKPOOL IN THE NORTH
Object Now and stop this atrocity

#4 Posted by Perthsaint on 8 Nov 2019 at 17:28 PM

They aren't gardens, they're pleasure grounds. This is a perfectly acceptable way of enhancing the city's pleasure grounds.

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