Work on the Dunard Centre has begun, and it will be like no other concert hall in the UK.
The Dunard Centre will be the first UK venue with acoustics by the globally-renowned Japanese firm Nagata Acoustics, and the first concert hall anywhere in the world designed by the multi-award-winning David Chipperfield Architects, with Reiach and Hall Architects.
From stellar views to supportive seats, each and every design element in the venue will contribute to an exceptional experience for audiences of all ages and backgrounds.
The building will slot directly behind the Royal Bank of Scotland’s iconic St Andrew Square branch. Making the most of the narrow plot, the ingenious design includes a central auditorium for 1,000 people, and a wrap-around concourse that will open up new public pathways in this long screened-off city block.
Using a unique aggregate of stones from the local region, the Dunard Centre’s exterior will harmonise with the sandstone buildings surrounding the site, revealing itself only in subtle glimpses from a series of viewpoints.
Its concrete walls will also serve to extend the venue’s acoustic volume. Nagata are the acousticians responsible for some of the world’s best sounding spaces, from the Walt Disney Concert Hall in LA to the Elbphilharmonie in Hamburg, and the Dunard Centre’s intimate timber-lined auditorium will be designed to bring artists and audiences into close, thrilling contact. Precast panels convert the hallways around the inner auditorium into a second, outer chamber, delivering a clear, rich sound for both the performer and the audience.
