An arts support group is objecting to plans to demolish historic parts of an Edinburgh Festival venue and multi-purpose facility as part of a redevelopment scheme.
AMA Homes wants to build residential accommodation at Summerhall, housed in the former Royal Dick veterinary hospital near the Meadows in Edinburgh, while retaining areas of the complex for business and arts use.
However, the proposals include demolition of some of the buildings, including the historic Anatomy Lecture Theatre, the unique dissection room, Tech Cube 0 and the Royal Dick pub,
Summerhall Arts says the contribution of the venue to Edinburgh’s and Scotland’s cultural identity, creative economy and international reputation “must be fully understood and recognised in any plans for its future”. It wants the company to repair those parts of the complex earmarked for demolition.
In a statement issued to the media, the group said it wants to remain at Summerhall and “will support a viable proposal that secures our future and enables us to continue delivering our year-round programme of arts and cultural activity.
“We recognise that any future proposal must be financially realistic and operationally sustainable.
“We want to work constructively with AMA to help establish a viable, sustainable future for the arts at Summerhall. This means securing enough affordable, appropriate and usable space to continue delivering our year-round programme successfully.
“We believe there is an opportunity to develop a model that combines appropriate investment in the building with a sustainable programme of arts and cultural activity and community spaces.
“We are concerned that the current plans appear to earmark some of Summerhall’s most distinctive spaces for demolition.These spaces are not simply parts of a building. They are integral to Summerhall’s identity, character and cultural offer. Their loss would have implications for the arts activity that takes place across the site and for the wider experience of artists and audiences.”
Summerhall Arts argues that the potential for repair, renovation and continued cultural use deserves serious consideration as part of the search for a viable long-term solution.
“Preserving Summerhall does not mean preventing change. It means recognising what makes the site special, understanding the value of its existing spaces and exploring how they can be maintained, adapted and used sustainably for the future.”
Sam Gough, CEO of Summerhall Arts, said: “Whilst our intention is to remain here and work with AMA to continue the provision of arts within Summerhall, the future space needs to be viable, and we are hopeful that the plans will provide that.
“We are encouraging all those who love Summerhall and its spaces to contribute to the consultation, to help the developers understand how important they are to what makes this already thriving arts centre what it is.
“At the moment, I have not seen anything that demonstrates this. So many of the beautiful, special parts of Summerhall, such as the historic Anatomy Lecture Theatre, the unique Dissection Room, Tech Cube 0 and the ever-so-wonderful Royal Dick pub, are earmarked for demolition.
“Our message is ‘repair, not demolish’. Edinburgh’s name as the world’s festival city rests partly on places like Summerhall.
“Developers, like arts organisations, are remembered for what they leave behind, and I would much rather AMA be remembered as the owner who protected it.”
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