Contractor wins deal to build Edinburgh’s first new concert hall in over a century

Balfour Beatty has secured a £162 million contract to build the Dunard Centre, a major new concert venue in Edinburgh and the city’s first purpose-built hall in more than 100 years.

The project, located behind St Andrew Square, will feature a 1,000-seat auditorium, café, bar, and multifunctional event spaces. A concrete basement will accommodate changing rooms, storage and back-of-house facilities. The five-storey building will use a steel frame with a pre-cast concrete façade, and the main hall will be fitted with solid oak panelling to optimise acoustics.

Balfour Beatty was previously involved in an 18-month Early Contractor Involvement phase, collaborating with Impact Scotland, the charity and delivery body set up to deliver the hall. Impact Scotland is backed by arts philanthropy trust the Dunard Fund, the UK and Scottish governments, and the City of Edinburgh Council.

Balfour Beatty said it would create at least five new apprenticeship roles during construction, supported by a wider skills programme and engagement with Scottish SMEs. 4D planning will be used to sequence work and minimise disruption.

On completion, the Dunard Centre will become the permanent home of the Scottish Chamber Orchestra and a venue for the Edinburgh International Festival, expected to attract around 200,000 visitors a year.

Main construction is set to begin in the coming weeks and finish in 2029, with the project employing around 200 people at peak.

Nick Rowan, managing director of Balfour Beatty’s regional business in Scotland, said, “We are proud to be entrusted with delivering what will become a nationally significant cultural venue in the heart of Edinburgh and have worked meticulously to plan every stage of this complex build, from construction logistics in a tightly constrained site, to the precision needed to achieve world-class acoustic performance. Our focus now is on safe, efficient and high-quality delivery, working closely with our local supply chain while creating meaningful jobs, apprenticeships and skills opportunities throughout the programme.”