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Unitarians in Edinburgh
St Marks Church
7 Castle Terrace
Edinburgh, EH1 2DP
SCOTLAND, UK
The Building
David Bryce, Scotland’s famous Victorian architect who is best known for building Fettes College and the building which was formerly the Edinburgh Royal Infirmary, designed St Mark’s Church which opened in 1835. The building, which is B Listed, is situated within the Edinburgh World Heritage Site (EWHS) and has been described as acoustically excellent, slender and light and unpretentious.
The church forms part of a Victorian terrace facing the west side of Edinburgh Castle and is therefore prominent within the cityscape of Edinburgh. Since the rear elevation of the building is hidden, Bryce was able to concentrate on the architectural detail in the street elevation. This is a three bay two-storey elevation with spectacular Jacobean Baroque decoration surmounted by a balustrade flanking a broken pediment. His vision recognised how Baroque composition and mannered detail could enliven a flat frontage.
The interior is a large single room with a horseshoe gallery and vaulted ceiling. Being acoustically superb the building has over the years become a significant venue for the performing arts throughout the year but more specifically during the Edinburgh International Festival when the city becomes the focus of world cultural activity.
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£250,000 arts revamp for Edinburgh
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| I wish to help create St Marks artSpace Project |
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| What the papers say about St Marks artSpace Project | click |
| What the Art World says about St Marks artSpace Project | click |
| Information on our as yet unimproved premises | click |
| Application to use our premises as they currently are | click |
The Project
To create a new art space for Edinburgh
The building has an enviable location in the city centre, at the foot of Edinburgh Castle. It is within 200 metres of the West End of Princes Street, close to the Usher Hall, the Royal Lyceum and Traverse Theatres. It is well served by transport links by road and rail; it also benefits from an adjacent large public car park.
Musical concerts, recitals and plays take place throughout the year in the church building which comfortably seats 200 people. It is especially popular with audiences and performers during the Edinburgh International Festival and Fringe.
It has been praised as:
“Edinburgh’s Finest Small Auditorium”
To the rear of the church building is a double storeyed building constructed in 1891. The aim now is to renovate and upgrade this building into an arts and cultural space with additional facilities for performers, audiences and the community, including a café area, lavatories and enhanced wheelchair access.
The ongoing use and increased popularity of both the church building and the renovated rear building will ensure an income stream to sustain both buildings.
The newly renovated building will be called:
incorporating
"The Bryce Hall" & "The Green Room"
What is Needed
We recognise that the support facilities offered to the public and performers are inadequate. The lavatories fall short of present day standards: there are no wheelchair user lavatories and insufficient facilities for intervals during performances. With increasing expectations from local authorities, the public and performers, it is realised that the use of this attractive small city centre venue will decline without improvements. The resulting loss of income would have serious implications on the financial ability to conserve and maintain in good condition a significant building in the architectural and religious history of Scotland.
The upper level of the rear building to be called “The Bryce Hall”. This will be upgraded to provide improved meeting/performance facilities along with catering and lavatory provision. These facilities will be on a level to allow access from the church building and will be suitable for wheelchair users.
The lower level of the rear building to be called “The Green Room”. This is a light, windowed large space, which will be renovated to provide a kitchen area and a suite of rooms for performers who require dressing rooms and a green room. The altered space will also be valuable as a rehearsal area and provide a facility for small group meetings.
Existing users of the premises have eagerly welcomed the proposed plans with many letters of support. By providing such facilities for smaller sized musical performances by chamber ensembles and quartets and theatrical productions, St Marks artSpace will complement the larger scale venues in the immediate vicinity.
St Marks artSpace will be much appreciated and actively utilised by the cultural, spiritual and charitable organisations which require a city centre venue at affordable cost.
The Cost
The capital cost of the proposed work is £250,000 of which £60,000 has been raised from St Mark’s Unitarian Church congregation. An active fund-raising drive is underway with approaches to the corporate community, trusts and foundations.
Help us to make it happen
Please help us to create a new performing art space for the city of Edinburgh. A donation to the building fund, large or small, would be greatly appreciated.
Fact File
- St Mark’s already plays host to over 40 performing arts groups each year.
- Around 20 discussion groups presently use the existing building. The creation of “The Bryce Hall” and “The Green Room” in the rear building will extend these numbers significantly.
- In 2005 over 9,000 people used St Mark’s. The improved facilities will open the art space to a wider public.
- St Marks artSpace will increase accessibility to wheelchair users and others with special needs.
- St Marks artSpace will provide a much needed facility in the heart of the Capital’s Theatreland.
- St Marks artSpace will continue to recognise the value of the church’s spiritual presence in the City and looks forward to welcoming a wider audience through the use of "The Bryce Hall" and "The Green Room".
Project Details
St Mark’s Unitarian Church
7 Castle Terrace, Edinburgh EH1 2DP
Scotland UK
Scottish Charity Number:SC014167
Convener - John Reid: Secretary - Ann Sinclair: Treasurer - Edward Prince:
St Marks artSpace Fundraiser - Dianne Stein: fundraiser@edinburgh-unitarians.org.uk
For further information - John Reid: convener@edinburgh-unitarians.org.uk
