Royal Scottish National Orchestra Glasgow, RSNO Building News, Development

Royal Scottish National Orchestra

RSNO Glasgow, Strathclyde, western Scotland – Building Information + Images

14 Feb 2013

Construction begins on new home for RSNO and new music venue for Glasgow

Orchestra’s new base will feature world-class education and learning facilities

Royal Scottish National Orchestra in Glasgow

The construction of a new purpose-built rehearsal and recording facility for the Royal Scottish National Orchestra and a new 600 seat music venue for Glasgow begins this month (February 2013). The design of the new home for Scotland’s national symphony orchestra, with a construction cost of £17.6m, meets the challenges of a complex build and provides increased scope and flexibility for the organisation’s education and learning facilities.

Royal Scottish National Orchestra on Killermont Street:

image from RSNO

The RSNO was tasked with achieving a fundraising target of £2m before construction began, and thanks to a £1.25m grant from Creative Scotland and a number of generous donors it has exceeded this milestone and is on track to raise an additional £1m to fit out the new build. A public appeal to raise the remaining £500,000 from today.

The plans for the new wing – which will be integrated with the existing Glasgow Royal Concert Hall – include dedicated state-of-the-art learning, education facilities, with flexible sensory areas, and integrated digital technologies for recording, composing, broadcasting music, and connecting with communities across Scotland and further afield.

The Orchestra’s new home will also be equipped with enhanced foyer spaces for audiences and visitors, a music library for the Orchestra’s extensive archive that will ensure access to scores for research, practice and performance, private practice and small ensemble rehearsal rooms, and administrative and technical offices for the Orchestra and stores for its equipment.

RSNO Chief Executive Michael Elliott: “The RSNO has met its financial commitment to begin construction of its new home and together with increased investment from the Scottish Government and Glasgow City Council and welcome contribution from Creative Scotland the project team will meet the complex challenges of the build to provide world class music facilities.

The outcome will deliver a bespoke rehearsal and recording space, exceptional education and learning facilities and a recital venue, providing a valuable addition to the country’s cultural venues. For the RSNO the new home will serve as a platform for Scotland’s national orchestra to efficiently and effectively build its reputation and increase its ability to engage and communicate with communities across Scotland. I am delighted to report that we have raised all the funds required for building construction to commence and, in addition to this, have raised half of the £1 million required to fit out our new home”.

Scottish Cabinet Secretary for Culture and External Affairs Fiona Hyslop: “The building will enable the RSNO to share their new facilities with a range of other young musical talent, including the National Youth Performing Companies, while the people of Glasgow will get a purpose-built music venue to further enhance their city’s reputation as UNESCO City of Music. “The RSNO’s new home will boast unrivalled educational and learning facilities, including a music lab where young people can compose or edit music, enhancing their creative and technical skills.

“The new wing will also offer digital connectivity across the learning and rehearsal spaces and the main concert hall, allowing performances and other musical activities to be streamed and broadcast to schools and community centres from Shetland to Stranraer. This further develops the RSNO’s award-winning outreach programmes including the Astar CD project that I launched last year.”

Councillor Archie Graham, Depute Leader of Glasgow City Council and Chair of Glasgow Life: “The city’s investment in world-class cultural and sporting facilities has already paid huge dividends and our ambition for the Glasgow Royal Concert Hall is an excellent example of this. From Celtic Connections to the very finest performances from national and international companies, the Concert Hall is a venue which offers something for every audience – and we’re breaking new ground which will further increase access and engagement.”

Iain Munro, Director of Creative Development at Creative Scotland, said: “Creative Scotland is delighted to be able to support this much needed development, another step in ensuring Scotland has world class cultural facilities. The creation of a new home for RSNO will enable the organisation to take a significant step forward in terms of artistic growth, engage with more schools, music and community groups, and provide a better experience for audiences. Furthermore it will help attract top quality conductors and soloists to work with the Orchestra at the same time as ensuring they can retain high quality musicians, ensuring the orchestra can continue to thrive.”

8 Feb 2012

Royal Scottish National Orchestra Glasgow Building

RSNO’s New Home : New Ambitions

Project launched to deliver purpose-built Centre of Excellence for Scotland’s national orchestra

Design: Kerr Robertson, Glasgow City Council Architects Department

The Royal Scottish National Orchestra (RSNO) has announced details of its proposed move to the Glasgow Royal Concert Hall. Subject to planning approval the £14 million development will provide a world-class rehearsal space and learning centre, as well as a unique, desirable recital hall and performance space for the city of Glasgow.

The capital costs will be met by a £7 million grant to the RSNO from the Scottish Government and a £5 million allocation from Glasgow City Council towards the new centre of excellence. The remaining £2 million contribution towards building costs will be raised by the RSNO, which also plans to raise a further £1 million to equip the new building. This will offer benefits for the people of Scotland as well as providing world-class facilities to international artists and guests.

The Orchestra, Glasgow City Council and the Scottish Government have been working together since 2010, preparing to build the flexible, multipurpose unit; a new rehearsal space which will also provide the City with a 600-seater auditorium, recording and broadcast facilities, a learning centre, office space and a redeveloped north entrance for the Glasgow Royal Concert Hall.

The new development will increase GRCH’s ability to service its patrons – the north of the building will be re-modelled to provide better access to the venue and the main auditorium will offer improved accommodation, catering facilities and acoustics.

The new facility will be connected to the east of the Glasgow Royal Concert Hall, on Killermont Street, facing the city’s Buchanan Street Bus Station. The design of the development has been managed by Glasgow City Council’s lead architect Kerr Robertson and his team, whose previous experience includes the highly acclaimed remodelling of Glasgow’s City Halls. Subject to planning, building work is expected to commence in the autumn of 2012 with a target completion date of summer 2014, coinciding with Glasgow hosting the Commonwealth Games.

It is hoped that the development, once complete, will attract thousands of extra visitors per year to Glasgow’s landmark venue. In addition, the RSNO will have the potential to engage with a much greater number of people, through the ability to present high-quality, in-house education and community programmes. With the fit-out of the latest internet-based digital technology, the organisation’s musicians and singers will be able to connect with schools, music and community groups throughout Scotland and beyond. The RSNO moving to the city centre will benefit the local economy with the continued use of the neighbouring amenities by staff, musicians, junior and senior Chorus members and visiting artists.

The Glasgow Royal Concert Halls will still be managed by Glasgow Life and staff are working with promoters and other users of the venue to ensure that the work does not impact on upcoming, scheduled performances. Once complete, the move by the RSNO will complement a year-round programme of events, including Celtic Connections – which ended with another record-breaking run on Sunday.

Royal Scottish National Orchestra – concept sketch:

image from RSNO

RSNO Chief Executive Michael Elliott: “This is one of the most significant developments in the history of the Royal Scottish National Orchestra – and we want everyone to play their part in its success. By embarking on this venture, together with the outstanding support of Glasgow City Council, the Scottish Government and the RSNO’s loyal friends and supporters, we will be able to deliver a rehearsal space, education facility and recital venue which will be the envy of many in the UK and beyond. Furthermore, the new home will enable Scotland’s national orchestra to propel its performance and to engage and communicate with the citizens and communities of Scotland more effectively than ever.”

Culture Secretary Fiona Hyslop: “This project is part of the major regeneration work going on in Glasgow as a result of hosting the Commonwealth Games, which will create a lasting legacy for the people of Scotland beyond 2014. The new development will enhance facilities for audiences, performers, schools, music and community groups, as well as providing a much-needed new home for the RSNO. It will also be a showcase for Scotland’s world-renowned culture and creativity during the Commonwealth Games and the second Year of Homecoming, and contribute to the continuing vibrancy of Glasgow’s cultural life for years to come.”

Leader of Glasgow City Council Gordon Matheson: “We’re delighted to be investing in one of Scotland’s premier performance spaces, which will create a centre of musical excellence for both the city and nation. These ambitious plans will help to realise new ambitions for the RSNO and enhance the Glasgow Royal Concert Hall as a world-class performance space. The physical refurbishment will also offer Glasgow Music greater flexibility in attracting both new and existing talent to the performance space.”

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Glasgow Buildings – Cultural Selection

Royal Conservatoire of Scotland
Jewitt Arschavir & Wilkie Architects

image from architects
Royal Conservatoire of Scotland – formerly Royal Scottish Academy for Music & Drama