Today we announced that contractors will work without interruption to complete the Usher Hall project once this year’s Edinburgh International Festival is over. Here's the link to the national news piece:
The Usher Hall project team made the decision to press ahead in collaboration with the RSNO and the SCO. we all thought it best that the contractor gets on and completes the job. Both organisations have been able to make alternative arrangements for their forthcoming seasons in order to allow the Usher Hall project to move ahead as fast as possible to completion. More details are available from their websites:
Over the past six months contractors have focused attention on the new wing, the basement and the podium. This has required considerable intrusion into the building’s structure which revealed unexpected deficiencies in the fabric of the building. As a result, there have been a number of time consuming changes to plans and additional investigatory work which has compounded delays.
You can see in the photo's above that the wing is now starting to take shape with the yellow shutters providing the support for the pouring of concrete. You can also see the amount of steel work that has had to be fitted to the the walls where the new staircase will be situated. This has been one of the challenges for us, as without the steel 'brace' the walls were proving too weak to support the new staircase structure. Another delay has been brought about by having to extend the basement corridor away from it's intended path - the foundations of the hall made this a near impossible task. This redesign will take until December to be constructed.
The focus now is on preparing the venue for this year’s Edinburgh International Festival.
The focus now is on preparing the venue for this year’s Edinburgh International Festival.
Thank you for your patience while we complete the improvement of the hall.
