SCOTTISH architects fear they could lose out on one of the biggest and most prestigious design jobs in the nation’s history because the contest to choose its architect is being run from London.
The National can reveal that the competition to choose the architects to design the Scottish Chamber Orchestra’s sumptuous new £45 million concert hall in Edinburgh’s historic New Town is being run by a London-based company, Colander Associates Ltd, which has no office in Scotland and lists no Scottish public sector clients on its website.
Colander are seeking to list five architectural “teams” which will be given £10,000 each to draw up plans for the hall, which will also be a major Edinburgh Festival venue and have a recording studio. The new hall is to be the headquarters of the Scottish Chamber Orchestra (SCO), which has joined with charitable trust IMPACT Scotland to draw up the proposals for the building behind the historic Royal Bank of Scotland branch at Dundas House at 36 St Andrew Square.
The SCO, founded in 1974, is one of the five national performing companies funded directly by the taxpayer. IMPACT Scotland is chaired by financier Sir Ewan Brown and its trustees include Carol Grigor, the American-born philanthropist whose Dunard Fund has pledged to help pay for the new hall, as well as broadcaster James Naughtie and Colin Buchan, Gavin Reid and Donald MacDonald CBE, respectively the chairman, chief executive and life president of the SCO.
Yesterday the Royal Incorporation of Architects in Scotland (RIAS) confirmed it had not been consulted about the competition, which was launched on the website of Colander on Monday, with a deadline for questions on the contest set for noon yesterday, with "expressions of interest" to be registered by 17 January.
It is understood that Scottish newspapers or broadcasters were not contacted about the design competition launch, and Scottish architects only found out about it from the Architects’ Journal on Wednesday.
The National can also reveal that the RIAS yesterday issued a “general warning” to all its members about the dangers of entering design competitions which may not comply with Scots law and which might be declared null and void for that reason.
The very rare warning came after leading architects contacted the RIAS about the contest’s conditions, though formally the RIAS is denying that it is just about this one competition.
Former lecturer at Napier University Peter Wilson said: “I’m a strong and vocal advocate of architectural competitions in order that we get top quality results, but only if it’s an even playing field for practices here to compete on.
“There is a requirement for ‘approach to and/or experience of designing concert venues’ and not many companies here can demonstrate this.
“The fact that you don’t get any of the specific details about the building and site requirements and restrictions upon which to base your application for selection to the shortlist is, to my mind, highly questionable since you are effectively pitching to carry out a job that you have no idea can actually be delivered within the budget indicated.”
Neil Baxter of the RIAS said: “We have not been approached to run this competition and nor were we consulted about it. That is disappointing given that we have a tremendous track record of organising competitions at all levels throughout Scotland and certainly in the arts sector.
“It’s frustrating and disappointing that we were not consulted about a competition that is open to Scottish architects.”
A senior architect who spoke on condition of anonymity, because his practice may bid for the contract, said: “The RIAS is great at organising these competitions on a not-for-profit basis so why do the SCO go to London? This is a project for one of Scotland’s national companies, for goodness’ sake, and while private firms can go where they like, should the fact that they are looking for help from the Scottish Government and Edinburgh Council not mean the process should be more transparent?”
Caroline Cole, founder of Colander, said IMPACT Scotland were dealing with press inquiries.
The National asked the SCO and IMPACT why a London-based organisation was chosen to run the competition and if there was a selection process and why Scottish organisations such as the RIAS were not invited to bid.
The National also asked if IMPACT was confident that all Scottish procurement laws were being met. SCO said: “IMPACT Scotland is extremely well served by an excellent group of Trustees committed to following best governance practices and to procuring an architect-led design team through the Official Journal of the European Union process so as to ensure both proper transparency throughout and those best equipped for the job are appointed.”
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