Arts & Culture \ [New Home for St Mary's Music School, Edinburgh Park]

St Mary’s Music School began as the song school for St Mary’s Episcopalian Cathedral in 1880. In 1972 it was transformed into a specialist music school with residential and day pupils. It is one of five schools in the UK, (and the only one in Scotland), which receive special UK government funding to promote musical - and in particular instrumental - teaching for young people under 18. There is a school rollcall of about 65 many of whom are boarders. The school still provides choristers who sing the daily services at St Mary’s Episcopalian Cathedral.

Between 2015 and 2023 we worked on proposals to integrate the school into the proposed National Music Centre in the former Royal High School, Calton Hill, but that particular plan collapsed in 2023. The trustees recognise however, that the school cannot continue in the current premises at Coates Hall, in the west end of the New Town, without radical work to the building and, new buildings within the grounds. We were commissioned to look at two possibilities: working with the existing site, or a completely new building at Edinburgh Park. We can now reveal our designs for the latter option.

Occupying a compact site adjacent to the tram and near the tram stop, the five-storey building also has walled gardens to north and south. Entrance is from the west with a secondary entrance from the east. Internally all circulation centres on a four-storey atrium with teaching mostly on levels 1-3, and administration, refectory and three storey high auditorium on the ground floor. It is imagined that this latter facility would also be available to outside groups and the general public for concerts and social occasions and can also function as a recording studio. It can seat 200 with bleacher seating at either end. The top floor is reserved for residential accommodation centred around two small courtyards.