The Herald:

REVAMPED plans for a new concert hall in the Scottish capital have been backed by planners.

City of Edinburgh officials have recommended the approval of the applications to build a new music venue in the city centre.

The performance hall, designed by acclaimed architect Sir David Chipperfield and supported by Royal Bank of Scotland, would be the first purpose-built music venue in the city for 100 years, with an acoustic and audience experience “designed to rival the very best in the world”.

The application will now be considered by the development management sub committee at a hearing set for 24 November. 

The 1,000 capacity Dunard Centre links St Andrew Square with the Register Lanes and the new St James Quarter.

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The scaled back design comes after concerns about the size of the building.

Expert consultants Nagata Acoustics have been working with award-winning David Chipperfield Architects on the auditorium design.

Nagata’s previous high-profile projects include the Walt Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles, the Philharmonie de Paris and Elbphilharmonie in Hamburg, all venues “renowned for their rich and immersive sound”.

The Herald:

Gavin Reid chief executive of Scottish Chamber Orchestra and Co-chair of IMPACT Scotland, said: “Creativity and cultural engagement are central to re-imagining and re-invigorating the life, economy and well-being of our communities

“ In a city and a country famed around the world for its music-making, this ambitious project is a beacon of hope and renewal which seeks to engage people across all genres, all ages and all communities.

“We look forward to presenting the case for Edinburgh’s first purpose-built music venue in over 100 years to the committee.  This is an opportunity for the city to raise its game in terms of cultural infrastructure and provide a world-class venue for the people of Edinburgh and its many visitors.”

Aberdeen firm in 80-job vow after Dana deal win

An Aberdeen-based engineering and construction company has declared it will create up to 80 jobs after clinching a contract with Dana Petroluem.

PD&MS Group, which currently employs around 800 people, will carry out a range of engineering modifications and offshore construction on Dana’s Triton and Western Isles FPSO (floating production storage and offloading) assets in the North Sea.

Laura Gordon: Long-term vision vital for business success as well as climate change

After the huge build-up to COP26 and months of discussions, hope and aspirations, I feel pretty deflated now it’s over.

In fact, it would be more accurate to say I feel sad. I can’t shake off the images of Tuvalu’s foreign minister Simon Kofe standing knee-deep in water as he delivered the speech he pre-recorded for the conference.