The Hub, Edinburgh

Last updated
The Hub's facade The Hub's facade.jpg
The Hub's facade

The Hub
Victoria Hall
Highland Tolbooth St John’s Church
Edinburgh Royal Mile01.jpg
The Hub seen from the Lawnmarket during the Edinburgh Festival.
The Hub, Edinburgh
Location Edinburgh, Scotland, UK
Coordinates 55°56′56.32″N3°11′40.73″W / 55.9489778°N 3.1946472°W / 55.9489778; -3.1946472
Operator Edinburgh International Festival
Capacity 400
Construction
Opened1845
Reopened1999
ArchitectJames Gillespie Graham and Augustus Welby Pugin
Website
www.thehub-edinburgh.com

The Hub is a public arts and events building in the centre of Edinburgh, Scotland. Located at the top of the Royal Mile, it is a prominent landmark as its tall Gothic spire (71.7 meters [1] ) is the highest point in central Edinburgh, and towers over the surrounding buildings below Edinburgh Castle.

Contents

The building is a notable example of Gothic Revival architecture and was designed by architects J Gillespie Graham and Augustus Pugin. Constructed between 1842 and 1845, it was originally designed as a meeting hall for the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland. From 1929 the building was used as a church until the mid-1980s. Today it is the home of the Edinburgh International Festival and is used as a ticket office, information centre and performance venue. [2]

History

Former Tolbooth Church, Castlehill, Edinburgh Former Tolbooth Church, Castlehill, Edinburgh.png
Former Tolbooth Church, Castlehill, Edinburgh
Highland Tolbooth Edinburgh seen from Greyfriars Highland Tolbooth Edinburgh seen from Greyfriars.JPG
Highland Tolbooth Edinburgh seen from Greyfriars
The Hub, seen from Edinburgh Castle The Hub, seen from Edinburgh Castle (composite).jpg
The Hub, seen from Edinburgh Castle

In the mid-19th century, the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland had been meeting in St Giles' Cathedral. At the time, St Giles was divided into four separate churches, each with its own congregation. From 1829-31, St Giles underwent restoration works led by architect William Burn, and the General Assembly had to relocate.

Initially, there were plans to restore the remains of Holyrood Abbey to designs by architects J Gillespie Graham and the renowned gothic revivalist Augustus Pugin to provide a new Assembly Hall, but this did not come to fruition. A new church called Knox Memorial church was being planned at the foot of Castlehill, and foundations had already been laid by Thomas Hamilton in 1829. The General Assembly decided instead to use this site and commissioned Graham to design a new building, known as the Victoria Hall. It was built between 1839 and 1844, and a foundation stone was laid by Queen Victoria on 3 September 1842 during her first visit to Edinburgh. [3] One of the church congregations from St Giles, the worshippers of the Tollbooth Kirk, also relocated to the new building in 1843. [4] [5]

In 1873 the parish was detached as a quoad sacra parish, and funding swapped from the town council to a committee set up by Rev Charteris. [3]

The General Assembly met in the lower hall of the church until 1929, when the Church of Scotland reunited with the United Free Church of Scotland, and the amalgamated church decided to use the former United Free Church's General Assembly Hall on The Mound for future assemblies. The General Assembly of the Church of Scotland continues to meet on this site to this day. [2] After 1929 the building was used by various congregations as a place of worship, although it was never actually consecrated as a Church. In 1956 it was named the Highland Tolbooth St John's Church. The congregation had been notable for holding services in Gaelic as well as English. [5]

In 1979 the Tolbooth congregation united with the nearby Greyfriars Kirk and the Tolbooth Kirk building was closed. The building was then virtually unused until 1999 when it was redeveloped to create offices and a performance space for the Edinburgh International Festival and renamed "The Hub". [2] The converted building was ceremonially opened by Queen Elizabeth in 1999. [6]

Modern use

Today it is the home of the Edinburgh International Festival and is the central ticketing office, information centre and a performance venue for the International Festival. It is a multi-functional building comprising a performance space and venues for functions, conferences and weddings. [7]

The inside houses the Hub Cafe; the central box office for the International Festival; a performance space with a capacity of 420; and two smaller venues, the Glass Room and the Dunard Library, suitable for smaller events.

Prior to the completion of the new Scottish Parliament Building at Holyrood in 2004, the Hub was occasionally used for meetings of the Scottish Parliament when the Church of Scotland's General Assembly Hall was unavailable. The Parliament returned to the Hub for two weeks following the collapse of a beam in its debating chamber on 2 March 2006.

Architecture

Pugin's interior has been retained, with contemporary artworks lining the Victorian stair Stairs to art (4819297296).jpg
Pugin's interior has been retained, with contemporary artworks lining the Victorian stair

The building is situated on a corner site, at the junction of Castlehill, Johnston Terrace and the Lawnmarket, at the top of the Royal Mile. Its most prominent feature is the belfry/clock tower and tall pinnacled octagonal spire at its east end, overlooking the Lawnmarket. The clock was built by James Ritchie & Son. [8] The old Tolbooth Kirk is considered to be a fine example of Gothic Revival architecture and it is noted for its ornately decorated stonework, carved in the Decorated Gothic style with features such as crockets, pinnacles, gablets and lancet windows. [6] [9]

Unusually for a church building, the Victoria Hall was constructed with two floors to accommodate its dual purpose; the ground floor was divided into committee rooms for the General Assembly, and the upper floor was given over to a large chamber which could be used for Christian worship or for the meetings of the General Assembly. Pugin, who had recently designed the Palace of Westminster in London, was experienced in designing buildings that recalled the glories of Medieval Europe, resolved to create a grand, impressive edifice to house the national church of Scotland. [10] The interior of the main hall is decked with an ornate, rib-vaulted ceiling and is lined with carved wood panelling, including a decorated wooden screen, by Pugin and Gillespie Graham. At the east end is an ornate pulpit, topped with a wooden pinnacle, which incorporates elements of the chair of the Lord High Commissioner to the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland, designed by Pugin. [6] [4]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Augustus Pugin</span> English architect and designer

Augustus Welby Northmore Pugin was an English architect, designer, artist and critic with French and Swiss origins. He is principally remembered for his pioneering role in the Gothic Revival style of architecture. His work culminated in designing the interior of the Palace of Westminster in Westminster, London, and its renowned clock tower, the Elizabeth Tower, which houses the bell known as Big Ben. Pugin designed many churches in England, and some in Ireland and Australia. He was the son of Auguste Pugin, and the father of Edward Welby Pugin and Peter Paul Pugin, who continued his architectural firm as Pugin & Pugin.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Royal Mile</span> Collection of streets in Edinburgh

The Royal Mile is a succession of streets forming the main thoroughfare of the Old Town of the city of Edinburgh in Scotland. The term was first used descriptively in W. M. Gilbert's Edinburgh in the Nineteenth Century (1901), describing the city "with its Castle and Palace and the royal mile between", and was further popularised as the title of a guidebook by R. T. Skinner published in 1920, "The Royal Mile (Edinburgh) Castle to Holyrood(house)".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">St Giles' Cathedral</span> Church in Edinburgh, Scotland

St Giles' Cathedral, or the High Kirk of Edinburgh, is a parish church of the Church of Scotland in the Old Town of Edinburgh. The current building was begun in the 14th century and extended until the early 16th century; significant alterations were undertaken in the 19th and 20th centuries, including the addition of the Thistle Chapel. St Giles' is closely associated with many events and figures in Scottish history, including John Knox, who served as the church's minister after the Scottish Reformation.

The year 1845 in architecture involved some significant architectural events and new buildings.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alexander Webster</span>

Alexander Webster was a Scottish writer and minister of the Church of Scotland, who served as Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland in 1753. After his service as Moderator he was addressed as Very Rev Dr Alexander Webster.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">James Gillespie Graham</span> Scottish architect (1776-1855)

James Gillespie Graham was a Scottish architect, prominent in the early 19th century.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Greyfriars Kirk</span> Church in Scotland, Scotland

Greyfriars Kirk is a parish church of the Church of Scotland, located in the Old Town of Edinburgh, Scotland. It is surrounded by Greyfriars Kirkyard.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Canongate Kirk</span> Church in Edinburgh, Scotland

The Kirk of the Canongate, or Canongate Kirk, serves the Parish of Canongate in Edinburgh's Old Town, in Scotland. It is a congregation of the Church of Scotland. The parish includes the Palace of Holyroodhouse and the Scottish Parliament. It is also the parish church of Edinburgh Castle, even though the castle is detached from the rest of the parish. The wedding of Zara Phillips, the Queen's granddaughter, and former England rugby captain Mike Tindall took place at the church on 30 July 2011. The late Queen Elizabeth II used to attend services in the church on some of her frequent visits to Edinburgh.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">General Assembly of the Church of Scotland</span> Sovereign and highest court of the Church of Scotland

The General Assembly of the Church of Scotland is the sovereign and highest court of the Church of Scotland, and is thus the Church's governing body. It generally meets each year and is chaired by a Moderator elected at the start of the Assembly.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cambusnethan House</span>

Cambusnethan House, or Cambusnethan Priory, in North Lanarkshire, Scotland, was designed by James Gillespie Graham and completed in 1820. It is listed on the Buildings at Risk Register for Scotland as a building facing "critical" risk, having been damaged by fire in the 1980s and since vandalized.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">General Assembly Hall of the Church of Scotland</span> Multi-purpose venue in Edinburgh, Scotland, UK

The Assembly Hall is located between Castlehill and Mound Place in Edinburgh, Scotland. It is the meeting place of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Queen's Hall, Edinburgh</span> Historic site

The Queen's Hall is a performance venue in the Southside, Edinburgh, Scotland. The building opened in 1824 as Hope Park Chapel and reopened as the Queen's Hall in 1979.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lady Yester's Kirk</span> Church in Edinburgh, Scotland

Lady Yester's Kirk was a parish church of the Church of Scotland and one of the burgh churches of Edinburgh. Founded in 1647, it served the south-eastern part of Edinburgh's Old Town until its union with Greyfriars Kirk in 1938.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">St Columba's-by-the-Castle</span> Church

St Columba's-by-the-Castle is a congregation of the Scottish Episcopal Church in central Edinburgh, Scotland. The church is located close to Edinburgh Castle, on the south slope of Castle Hill, and is protected as a category B listed building.

Events from the year 1845 in Scotland.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Southside Community Centre</span> Historic site

The Southside Community Centre is a community centre in the Southside, Edinburgh, Scotland, United Kingdom. The centre opened in 1986 and occupies the former Nicolson Street Church, which was completed in 1820.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">West St Giles' Parish Church</span> Church in Edinburgh, Scotland

West St Giles' Parish Church was a parish church of the Church of Scotland and a burgh church of Edinburgh, Scotland. Occupying the Haddo's Hole division of St Giles' from 1699, the church was then based in Marchmont between 1883 and its closure in 1972.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Greyfriars Charteris Centre</span> Community center in Edinburgh, Scotland

The Greyfriars Charteris Centre is a community centre in the Southside, Edinburgh, Scotland, part of the mission of Greyfriars Kirk. The centre opened in 2016 and occupies the 20th century church buildings which became Kirk o' Field Parish Church in 1969.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Highland Church</span> Church in Scotland

The Highland Church was a Gaelic-speaking congregation of the Church of Scotland, based in Tollcross, Edinburgh. Formed by the union of St Oran's Church and St Columba's Gaelic Church in 1948, the congregation continued united with Tolbooth St John's in 1956.

References

  1. ↑ Churches and Graveyards in Edinburgh, Introducing Edinburgh.
  2. 1 2 3 "History". The Hub Edinburgh. Archived from the original on 29 August 2018. Retrieved 29 August 2018.
  3. 1 2 Fasti Ecclesiae Scoticanae; by Hew Scott
  4. 1 2 "348-350 CASTLEHILL, THE HUB FESTIVAL CENTRE (LB27542)". portal.historicenvironment.scot. Historic Environment Scotland. Retrieved 29 August 2018.
  5. 1 2 "Edinburgh, 348-350 Castlehill, Highland Church Of Tolbooth St John's | Canmore". canmore.org.uk. Historic Environment Scotland. Archived from the original on 29 August 2018. Retrieved 29 August 2018.
  6. 1 2 3 Youngson, A. J. (2001). The Companion Guide to Edinburgh and the Borders. Companion Guides. pp. 23–24. ISBN   9781900639385 . Retrieved 30 August 2018.
  7. ↑ "The Hub website events info".
  8. ↑ "Historic Edinburgh clocks to be switched to automatic". Herald Scotland. Retrieved 30 August 2021.
  9. ↑ Gifford, John; McWilliam, Colin; Walker, David; Wilson, Christopher (1991). Edinburgh. Yale University Press. pp. 169–70. ISBN   0300096720 . Retrieved 29 August 2018.
  10. ↑ "The architects: Charles Barry and Augustus Pugin". UK Parliament. Archived from the original on 30 August 2018. Retrieved 30 August 2018.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.