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Bill Scott Sculpture Centre
ESW opened the Bill Scott Sculpture Centre in June 2012. At the official launch, the Cabinet Secretary for Culture and External Affairs, Fiona Hyslop, announced the building would be named after ESW’s Chair, Professor Bill Scott as a fitting testament to his vision and tireless commitment to the project and organisation over many years.
The Sculpture Centre has been designed by award-winning Leith-based architects, Sutherland Hussey, to benefit future generations of artists and position the organisation as a centre for fabrication, research and experimentation.
The new building provides 26 studios, eight different spaces for production, research and education, two apartments for visiting artists and meeting and social spaces.
After a major fundraising campaign, ESW raised £3.4M to fund the Sculpture Centre. Over £2.3M of this came from the Scottish Arts Council National Lottery Awards. The project also attracted substantial support from many trusts and foundations as well as generous individual donations. The City of Edinburgh Council provided funding and the site for the building which ensured ESW could remain in Newhaven.
| Project Team | |
| Architects: | Sutherland Hussey |
| Project Manager/QS: | Thomson Bethune |
| Structural Engineers: | David Narro Associates |
| M&E: | Aecom |
| Landscape Architect: | Rankin Fraser |
| Contractors: | Grahams |
Sculpture Centre Timeline
| 1986 | ESW founded by a dedicated group of artists within the Federation of Scottish Sculptors, and the organisation constituted in November 1986. |
| 1994 | ESW moved into our current site in Newhaven and converted the building to include 12 (later 16) artist studios, a workshop with specialist machinery and tools, a shared working space which is used on a drop-in basis by artists or for courses and workshops, a meeting room and office space. |
| 1997 | ESW raising money for feasibility study into the potential of new premises. |
| 1999 | Feasibility Study re future premises carried out by Scott Wilson Consultants |
| 2000-2 | Consultation with artists, arts organisations and public users began around future development plans. |
| 2003 | Director & Assistant Director appointed to lead new development. Design Brief for new sculpture centre completed and Sutherland Hussey Architects appointed. Planning Committee appointed for Capital Project. |
| 2007 | Development Officer joins the team to help bring in private funding for the new sculpture centre. |
| 2008 | ESW secured major backing (£2.3m) for the new sculpture centre from the Scottish Arts Council National Lottery Awards.
Planning Permission for new sculpture centre granted. |
| 2009 | Designs for Sculpture Centre reach RIBA Stage D. |
| 2010 | Sculpture Centre project out to tender with building contractors. |
| 2011 | Construction of Sculpture Centre begins in April. |
| 2012 | Building opened in June. |
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Edinburgh Sculpture Workshop is located in Newhaven. |
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