Assembly Rooms (Edinburgh)
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The Assembly Rooms
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| Coordinates | 55°57′11″N 3°11′57″W / 55.9530°N 3.1991°WCoordinates: 55°57′11″N 3°11′57″W / 55.9530°N 3.1991°W |
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Listed Building – Category A
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| Designated | 13 January 1966 |
| Reference no. | 27567 |
 Location in central Edinburgh
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The Assembly Rooms are meeting halls in central Edinburgh, Scotland. Originally solely a meeting place for social gatherings, it is now also used as an arts venue and for public events, including the Edinburgh Festival Fringe and the Hogmanay celebrations. There are four rooms, with moveable chairs or tables, that are used year-round and are available for private functions: Music Hall, Ballroom, Supper Room and Edinburgh Suite.
The total meeting space, as remodeled in 2012, covers 4,600 m2 (50,000 sq ft). The building is protected as a category A listed building as "an outstanding example of the late 18th century public building, continuing its original use".
The Assembly Rooms opened on 11 January 1787 for the Caledonian Hunt Ball. The building was funded by public subscription, costing over £6,000. The prominent site at the centre of George Street, in the centre of the recently established New Town, was donated by the town council.
The Assembly Rooms was designed by John Henderson, who was selected as architect having won a competition in 1781 for the design of the new Assembly Rooms. The original design went through three revisions before construction eventually began in 1783. Henderson went on to die young shortly after the building was completed.
In August 1822, a Peers Ball was held in the Assembly Rooms on the occasion of a visit by King George IV to Edinburgh.
The building was extended several times during the nineteenth century. In 1818, 22 years since the opening of the Assembly Rooms, the grand portico was added by architect William Burn. Burn and his partner David Bryce went on to design the Music Hall in 1843.
Finally, in 1907, new side wings were completed to designs by Robert Rowand Anderson and Balfour Paul. The extension also saw the inclusion of a new Supper Room, relocating the kitchen to the newly established eastern wing.
In 2011, a £9.3M refurbishment project began, resulting in modernised spaces that retain the Assembley Rooms' original character.
Funding for the project came from Edinburgh Council, with additional contributions from the Heritage Lottery Fund, Historic Scotland, the Scottish Government and Creative Scotland. The renovation was managed by LDN Architects while construction was managed by Balfour Beatty.
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