The Drill Hall, Leith, Edinburgh : Information + Images

Company Profile

City Architecture Office has been described as one of the best new practices in Scotland, according to Building Design Magazine.

Established in 1998 by Moray Royles, the practice was joined by Alun Hughes in 2007 and currently operates from a purpose-designed studio in central Edinburgh and a Hoxton based London office

The company has gained a range of commissions across a variety of sectors, from public, commercial, transport and leisure to private residential design.

City Architecture Office has attained RIBA chartered practice status and operates an ISO9001 approved quality management system, with ISO14001 approval currently being sought. The practice has also attained approved supplier status for Achilles-Link Up (since August 2008) and Constructionline (from December 2008).

City Architecture Office is a member of the Green Building Council and The Scottish Ecological Design Association (SEDA).

The practice is signed up to the 10:10 initiative; an ambitious project to unite every sector of British society behind one simple idea: that by working together we can achieve a 10% cut in the UK’s carbon emissions in 2010.

Drill Hall Arts Centre Leith

The Drill Hall Edinburgh : Scottish Design Awards 2007 - Regeneration Shortlist
CiAO: City Architecture Office

Design : CiAO Architects



CiAO has won an invited competition from a shortlist of 5 practices, to design a major Creative Arts & Education Centre in Leith, for Out of The Blue Trust. The site is within a listed, former TA drill hall on Dalmeny Street.
The proposals include flexible studio accommodation, performance & exhibition spaces, creche, cafe & a sculpture court. The design is inspired by monastic & souk patterns. Phase 1 is 500K and subject to Arts lottery funding.
A proposed landscaped community park links to the adjacent building. 'It will fulfill vital cultural needs for the city'.
25.02.04



Drill Hall - Doors Open Day

Out of the Blue and The Drill Hall will be taking part in this year's Doors Open Days for the first time

Along with many other interesting buildings in Edinburgh which are not
normally open to the public, The Drill Hall in Dalmeny Street, just off
Leith Walk, will be open this Saturday.
This is the first time that Out of the Blue is participating in Doors Open
Day and presents an opportunity for lovers of architecture, local people and
potential future users to sneak a look at The Drill Hall. There will be
guided tours around the enormous building and some of the artists and
organisations who use the building already will welcome visitors into their
studios and offices.


Drill Hall Leith - no larger image provided

Out of the Blue is a charity and grateful to Lorne Community Council who is
supporting the Doors Open Day at The Drill Hall.

Sep 2004

Drill Hall Leith

The Drill Hall is significant historically in its connection to the
worst disaster to befall the community of Leith. On 22 May 1915 a
south-bound troop train crashed into a stationary local train outside the
signalbox at Quintinhill, near Gretna, and was then hit by a north-bound
express. 227 passengers were killed, and 246 injured. 485 officers of the
7th battalion of the Royal Scots, on their way to Gallipoli, were on the
train, 214 of whom were killed. Relatives of the soliders congregated
outside the drill hall seeking news, and eventually a list of the dead was
read out from a window, before being posted up outside. By Sunday the bodies
had been transported from Gretna to Leith Central Station, and were taken to
the drill hall then functioning as a temporary mortuary.
Out of the Blue is about providing opportunities for artists and
the wider public to meet, share and learn. A social justice agenda lies at
the core of their work and they have established a reputation as a dynamic
and innovative community and arts development organisation.
Having secured the Drill Hall, a resource rich with potential, Out
of the Blue's mission now is to continue to transform the building from an
exclusive military site into an inclusive participatory arts centre, for the
benefit of the people of Leith and Edinburgh, providing space for studios,
workshops, projects, education and training classes, and other informal and
communal uses.

Drill Hall images provided above:
Original architect's drawing of Dalmeny Street elevation
Drill Hall interior - nearly the size of a football pitch
Contact: Harald Tobermann, Out of the Blue Arts & Education Trust, The Drill Hall, 36 Dalmeny St, Edinburgh. 0131 555 7101


Drill Hall: image provided by Out of the Blue

This year's first time participation of Out of the Blue in Edinburgh's Doors
Open Day was a great success. More than 70 people used the opportunity to
find out about the The Drill Hall and its history.
Lovers of architecture, local people and potential future users enjoyed
guided tours around the enormous building and met some of the artists and
organisations who already use the building.

Out of the Blue is a charity and grateful to Lorne Community Council who
supported the Doors Open Day at The Drill Hall, Dalmeny Street, Edinburgh.