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Assembly Rooms
The Assembly Rooms, George Street - geograph.org.uk - 967953.jpg
Assembly Rooms is located in Edinburgh city centre
Assembly Rooms
Assembly Rooms
Location in Edinburgh city centre
Address 54 George Street
Location Edinburgh, Scotland
Coordinates 55°57′11″N 3°11′57″W / 55.9530°N 3.1991°W / 55.9530; -3.1991
Public transit St_Andrew_Square, Princes Street, Edinburgh Waverley
Owner Edinburgh City Council
Operator Assembly (Fringe)
Type meeting halls
Capacity Music Hall: 788
Ballroom: 400
Construction
Opened 11 January 1787 (1787-01-11)
Renovated 1818, 1907, 2011-2012
Architect John Henderson
Listed Building – Category A
Designated 13 January 1966
Reference no. LB27567

The Assembly Rooms are important meeting halls in central Edinburgh, Scotland. They were first used as a place for social gatherings. Today, they are also a popular spot for arts events and public celebrations. This includes the famous Edinburgh Festival Fringe and the Hogmanay New Year's Eve party.

The building has four main rooms. These rooms have chairs and tables that can be moved around. They are used all year for private parties and events. These rooms are the Music Hall, Ballroom, Supper Room, and Edinburgh Suite. The whole meeting area was updated in 2012. It now covers about 4,600 square meters. The building is a special "category A listed building." This means it is a very important old building that keeps its original purpose.

History of the Assembly Rooms

The Assembly Rooms first opened on January 11, 1787. Its very first event was the Caledonian Hunt Ball. People helped pay for the building. It cost more than £6,000, which was a lot of money back then. The city council gave the land for free. This land was in a great spot in the middle of the new part of Edinburgh, called the New Town.

Who Designed the Building?

John Henderson designed the Assembly Rooms. He won a contest in 1781 to be the architect. His first design changed three times before building started in 1783. Sadly, Henderson died in 1786. He did not get to see the building finished.

Royal Visits and Changes

In August 1822, a special party for nobles was held here. This was when King George IV visited Edinburgh. The building got bigger several times in the 1800s. In 1818, a grand entrance called a portico was added. Architect William Burn designed it. Later, in 1843, Burn and his partner David Bryce designed the Music Hall.

More changes happened in 1907. New parts were added to the sides of the building. These were designed by Robert Rowand Anderson and Balfour Paul. A new Supper Room was also added. The kitchen was moved to the new eastern part of the building.

Ownership of the Building

In 1945, the Assembly Rooms were sold to the city of Edinburgh. Later, in 1973, the Edinburgh City Council took over. They have owned the building ever since.

Modern Updates and Refurbishment

In 2011, a big project started to update the Assembly Rooms. This project cost £9.3 million. The goal was to make the spaces modern. But they also wanted to keep the building's original look and feel.

Many groups helped pay for this update. These included the Edinburgh Council, Heritage Lottery Fund, and Historic Scotland. The Scottish Government and Creative Scotland also gave money. LDN Architects managed the design work. Balfour Beatty managed the building work.

What Happens There Now?

The Assembly Rooms in Edinburgh is a place for many different events. It often hosts big meetings, dinners, and shows. Art displays and weddings also take place here.

The venue has two main event areas. These are The Ballroom and the Music Hall. There are also nine other smaller rooms. The inside of the building is very fancy. It has crystal chandeliers, gold decorations, and fancy gold mirrors. But it also has modern technology.

Room Details
Room Max capacity Area
Music Hall 788 481m²
Ball Room 400 342m²

The Assembly Rooms and the Edinburgh Festival Fringe

Every year, the Assembly Rooms is a key venue for the Edinburgh Festival Fringe. This is a huge arts festival. The company that first ran events here was called Assembly Festival. They even named themselves after the building!

Assembly Festival grew from this building. They now run events at other places too. One big venue is Assembly Hall. It is a large theatre with 840 seats. It used to be where the Scottish Parliament met.

For a short time, Assembly Festival lost the contract to run the Fringe events at the Assembly Rooms. Another company, Salt 'n' Sauce Promotions, took over. They also run The Stand Comedy Club. But in 2016, Assembly Festival got the contract back.

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