1914 – The Usher Hall, Edinburgh, Scotland

Architect: James Stockdale Harrison

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After a 12-year delay, largely due to the difficulties of finding a suitable site, a competition to create the design for the hall was announced in 1910. The winning bid, chosen from 130 entries, came from Stockdale Harrison & Howard H Thomson of Leicester, whose classical style with Beaux-Arts influences fulfilled the ‘simple but dignified’ brief. The venue can hold approximately 2,200, and was funded by Andrew Usher, a whisky distiller and blender, who donated £100,000 to the city specifically to fund a new concert hall. 0fficially opened on 16 March 1914.

Published June 9, 2009 | Last Updated May 7, 2025