With an ambitious programme incorporating 400 events, next year’s festival of architecture will showcase Scotland’s building heritage – and also design tradition from around the world.
At centre stage will be an international Cities Expo in Edinburgh, where up to 14 cities from all corners of the globe will build pavilions celebrating their national cultures.
According to Neil Baxter, of the Royal Incorportation of Architects Scotland, the event from mid June to mid July will be the first of its kind.
“As far as I’m aware it is the first of this type that has ever been attempted. And we have already had interest from one of the participating nations who would like to attempt the idea for themselves. Who knows, but it may be that the idea becomes licensed, starting in Scotland and becoming an international phenomenon.”
The year-long programme will be formally launched at a former priests’ seminary, St Peter’s in Kilmahew, near Cardross in Argyll, in March. The run-down building is being ‘reclaimed’ as a public art exhibition space by Glasgow-based creatives NVA.
Expo pavilions will be designed by the participating cities; the list is still under wraps but Lithuanian capital Vilnius has already announced itself as one taking part.
Three Scottish cities, Edinburgh plus two others, are among the list of participants, and around nine or 10 have already signed up to the programme.
“It’s first come, first served,” says Neil. “But we have had a lot of interest from cities. We have already communicated with quite a number of cities with whom we have warm links.”
Baxter says that a “significant proportion” of the cities represented have consulates in Edinburgh, but there are others who do not.
In terms of what is physically displayed on the five by five metre pavilions, which will be erected within the Mound precints next to the National Gallery, that is entirely up to the cities.
“We won’t be designing them. That’s up to the cities; it’s their stand so they can decide,” says Baxter, although he does reveal that there is a £30,000 ceiling on the cost of the each pavilion, to ensure a level playing field between cities. “We don’t want anyone coming along with a £100,000 design to trump everybody. The idea is that it should be fun,” he adds.
Freelance events project manager Scott Thorburn will help the cities coordinate builds with local suppliers. Other projects Baxter is closely involved with are ScotStyle, a touring exhibition that will showcase 100 years of Scottish architecture to the public.
Pop-up stands will be designed by Berlin-based designer Jon Jardine, whose work Baxter describes as “genius”.
