It's a rotten venue...
Dry rot hits Edinburgh's Assembly Rooms
One of the main venues in the Assembly Rooms could be out of action at this year’s Edinburgh Fringe after dry rot was found in the roof.All events have been moved out of the 400-seat Ballroom until the middle of July, raising a question mark over whether it will be ready in time for the festival n August.
Experts are now investigating the extent of the problem before any repair work can be done.
The city council’s culture leader Deidre Brock said: ‘We'll press ahead with repair work as soon as we can and we'll do all we can to have the Ballroom ready in time for the Fringe.
‘If anything, the discovery of these issues underlines the need to refurbish the venue and this Council administration is in the process of doing just that.’
The building in George Street is due to undergo a £12million refurbishment after the 2010 Fringe – although William Burdett-Coutts, whose company runs the venue during August, has expressed his anger at some of the planned changes. The work will take 22 months, which will therefore include the 2011 festival.
Dry rot has not affected the other main event spaces in the Assembly Rooms: the Music Hall, the Supper Room and the Edinburgh Suite, which will accommodate rescheduled events from the Ballroom until July.
Brendon Burns, Craig Hill, and Jo Caulfield are among the acts who have played in the ballroom in recent Fringes.
Published: 18 Feb 2009
