
Eden Court Theatre
Key Facts
Client
Eden Court Theatre
Location
Bishop's Road, Inverness
Value
£19,000,000
Completion
November 2007
Project Info
Designed in 1976 by Law Dunbar Naismith Eden Court Theatre is an important cultural facility for the Highlands region of Scotland. A desire to expand their artistic programme led this redevelopment including a major extension to include a studio theatre, two cinemas, two studios and dressing rooms.
The project involved the re-orientation of the entrance to face the approach from the city centre, allowing better connections between the ground floor foyers and the newly landscaped riverside setting.
The new facilities wrap the building exploiting the existing foyer skirt of the 1976 theatre, with otherwise blank new facades are decorated in a serpentine variety of coloured and patterned materials surmounted by natural ventilation wind towers.
The interior spaces are glued together by the re-use and adaptation of the 1970’s ‘beehive’ roofed foyer. Working with Graven Images, this is transformed into a walk-around glazed conservatory to the landscape setting.
The studio theatre, designed collaboratively with Theatreplan, is an intimate setting with a number of flexible stage and flat floor arrangements. A studio at first floor level opens out to a spectacular balcony overlooking the river, whilst the upper level second studio negotiates the bend in the street with a large and contemporary oriel window. Two subterranean cinemas burrow into the earth.
The link to the Bishop’s Palace is re-shaped by the extension of the glazed entrance link and the complete restoration of the Bishop’s Palace as meeting rooms and offices for the enhanced cultural complex. A new changing room block links the Bishop’s Palace, the main and new theatres.


Selected Awards
RIAS Andrew Doolan Awards 2008 - Nomination
RICS Scotland Awards 2008 - Winner of Community Benefit
Civic Trust Awards 2009 - Mention
Scottish Design Awards 2008 - Commendation for Best re-use of a listed building
IAA Awards 2008 - Commendation for Best Building in Highlands and Islands
GIA Awards 2008 - Winner of Sustainability Award
GIA Awards 2008 - Winner of Leisure Award