Skip to content
The Great Britain Guide

Theatres · Central Scotland

Symposium Hall

Also known as: theSpace @ Symposium Hall

Paid admission♿ Wheelchair accessible

Symposium Hall is a theatre in the United Kingdom.

Symposium Hall, theatres in Central Scotland

Wikimedia Commons contributors — see linked file page for photographer and licence licence

Plan your visit

Typical visit
2 h–3 h
Nearest railway station
Edinburgh Waverley · 0.7 km
  • Paid entry
  • Family-friendly
  • Wheelchair accessible

About

Symposium Hall is a working theatre in the United Kingdom, listed in OpenStreetMap as a public performance venue. Also known as: theSpace @ Symposium Hall. Coordinates: 55.9467°, -3.1838°.

Photo gallery

From the Wikipedia article

The King Khalid Building is an event space in the Southside, Edinburgh, Scotland, owned and operated by the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh. The building was constructed as Roxburgh Free Church in 1847 and converted to its current use in 1982. The building's first occupants, Roxburgh Free Church, began as a Relief congregation in 1803, subsequently joining the Church of Scotland in 1833 then the Free Church at the Disruption of 1843. The congregation united with McCrie Free in 1886. Between 1888 and 1965, the buildings were occupied by St Michael's Episcopal Church. After a period of dereliction, the buildings were converted for use as a lecture theatre. In recognition of a major donation from King Khalid of Saudi Arabia, the building was given the full name: King Khalid bin Abdul Aziz of Saudi Arabia Symposium Hall. It also operates as a Fringe venue under the name Symposium Hall. The building was designed in the Gothic style by Thomas Hamilton and opened in 1847. It was altered by John Kinross ahead of its reopening as an Episcopal Church in 1888. In 1982, James Parr & Partners created the two-storey interior with a lecture theatre above and smaller rooms below. A further renovation in 2005 increased the seating capacity.

Excerpt from Wikipedia under CC BY-SA 4.0. See the source article linked in Sources below.

Background

Architecture

The building was constructed between 1846 and 1847 to a design of Thomas Hamilton. The Buildings of Scotland guide to Edinburgh describes the style as "Lumpy Gothic". The building was redeveloped as a lecture venue by James Parr & Partners in 1982. The redevelopment split the interior over two storeys with a reception area on the ground floor and an auditorium with capacity for 85 above. The architects claimed the auditorium reproduced the atmosphere of Italian anatomy theatres of the Renaissance. In 2005, the building was refurbished, including the addition of tiered leather seats, which increased the capacity.

Sourced from Wikipedia under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Coordinates
55.9467, -3.1838
Postcode
EH8 9ST
Parliamentary constituency
Edinburgh East and Musselburgh
Phone
+44 131 527 1711
Nearest railway station
Edinburgh Waverley0.7 km
Opening
Mo-Su 10:00-17:00
Official site
museum.rcsed.ac.uk

Sources

Other places nearby

Loading nearby places…

Nearby

More theatres in this region

Frequently asked questions

Where is Symposium Hall?
Symposium Hall is in central Scotland, United Kingdom (postcode EH8 9ST).
Who owns Symposium Hall?
Symposium Hall is owned by Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh.
How do I get to Symposium Hall?
The nearest railway station is Edinburgh Waverley, about 0.7 km away. Drivers can navigate to postcode EH8 9ST.