The past, present and future of Perth’s Edwardian City Hall will be discussed at a meeting later this month.
Among public authorities and other official bodies there has rarely been anything approaching a consensus as to the architectural merits and historical importance of the building.
In an effort to address that, a seminar on the future of the hall will be held at the Royal George Hotel in Perth on Monday June 23.
The event will be chaired by Neil Baxter of the Royal Incorporation of Architects in Scotland (RIAS) and aims to share expert views on the structure.
Speakers will include Perth City Market trustee Vivian Linacre, conservation architect Dr James Simpson and author and honorary Glasgow University professor Gavin Stamp.
The meeting comes at a crucial time for the hall, when Perth and Kinross Council’s application to demolition it remains an active threat.
In May, the decade-long quest to resolve the future of the hall took another twist as councillors accepted that converting it into a five-star hotel was an acceptable course of action.
Faced with a conversion plan which was backed by Historic Scotland and in accordance with their own development plan, the councillors unanimously approved an application by the Seventy Group.
The developer has, however, been told that it must demonstrate its financial backing if the plan is to progress. In the meantime, the hall’s future remains uncertain, though Perth City Market Trust still harbours hopes of gaining backing for its plan to create an up-market food hall.
The seminar will attempt to pick apart some of the opposing viewpoints on the building, which has been maligned and praised in equal measure.
Elected members and local politicians have argued that the structure is merely of concrete with stone facings and is an unworthy neighbour to the A-listed St John’s Kirk.
Eminent architectural figures have, however, insisted that it ranks alongside the contemporary Usher Hall in Edinburgh and Grand Central Station in New York as one of the foremost sandstone buildings of the Beaux Arts style.
The city hall was category B-listed in August 1977 but has been redundant since 2005, when it was replaced by the new Perth Concert Hall.
Numerous efforts have been made to find a new use for it with aborted plans including converting it into a new shopping centre.
Despite sitting empty to the ire of many former users it has been well maintained by the council and remains in excellent repair.
The seminar will run from 10am until 2pm, with a question and answer session following the speakers’ presentations.
Tickets cost £15 including lunch and should be booked in advance by Thursday June 19 by emailing Sophie Birch at sbirch@rias.org.uk or calling 0131 229 7545.