Arts & Culture \ Proposed Conversion of The Tron Kirk into An Old Town Information Centre and Museum (Speculative)

Proposed Conversion of The Tron Kirk into An Old Town Information Centre and Museum (Speculative).

Tron Kirk was first built between 1637 and 1647, and was formally opened as a church in 1641. In 1785 its side aisles were removed to make way for the South Bridge and Hunter Square, and its original spire was replaced in 1828 after being destroyed by fire. It stopped functioning as a church in 1953 and has since been owned by the City Council and now leased on a peppercorn to the Scottish Historic buildings Trust who operate a tourist orientated market. Inside there is little of interest other than the roof soffit and the excavated archaeological remains of Medieval Old town closes which sadly cannot be seen because of the floor for the market. Immediately to the south are disused public toilets buried in the ground.

The church sits at the absolute epicentre of the Old Town (some would argue of Edinburgh) but there is very little information or interpretation of the Old Town for locals or tourists so our proposition shows to the south a new building with its entrance on Hunter square which penetrates into the original church though the south elevation. The floor ramps up at 1:20 all, the way to a lift placed on the north side. In the new building sits a scale model of the old town and within the church the archaeology can now be seen. The current entrance is sliced and a glass lift installed to take visitors up to four storeys of cantilevered display, also allowing them for the first time to close to the historic ceiling. Existing openings at ground level would be glazed and a couple of new openings made so that passersby could get a hint of what was happening inside.