Approval has been granted for the next stage of a £16 million arts centre at the High School of Dundee.

Plans by architects Page/Park involve redeveloping the city's former Head Post Office on Meadowside.

Features will include first-class learning and teaching facilities for Art, Drama, Music and Culinary Arts, as well as new dining and catering spaces and further administrative and social spaces for pupils and staff.

In addition, a 300+ seat auditorium will be built along with a range of drama/music technical performance spaces, a recording studio, and a roof terrace which can also be used as an outdoor classroom.


Dr John Halliday, the schools rector, said: "The transformative impact of the creative arts on lives is well documented and this building will enable us to realise the dream of widening and deepening access to music, drama and art & design.

"We have designed our plans to complement the city's aspirations for V&A Dundee and the waterfront redevelopment, and to enable the School to make an exciting contribution to Dundee's burgeoning reputation as a city of culture, initiative and design."

Nicola Walls, lead architect and head of arts and culture at Page\Park, added: "Page\Park are delighted that the new Centre for Performing and Visual Arts has reached this significant milestone of obtaining Planning and Listed Building Consent.

"We have enjoyed a very constructive dialogue with Dundee City Council over the proposals which will continue as we enter into the detail design phases of the project."

Work to strip out and restore the building to its original structure has already been completed as the project prepares to enter a final detailed design phase. This will be followed by pre-construction reports and then ultimately a tendering process for the construction work itself.

(LM)