Designating the Brunton Hall, Musselburgh

Overview

We are carrying out a consultation to inform a decision on whether to designate the Brunton Hall as a listed building at category B

The Brunton Hall is a purpose-built civic centre complex and public arts venue that was built between 1968 and 1971. It is a landmark building in Musselburgh town centre that is prominently located at the junction between North High Street and Bridge Street. Due to the presence of Reinforced Autoclaved Aerated Concrete (RAAC) in the roof panels, the public areas of the building were closed in 2023. The Council offices remain in use but the building is due to be vacated. We understand that the Council are considering the future of the building and this site. 

The Brunton Hall was designed in a Brutalist style by the renowned Scottish architect,  Sir William Kininmonth, of Rowand Anderson Kininmonth & Paul, who was an important proponent of modern architecture in Scotland.

The building is a major example of post-war civic architecture in Scotland. The distinctive design was carefully considered, in terms of its scale, materials and plan form, and conveys a sense of civic importance whilst integrating well within its historic setting. It also shows a high level of material quality and features a large piece of abstract public art by the Scottish artist and sculptor Tom Whalen.

The building is one of only a small number of civic centres that were ever built in Scotland, and it is rare for the survival of its early character and form. It is also one of the few remaining examples that incorporated a civic theatre, a feature that was largely confined to those that served the larger towns and cities.

The Brunton Hall is a high quality and carefully articulated example of a large civic complex and arts venue. It was a key component of Musselburgh’s post-war building programme and its scale, complexity and ambition were unusual for a smaller Scottish burgh at this time.

We are now gathering views on our proposal to list this building at category B. We will make a final decision based on a full understanding of the significance of the building and the development status following the conclusion of this consultation. 

Read more about why we think the Brunton Hall meets the criteria for listing and find out more about development proposals and designation by downloading our Report of Handling.

West and south elevations of the Brunton Hall © HES

Why your views matter

We’d love to know whether you agree with our proposal.

To help you respond to the following survey, please read why we think the Brunton Hall meets the criteria for listing by downloading our Report of Handling.

You can tell us if you agree with our proposal by completing the short questionnaire below.

This questionnaire usually takes 5-10 minutes to complete.

Find out what comments we consider and what happens next in our consultation guide or watch our designations video on YouTube.

You can also watch a version of this video in British Sign Language.