Stirling Tolbooth

The original building and the later additions of 1785 and 1811 served as council chambers, courthouse and jail. Laterally, however, the building served various functions, none of which reflected the architectural and historical importance of the Tolbooth.

In 1997 Richard Murphy won the architectural competition to produce a design which would rejuvenate the building and transform it into a centre for the musical arts. The completed project, which includes a theatre (with capacity for 200), recording studio, dance studio, bar and restaurant, has brought new vibrancy not only to the Tolbooth but to the local community.

The project was a complex blend of conservation and restoration on one hand and sophisticated architectural and structural engineering on the other. The structural additions and interventions were consciously designed as bold statements adding a new layer of history and architecture to this historic building.