Edinburgh Festival Fringe Society reveal how new Infirmary Street building could look after restoration

The Fringe Central hub, located at 6 Infirmary Street, will provide support, marketing and box office services and is also expected to offer year-round rehearsal spaces for artists and organisations.

The team have now shared images of what the new hub may look like when it opens after a complex conservation and development project of the 289-year-old building category B-listed building in the capital’s Old Town.

An Artist's impression of how Edinburgh's new 'Fringe Central' hub could look when it opens in 2026 | The Edinburgh Festival Fringe Society

Studio LBA has been appointed as architects for the refurbishment and creation of a multi-purpose space for the Fringe Society, Fringe artists and community partners.

Shona McCarthy, chief executive of the Edinburgh Festival Fringe Society, said: “Through funding from the UK Government we’re delighted that we are able to move forward with the long-held ambition of a new, accessible home for the Fringe Society which will benefit artists, community partners and the Edinburgh Fringe through a range of enhanced services throughout the year. We’re delighted to be working with Studio LBA on this project and can’t wait to open the doors to the new permanent Fringe Central later next year.”

In line with the Fringe Society’s ambition to make the Fringe a net zero carbon event by 2030, works will see updates to insulation and the addition of air source heat pumps. The building, which dates back to 1736, will also become more accessible and include an entrance ramp and internal lift.

The B-listed building at 6 Infirmary Street will be the new home for the The Edinburgh Festival Fringe Society | Supplied

Lynsay Bell Manson, managing director at Studio LBA, said: “We’ve worked on a number of specialist conservation projects and it is fantastic to be appointed by the Edinburgh Festival Fringe Society to play our part in restoring and modernising a historic building.

“Our design approach is sensitive to the cherished history of the building, so our plans focus on preserving the existing character, whilst upgrading the building’s fabric and accessibility.

“Given the net zero targets for Scotland we'll be adopting a low energy approach to retrofitting the existing building using sustainable materials and adding more energy efficient solutions throughout. We’ll also maintain flexibility for the future in our design to ensure the space can adapt to the changing needs of the charity and the Fringe for years to come.”

The Edinburgh Festival Fringe Society has also appointed a design team of Thomas & Adamson as project manager, Montagu Evans as heritage consultant, Will Rudd Davidson as structural engineer and Wallace Whittle as mechanical and electrical engineer.