Filmhouse and Film Festival plan is thought-provoking, eye-catching and visionary – Steve Cardownie

The plan for the relocation of The Filmhouse in Lothian Road will no doubt attract its critics and, like most planning applications, it will garner a great deal of subjective views as to its suitability and whether or not it “fits in” or indeed even if should fit in at all.

An artist's impression of the proposed new home for the Filmouse and the Edinburgh International Film Festival in Festival Square (Picture: Richard Murphy Architects)

After all, bold architectural statements are not new to Edinburgh with the W Hotel under construction at St James Quarter being a case in point.

You either like it or loathe it and I for one like it. As someone who worked in New St Andrew’s House, which formerly occupied the site and which made Alcatraz look like the Taj Mahal, I welcome the introduction of a modern, visionary structure which is thought-provoking and eye-catching.

I also think that the proposed new home of the Filmhouse and Edinburgh International Film Festival is of a similar ilk and the striking nature of the design will ultimately find favour. And let’s face it, anything that helps to obstruct the view of that monolithic monstrosity that is the Sheraton Hotel must be a bonus.

Smokey Robinson said, “Satisfaction, That means, Different strokes for different folks” (although admittedly not in reference to this particular planning application), so it will be interesting to see the contrasting comments, what transpires and how many stakeholders get involved in the process.

It will ultimately be for the members of the city’s planning committee to decide, so we will have to wait and see whether this proposal captures their imagination or not. Hopefully it will.

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