The McEwan Hall ( gd, Talla MhicEòghainn) is the graduation hall of the

University of Edinburgh The University of Edinburgh ( sco, University o Edinburgh, gd, Oilthigh Dhùn Èideann; abbreviated as ''Edin.'' in post-nominals) is a public research university based in Edinburgh, Scotland. Granted a royal charter by King James VI in 15 ...

, in

Edinburgh Edinburgh ( ; gd, Dùn Èideann ) is the capital city of Scotland and one of its 32 Council areas of Scotland, council areas. Historically part of the county of Midlothian (interchangeably Edinburghshire before 1921), it is located in Lothian ...

, the capital of

Scotland Scotland (, ) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Covering the northern third of the island of Great Britain, mainland Scotland has a border with England to the southeast and is otherwise surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean to the ...

. It was presented to the university in 1897 by

William McEwan William McEwan () (16 July 1827 – 12 May 1913) was a Scottish politician and brewer. He founded the Fountain Brewery in 1856, served as a member of parliament (MP) from 1886 to 1900, and funded the construction of the McEwan Hall at the Univ ...

, brewer and politician, at a cost of £115,000. Sir Robert Rowand Anderson was the architect. The McEwan Hall is a category A listed building. The design was begun in 1876 and was largely undertaken by

George Mackie Watson George Mackie Watson RIBA (1860-1948) was a Scottish architect in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. He trained in the offices of Robert Rowand Anderson, and was responsible for the design and reconstruction of several churches. From 1912 t ...

whilst working in the offices of

Robert Rowand Anderson Sir Robert Rowand Anderson, (5 April 1834 – 1 June 1921) was a Scottish Victorian architect. Anderson trained in the office of George Gilbert Scott in London before setting up his own practice in Edinburgh in 1860. During the 1860s his ...

(with the masterplan being by Rowand Anderson himself). It was built using stone from Prudham Quarry, Hexham in Northumberland. The exterior of the D-shaped hall was completed in 1894. The interior, finished in 1897, is built in Italian Renaissance style, and features mural decorations from the hand of William Mainwaring Palin. The central piece of art is a large painted work known as "The Temple of Fame" depicting a great number of philosophers and students. The McEwan Hall organ was built in 1897 by

Robert Hope-Jones Robert Hope-Jones (9 February 1859 – 13 September 1914) was an English musician who is considered to be the inventor of the theatre organ in the early 20th century. He thought that a pipe organ should be able to imitate the instruments of ...

, and has been rebuilt and modified on various occasions afterwards. Another striking feature of the McEwan Hall is its large dome. On the inside of the dome is a biblical inscription: ''Wisdom is the principal thing, therefore get wisdom, and with all thy getting, get understanding. Exalt her and she shall bring thee to honour.'' (Proverbs 4:7). In 2015 the hall and

Bristo Square Bristo Square, Edinburgh, Scotland, is a public space on the estate of the University of Edinburgh. It lies in the south of the city, between George IV Bridge and George Square. The most prominent landmark on the square is the category A list ...

closed for refurbishment and reopened in time for the July 2017 graduations at a projected cost of £35 million. New heating, ventilation and lighting was integrated with the original interior and new seminar rooms created in the basement and below Bristo Square. One of the project's key aims was to provide easy access to all areas, including the second floor gallery. The McEwan Hall is used for graduations, lectures and public talks, some

Edinburgh Festival Fringe The Edinburgh Festival Fringe (also referred to as The Fringe, Edinburgh Fringe, or Edinburgh Fringe Festival) is the world's largest arts and media festival, which in 2019 spanned 25 days and featured more than 59,600 performances of 3,841 dif ...

events and organ recitals.

Gallery

File:McEwan Hall refurbished interior dome.jpg, Restored interior dome (2017) File:McEwan Hall, Bristo Square.jpg, During latter stages of refurbishment of Bristo Square (2017) File:Edinburgh Graduation Ceremony (21492219015).jpg, Interior during a graduation ceremony (2008) File:Inside McEwan Hall, University of Edinburgh.jpg, Interior details in 2017 following restoration File:McEwan Hall, Edinburgh (5893849007).jpg, Exterior details (2011) File:McEwan Hall, University of Edinburgh, 2.jpg, Exterior in 2018

Footnotes

References

* * {{University of Edinburgh Buildings and structures of the University of Edinburgh Robert Rowand Anderson buildings