With an architectural heritage that stretches back centuries and a medieval backdrop that's adored by locals and tourists alike, it's hard to imagine that Edinburgh's Grassmarket could very well have been wiped from the map.
And yet in 1948, a radical scheme was unveiled that would have seen the historic district flattened in favour of a Festival Centre.
The post-war masterplan, which was dreamt up by architect John Graham, envisaged existing tenements being swept away to be replaced by a purpose-built arts 'village' that would act as the focal point of the newly-created Edinburgh International Festival.
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Launched to a great response the previous August, the Festival was already the talk of the global arts community, and Edinburgh was now looking at ways to build on its success.
The suggested scheme for the city's historic Grassmarket, the site of a weekly market since the 1400s and the place of many a grisly public execution in centuries past, involved the construction of a 3,500-seater concert hall, a 1,500-capacity theatre, an opera house, a small theatre, an open-air theatre, a restaurant, exhibition halls and lecture rooms, a library, administration offices, and a multi-storey car park.
The opera house, which would be comparable in scale to Milan's world-famous La Scala, would be sited at the east end of the complex, facing west between West Bow and Candlemaker Row. Being at the summit of the Grassmarket's gentle slope, this would give the 1,970-seater venue the most prominent spot of the entire Festival Centre.
In support of their proposal, the architects explained that the Grassmarket, which in the 1940s was one of Edinburgh's poorest enclaves and in dire need of regeneration, would be the "ideal" place for a Festival Centre.
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They wrote: "Unfortunately there are few suitable sites in Edinburgh for such an enterprise. The Calton Hill would lend itself to a very bold plan of development with the possible incorporation of the Royal High School.
"The site, however, is very exposed, and it is considered it would be too severer in relation to local climatic conditions.
"It is considered that the Grassmarket would be ideal for all purposes. It is capable of artistic development incorporating all the necessary buildings to make an imposing and inspiring centre."
Location was one of the main selling points of the Grassmarket. Facing south, nestled in a natural, weather-protected hollow, and with the iconic backdrop of Edinburgh Castle that would be the envy of the world, the architects knew that no other site in the capital came close to matching it.
The only issue, of course, was the fact they would need to erase several hundred years of history in the heart of Edinburgh's Old Town. John Graham and his associates, however, did not see this as a stumbling block.
"To-day, the Grassmarket shows limited signs of revival," said the architects. "There are few really old buildings left, and it is doubtful if these are of sufficient quality to warrant preservation.
"In addition to West Bow, buildings at the ends of the Grassmarket could be retained so that the link with older Edinburgh would not be wholly lost."
Discussions concerning the Grassmarket scheme would rumble on for around two years, but, despite arousing widespread interest, the controversial project would never see the light of day.
Save for a portion of the north side of the famous thoroughfare, which was razed in the 1950s for what is now the Apex Hotel, the historic fabric of the Grassmarket remains very much intact and the area today is a vibrant plaza filled with popular pubs, bars and restaurants.
One element of the 1948 plan that did come to fruition, however, was the construction of a multi-storey car park. The 800-capacity Castle Terrace car park would be eventually take shape between 1959 and 1966 at nearby King's Stables Road.
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