The Edinburgh International Conference Centre was part of the competition winning Exchange District masterplan produced by Terry Farrell and Partners in the west end of the city. The project ran from 1989-1995 with construction beginning in 1993 and the centre opening in 1995.

The site had previously been occupied by the Caledonian Railway Station which had formed a rift between the New Town and the triangle of land between Lothian Road and Morrison Street. A fundamental part of the design strategy was to ‘heal’ this divide by re-establishing links across the former railway land towards the New Town. Further land acquisition prompted a shift in focus so that Morrison Street was established as the key spine for urban renewal with the Conference Centre established as the ‘front door’ to the development.

The final design centred on a circular drum form which could accommodate the requirement for revolving auditoria, known as a ‘wheel-and-hub’ principle. Internal circulation was achieved both vertically and horizontally via the entry space off Morrison Street and repeated on significant levels at the front of the building.

Construction Partners:
Landscape Architect: Gillespies; Ian White Associates
Interior Design: Skakel and Skakel
Acoustic and Theatre Design: Sandy Brown Associates
Engineering Consultant: Arup

A collection of working drawings for stages of architectural project. They are assumed to consist of tender and/or construction plans, sections and elevations with associated revisions. This file has not yet been catalogued at item level.

A collection of working drawings for stages of architectural project. They are assumed to consist of tender and/or construction plans, sections and elevations with associated revisions. The working drawings predominantly measure 820mm x 600mm. With some instances of 420mm x 300mm dimensions. Roll one has not yet been catalogued at item level.

Rolls 2-6 can be summarised as follows:
• Three rolls of superseded working drawings consisting of a large collection of floor plans, sections, elevations and detail drawings, 1997-1999, with drawing refs: ESHE-D-A0 series, revision A-G, and EDMP/CS/CI, -/WD, -/FS for Conference Square and Sheraton Health Club area.
• One roll of internal detail working drawings issued for construction, April – October 1999. Drawing refs: EDMP/CS/CI series, revisions A and B.
• One roll of working drawings issued for construction, April – November 1999. Drawing refs: EDMP/CS/CI/03 to /07 and EDMP/CS/WD/04 to /07. Revisions A-B.

A collection of working drawings for stages of architectural project. They are assumed to consist of tender and/or construction plans, sections and elevations with associated revisions. Rolls 1-2 have not yet been catalogued at item level.

The rolls of plan drawings predominantly measure 820mm x 600mm.

A summary of rolls 2-14 are as follows:
• One roll of initial survey drawings produced by the Gordon Tomalin Partnership, 1993. Drawing refs: 6289 series.
• One roll of planning application and amended planning application drawings, July 1994 – September 1995. Drawings refs: CS1/PA/03 - /05. Revisions A-E.
• Three rolls of amended and superseded planning drawings consisting of floor plans, elevations and retained/developed mews proposals, September 1996 – January 1999. Drawing refs: CS1/03 - /05 series. Revisions A-E. One roll also contains a small amount of material for the wider Edinburgh Masterplan Area – ‘Lothian Road Site.’
• One roll of selected floor plans, elevations and sections produced by Gordon Tomalin Partnership, November 1998, Drawing refs: 6289 series.
• Five rolls of working drawings consisting of context elevations, floor plans, and mews/townhouse garden elevations, 1999, Drawing refs: CS1/PA/03 and /05 series. There is also one roll with some items referenced CS2/DD series for the Scottish Widows headquarters project.
• One roll of floor plans and elevation drawings, January 1999. Drawing refs: CS1/PA/03 and /05 series, revision H. Also contains one engineering drawing for utility services produced by KJ Tait and Associates. Drawing ref: E5598/UT/01.

The papers held at Newcastle are a substantial repository of the personal papers and plans of Sharp. The major part of the collection consists of papers collected from Sharp's Oxford house on his death by the now-retired Professor Brenikov of this University. The papers were subsequently put into storage. Their significance realised they were deposited with the University Library Special Collections. The principal elements of the collection are as follows:

• Files of information and correspondence relating to individual texts, including unpublished works

• Files of information and correspondence relating to individual plans. This includes, for example, work on historic cities, new villages, new towns and overseas commissions and competition entries

• Original plans for many commissions

• Extensive documentation on key planning cases where Sharp appeared as a witness at public inquiry e.g. Oxford Roads, Kepier Power Station Durham, Clarendon Hotel Oxford

• Extensive books of press-cuttings on all of the above

• Typescript of an unpublished autobiography and manuscript autobiographical notes

• Typescripts of government information films, radio talks, lectures

• Documentation on unsuccessful commissions

• Correspondence regarding the formation of the Civic Trust

• Lecture slides

• Miscellaneous personal correspondence

• Creative writing i.e. poetry, novels, radio plays etc., largely unpublished

Collectively these resources demonstrate the evolution of Sharp's thinking both in terms of individual commissions and over the course of his career. They illustrate important issues about the process of undertaking planning commissions in the period e.g. fees charged, numbers of staff employed, briefs set etc. They provide a rich source of information on how commissions were received both by clients and professional and local audiences. Additionally they are a rich source of material on how competing arguments and ideologies of urban evolution were advanced.

A collection of pre-project (existing), planning and structural working drawings for phases of the Festival Square development project, Edinburgh, forming part of the Edinburgh Masterplan Area.

The rolls of plan drawings predominantly measure 820mm x 600mm, and can be summarised as follows:

• One roll of existing general arrangement plan drawings for Lothian Road and the Exchange Plaza originally produced by external companies, 22 August - 24 October 1995.
• One roll of superseded section and elevation working drawings, 1997. Drawing refs: EDMP-WD-05 series.
• One roll of plan, elevation and section drawings and sketches, May 1997. Drawing refs: EMFS-SK-04 and -WD-05 series.
• One roll of working drawings consisting of plans, sections, elevations and external street features such as stairs and handrails, June 1997. Drawing refs: EDMP-WD-04 and -05 series. Includes Revision A.
• One roll of structural working drawings for planters and water features produced by Ove Arup, November 1997. Drawing refs: 47902/03; R/90 series.
• One roll of services working drawings produced by Ove Arup, January 1998. Drawing refs: 47902/03; (6; 62; 90) series.
• One roll of information and construction working drawings for levels and paving finishes, produced by Ian White Associates, January 1998. Drawing refs: 876. Contains revisions A-C.

A large collection of working drawings consisting of tender, construction and building warrant plans, sections, elevations and detail drawings. There are also technical drawings from external contractors. Rolls 1-12 can be summarised as follows.
• Two rolls of general arrangement plans and details produced for tender, January 1993. Drawing refs, EDP-WD-03,-04, -05, -09, and -17 series, revisions A-C.
• One large roll of engineering plans and schematics produced by Ove Arup and Partners for building warrants, July 1993. Drawing refs, Job No: 44802, revisions A.
• Three rolls of working drawings for the retained building consisting of plans, sections and elevations of general arrangement, external façade, stone and metal design and core layouts, produced for construction November 1993 – May 1994. Drawing refs, EDP-WD-03, -04 and -05 series, revisions C-I. There are also fire strategy plans with the drawing ref EDP-FS-04 series.
• One roll of working drawings designed for metal and glass features, inclusive of street elevations, window scheduling and jamb details, produced by Haran Glassmasters, May 1994. Drawing refs, 94/138 series.
• One large roll of structural plans and foundation layouts produced by Ove Arup, February – May 1994. Drawing refs, Job No: 44802, revisions B-G.
• One large roll of lighting, alarm and security provision plans for construction produced by Ove Arup, October 1994. Drawing refs, Job No: 44802, revisions A-F.
• One roll of working drawings for louvre and rainscreen details, produced by Don Reynolds Facades Limited, November 1994. Drawing refs, C93.731.
• One large roll of elevation working drawings for construction, produced by Stone Design, 1994. Drawing refs, 93066, revisions B.
• One roll of detail working drawings for floors, ceilings, balustrades / handrails and roofs produced by SMC Fabrications and Special Acoustic Services, Scotland, March 1995. Drawing refs, S1855.