The firm has signed a pre-construction services agreement for the project, which will be the new home for the Scottish Chamber Orchestra.

The Dunard Centre – previously known as the Impact Centre – will seat 1,000 people for concerts.

David Chipperfield Architects’ plans will also include a 200-seat studio for performances, rehearsals and recordings as well as rooms for education and conferences, while an open foyer will host music performances and a cafe bar.

Being delivered by IMPACT Scotland, the project gained approval in April and will receive £20m of capital funding from the City Region Deal Committee.

Architect Sir David Chipperfield said: “This will be a public building that relates to Edinburgh on a civic scale by both fitting in and standing out in order to perform an important social and cultural role in a city with strong established cultural traditions.”

The client project team includes Turner and Townsend, civil engineers Whitby Wood and M&E consultant RSP.

However, Nuveen Real Estate, the developer behind the neighbouring St James Centre, has made an application for a judicial review of the council’s decision to grant planning permission for the venue.

The company is objecting to the concert hall’s height, scale and mass and has made several attempts to block the development.