It was a dramatic moment when the famous Scottish landmark gasholder bell was “ripped apart”.
Now new footage released by the City of Edinburgh Council shows the tank in the iconic gasholder frame has been infilled in preparation for the site to become a public park in the future.
Around 50,000 tonnes of infill material has been placed and compacted within the 11 x 78 metre tank ready for placement of the bentonite membrane.
It follows the removal of the tank walls and bell, when Cammy Day, council leader, said that it was "really dramatic to see the bell being ripped apart by the machinery", adding: "It marked a historic moment as this iconic structure will be transformed now to move on with the times to serve a completely different purpose for the local community to enjoy arts, sports and culture for future generations to come."
READ MORE: Historic moment as famous Scottish landmark 'ripped apart'
Work is currently being carried out on the enormous amount of steel making up the structure with every steel member being looked at and repaired if required. This involves replacing corroded sections or filling holes.
"To repaint the structure the process involves blasting it with cooper ore which removes the old lead paint and corrosion, cleaning it down and prepping the surfaces then priming coats before the final paint colour," the council said.
The progress is the latest in the restoration of the site which began last year. McLaughlin & Harvey are completing the work on behalf of the City of Edinburgh Council using £16.4m from the UK Government’s Levelling Up Fund and an additional £1.2 million from the Scottish Government.
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The gasholder, which sits at the heart of the council’s £1.3bn regeneration project for a new sustainable coastal town at Granton Waterfront, will become "an exciting multifunctional public area".
"The space within the restored gasholder is to have multi-sensory play zones, a dedicated area for permanent and temporary public art and one for relaxation, outdoor trails, and tracks for exercise as well as a large outdoor space for sports, markets, seasonal events, community use, festivals, performance arts, exhibitions, and play," the council added. "Work will also be carried out to plant trees, shrubs and wildflowers improving biodiversity and local habitat in the area."
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Mr Day also said: "It’s exciting to see this footage and the culmination of all the hard work that has already gone into bringing this fantastic project to life for the area."
Graham Brown, McLaughlin & Harvey senior contracts manager, said: "We are delighted to have reached another milestone on this exciting project. The gasholder tank has been dewatered, demolished and infilled alongside the ongoing structural frame refurbishment works.
"This has involved in-depth logistical planning to ensure both aspects of the project can progress side by side whilst ensuring the safety of our workforce.
"The finished paint surface is also progressing well under the cover of our immense scaffold structure and in the coming months we will commence the public realm works as the final phase of the project."
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