Overview

Fruitmarket Gallery is one of those places you can walk past for such a long time paying little attention to its very being. When you do push the door open and venture in you’re quickly left with the feeling of why you haven’t explored here before.

Transport & Parking

4

Getting to the Fruitmarket offers an array of choices as it’s literally next door to the railway station, has a taxi rank on the doorstep and is a five minute walk from Princes Street. For my visit I wheeled down from Princes Street, across Waverley Bridge and then down Market Street. Buses pass along Market Street and nearby Princes Street.

Access

5

You know when a place is probably be going to be a great visit as a wheelchair user when you spot an automated door to get in, a dropped reception counter and clear signage to an accessible loo. After a quick chat, my visit started with the ground level gallery; accessed by simply waving through an open space and emerging into the gallery. The exhibition at the time was quite enticing as you simply couldn’t resist wheeling across the vast floor space to explore the illuminated exhibit in the far corner. Noticing the hand to reach information leaflets about the exhibition and the very welcome large print guide too. With a thirst to find more, I wheeled back out into the reception area, which is also the shop and bookstore. Popping around the corner. A reasonably sized lift. Took me up to the next level. Coming out of the lift emerged into another large exhibition space. Great wooden flooring and easy to wheel across, brilliant lighting and a sense of calm. Off to one side was a break in the white walls that lead to a quiet area where you could watch video about what you saw in the exhibition. For those who may want to engage with one of the many workshops there was a studio along the corridor. So cleverly designed that a wall of seemingly cupboards morphed into all sort of interesting things. Opening a door revealed the accessible loo, another produced a mini kitchen, whilst another produced a sink and ‘messy’ work area. It was intriguing and delightful to see how all the facilities had been put in but remained discretely separate from the main studio space. Buddy archivists could also go into another room where you can see, by appointment, the archives and historical papers from the Fruitmarket. Time to go back down to ground level and explore the newer part of the building. A well crafted ramp, integral to the building, gently takes you down into the corridor which is well illuminated by the natural light coming in from the roadside windows. Beware the beautifully rounded window that looks though it might be a door; it isn’t but not everybody realises this. Moving to the even space you come into something that feels very industrial as great efforts were made to preserve the old ironwork and some of the features of the market. The space has a high ceiling and loads of room. It’s equally at home being a pop up night club, to being a place for dinner, or a social gathering. Entering and moving around in the space as a wheelchair user was effortless due to the level access and beautifully smooth surfaces to wheel on. Further down the corridor you enter into a foyer like area which has toilets for everyone; including a massive accessible toilet. Off this area you will find another lift which is used to access the office space for the building. Going back along the corridor it was time for a coffee in the cafe. A large space with plenty of flexible seating and offering street views through the large floor to ceiling windows. They Fruitmarket is one of those places where you could while away some time and feel very welcome being there.

Toilets

4.5

There is an accessible toilet adjacent to the lift and main entrance. A further and larger accessible loo is available adjacent to the multi purpose space at the foot of the ramp which goes from the cafe to the ‘events’ space.

Staff

5

Very welcoming and a very positive ‘can do approach’ to welcoming disabled visitors.

Photos