Edinburgh firm Morris and Steedman Associates has unexpectedly found itself at the centre of a highly-charged debate over the future of the city's world-famous Military Tattoo.

The venue for the huge annual event is currently under review, with critics insisting the temporary stand erected every summer at Edinburgh Castle Esplanade is no longer suitable for the job.

Among the alternatives being mooted, a favourite is to relocate the three-week event to a purpose-built arena in Princes Street Gardens, in the shadow of the castle.

The idea was first floated in the mid-1980s and gained enough credibility that Morris and Steedman were commissioned to come up with detailed plans in 1989. The outcry 15 years ago quickly saw those plans shelved, only for them to resurface this month (JAN 2004).

Bob Steedman, who retired last year when his firm joined with highly-respected né Begg to form Morris and Steedman Associates, was as surprised as anybody at the resurrection of the original drawings.

Mr Steedman, who remains with the firm on a consultancy basis, said of the plan: "It was rather like the idea of the Acropolis in Athens, with its open theatre below.

"It certainly came as something of shock when this all came out again. However, I have to admit I was actually quite pleased to see the plans again, because I think they have stood the test of time very well and think the design and concept still look good today.

"While I appreciate trends and tastes move on, the debate itself is as relative now as it was in 1989 and when it comes to cultural issues of such importance it is always gratifying to have an involvement."

The Tattoo, first performed in 1950, attracts 200,000 visitors to Edinburgh every August, when it dovetails with the city's various international arts festivals. It is also estimated to reach a 100 million-strong global TV audience and brings more than £40 million to the Scottish economy.

Given those figures and the event's cultural resonance, proposals for change were always guaranteed to be extremely contentious. Traditionalists are completely opposed to relocation. Among them is Tattoo producer and chief executive Melville Jameson who insists: "Any move to Princes Street Gardens will happen over my dead body."

Adding to the heat of the debate is the recent descent into shambles of Edinburgh's Hogmanay Party - another globally touted event - which was cancelled at the 11th hour due to bad weather. That debacle stung the city fathers and exposed the Ross Bandstand in Princes Street Gardens as a particularly inadequate venue. Two months earlier MTV also rubbished the Ross Bandstand by declaring it as unsuitable to host the music channel's European awards ceremony.

All of which makes Morris and Steedman Associates plan for an 8-10,000 seater venue in Princes Street Gardens look increasingly inviting to those who say the city needs a credible, year-round venue at the site. It would also end the annual pantomime of erecting-then-dismantling the temporary Castle Esplanade venue and solve a raft of access and neighbourhood issues.

As Bob Steedman says of the original plan: "It could be used throughout the year for other concerts and underneath there would have been great facilities for all the performers. The police and the fire authorities like it very much for safety, because you could access and exit if very quickly."

The new directors of Morris and Steedman Associates, Philip Flockhart and Raymond Muszynski are watching the debate with interest. Adding "If it ever does go ahead it would be the kind of prestige project any architect would want to get involved with and that very definitely includes us.

"Most likely the fundamentals of any new design would be in a similar vein to the originals drawn up in 1989. Bob Steedman and Jim Morris are Scotland's most pre-eminent post war architects and virtually everything they ever turned their hands to has stood the test of time. This would not be any exception."

They added: "Any possibilities of relocating the Tattoo is a reaction to the problems faced at Hogmanay, but regardless of that a relocation would be a big bonus for the city. Every year there are scaffolding problems at the Tattoo and something more permanent would be ideal.

"We have got to hope the council and the Tattoo are receptive to debate the points. Clearly the issue has not gone away in more than 15 years and will have to be resolved sooner or later. Of course it is a controversial subject, but that shouldn't stifle healthy debate."

Morris and Steedman Associates are no strangers to sensitive projects. Work currently underway includes a £1.5 million restoration project on Scotland's finest stately home, Hopetoun House, near Edinburgh, as well as a contract to provide access for all to St Giles' Cathedral, situated in the heart of Edinburgh's Old Town, a World Heritage site. The firm have contributed to previous studies on the future of the city including the City Lighting Vision and the Old Town Visitor Strategy.