Sheriff Court Streetscape

The Grade B Listed former court building for Glasgow lay derelict for 15 years after the new Sheriff Court was constructed on the banks of the river Clyde in the mid 1980's.

The original buildings were built in a Greek Revival Style as a complete and contiguous block within the grid iron street layout within Glasgow's Merchant City which is designated as an Outstanding Conservation Area.

In order to redress the slow deterioration and the loss of a listed building Scottish Enterprise Glasgow with their partners Glasgow City Council put the building on the market as a development opportunity in 2000. The aim was not simply to restore the building but to use its significant and pivotal location between George Square, the Core City Area and the Merchant City to create a dynamic urban connection and assist in the regeneration of a large part of the Merchant City Outstanding Conservation Area.

With these aims a development brief was prepared with Glasgow City Council which outlined the preferred approach to the redevelopment of the building and this area of the city and three complementary criteria against which the proposals would be appraised: Commercial; Regeneration and Cultural.

Streetscape. The creation of pedestrian priority within the surrounding streets to form a high quality piazza and appropriate setting for the building. The creation of a diagonal bridge and movement link through the building from George Square to the Merchant City. This was designed as a contemporary insertion with minimum intervention to the facades.

Courtyard/ Residents Roof Gardens
TGP landscape architects roles included the purification of planning conditions; develop proposals for the courtyard to satisfy Scottish Youth Theatre's strict performance and safety criteria; prepare production information to enable tenders to be invited and work with the appointed landscape contractor to achieve satisfactory design and construction proposals and to oversee the implementation works.

Streetscape
TGP landscape architects were appointed as consultants to Persimmon Homes to prepare proposals for planning approval, carry out extensive consultations with local businesses and residents, the preparation of production information and implement a separate contract for the streetscape works.

The positive effect of the project on the immediate area has helped consolidate all previous regeneration initiatives within the Merchant City and assisted in the promotion of Glasgow as a high quality and lively city to live and visit.