Atkins move on site of Dalmarnock Station revamp
October 20 2011
Delivered by Network Rail on behalf of Transport Scotland the timely spruce up is being bank rolled by SPT, Clyde Gateway, Glasgow City Council and the European Regional Development Fund.
Designed by Atkins the new look station will see a redesigned ticket office repositioned to face Dalmarnock Road, lift access to platform level, a pedestrian footbridge and new wall cladding and surfaces.
Advance works to prepare the partially underground station for refurbishment have already begun with completion scheduled for Autumn 2013.
Minister for Housing and Transport, Keith Brown added: "The new-look station and transport hub will not only play a vital role during the 2014 Commonwealth Games, but will also a key part of the regeneration of the east end of Glasgow long after.
26 Comments
#1 Posted by FW on 21 Oct 2011 at 08:05 AM
Deadful rendering of a poor looking building I am afraid. The major Commonwealth games and support buildings seem to have been secured and designed by the poorest architects. The Velodrome is a unimaginative grey Asda block and this looks little better!
#2 Posted by Brian on 22 Oct 2011 at 09:46 AM
I agree, its lazy.looks very 80s.
#3 Posted by jessie on 22 Oct 2011 at 14:39 PM
I dont mind it. Nothing special like.
#4 Posted by D to the R on 22 Oct 2011 at 15:32 PM
This size of job doesn't make a company of Atkins' size any sort of cash .... and it shows - it probably came in the door, got passed to the Part 2 (who by the way is doing the Part 1's job too since he got payed off) and then fired out the door (via Sketchup).
The fact that anything this un-ambitious is being associated with the Commonwealth games is a scurge on Glasgow ... but unfortunately the sale of your soul may just pay the mortgage next month!
The fact that anything this un-ambitious is being associated with the Commonwealth games is a scurge on Glasgow ... but unfortunately the sale of your soul may just pay the mortgage next month!
#5 Posted by hm on 22 Oct 2011 at 16:35 PM
Begs the question, why not give it to a smaller firm?
#6 Posted by ayeman on 22 Oct 2011 at 16:55 PM
It might not make them a lot of money, but surely its relatively high-profile, so wouldn't it make sense for them to put a bit more effort into it?
#7 Posted by JD on 23 Oct 2011 at 10:45 AM
It is sickening. You would think that when we are all prictices are struggling for new work that an opportunity to do something important like this would be realised by the architects and taken, rather than this pathetic effort. Shame on you Atkins and on you Glasgow for allowing it to happen.
#8 Posted by Jon on 24 Oct 2011 at 19:40 PM
Crikey! have any of you been to any other Glasgow suburban railway stations, or indeed Dalmarnock station as it is presently? Granted, a poor precedent should not excuse a poor vision but given that the funders are all being scutinised for every morsel of public sector expenditure made, and that this building could very easily have followed Network Rails template, I actually think this is quite progressive (as suburban line railways stations in Strathclyde go).
#9 Posted by D to the R on 25 Oct 2011 at 13:40 PM
@Jon - I have seen other 'non-descript' stations and I have seen Dalmarnock - its actually quite good. There is something quiet tactile about the concrete beams and the brickwork that would have provided an architect who deal with context sensitively ... not like Atkins. Don't get me wrong ... its bleak... but it is an opportunity!
#10 Posted by Jon on 26 Oct 2011 at 17:06 PM
@ D to the R - As far as i'm aware the concrete beams all remain (part of the bridge support i assume) as does the brick existing building, the elevation shown presumably represents the Dalmarnock road entrance.
Whilst i'm no fan of reglit and the like, a station which is much lighter and more welcomming (not just to Games traffic but the communities that live locally) that has a considered design has to be a good thing.
I just don't agree that because it's Atkins it's instantly unambitious (your comments above) - the drive for design flair comes from the client - again compared to Partick station, this is a far more appealling effort. Network Rail could have gone to a small creative practice, but they'd hardly have had carte blanche (nr/TS/DFT/ORR regulations) and would probably not have offered anything as functional and achieveable within a (i'm guessing) tight budget.
Whilst i'm no fan of reglit and the like, a station which is much lighter and more welcomming (not just to Games traffic but the communities that live locally) that has a considered design has to be a good thing.
I just don't agree that because it's Atkins it's instantly unambitious (your comments above) - the drive for design flair comes from the client - again compared to Partick station, this is a far more appealling effort. Network Rail could have gone to a small creative practice, but they'd hardly have had carte blanche (nr/TS/DFT/ORR regulations) and would probably not have offered anything as functional and achieveable within a (i'm guessing) tight budget.
#11 Posted by JD on 26 Oct 2011 at 17:46 PM
What a load of complete rubbish. Blame it on the client. One look at the image tells you how little thought and effort went in to the design. Yes it may turn out better than Partick station but that is setting the bar very low indeed.
#12 Posted by Gweedo fox on 27 Oct 2011 at 00:44 AM
Plainly a design with no dedemptive qualities . Begs the question about Mount Florida train station. A station which which serves the National stadium on a regular basis and will do during the CGs. Lick of paint perhaps?
#13 Posted by Fiona on 27 Oct 2011 at 09:12 AM
I agree that this is a poor quality render. However, I am not sure how all these comments can be made with any substance. I want to see the site plan, sections and the contextual analysis, before I dismiss it. There is a very lazy assumption on here that because it's Atkins it isn't any good and only small practices do good work. This simply isn't true, though it must be very comforting for those that perpetuate this myth. I think it would be interesting to see much more of this scheme if Atkins could be persuaded to share the drawings with this hostile audience!
#14 Posted by JD on 27 Oct 2011 at 12:39 PM
That is not true at all Fiona. A very poor quality render tells you a lot about how the architect approached the commission. It is clear from this sad effort that there is no understanding of context, the potential of the project or how important this work is. Atkins's very poor record as designers has nothing to do with it and I doubt the plan and section will tell you any more. Like the velodrome, another sad effort, it is an opportunity missed for Glasgow.
#15 Posted by Fiona on 27 Oct 2011 at 13:14 PM
How on earth can you tell how the architect approached the commission from this render?! What a ridiculous statement. It is not clear at all, and that is my point! (incidentally, Atkins may not have even done the image - I know that some rail clients often procure their own 'artists impressions').
Ultimately, I reserve judgement until I've seen more detail, whereas you and many others seem happy to jump to conclusions in order to reinforce your somewhat tired prejudices.
Ultimately, I reserve judgement until I've seen more detail, whereas you and many others seem happy to jump to conclusions in order to reinforce your somewhat tired prejudices.
#16 Posted by JD on 27 Oct 2011 at 13:24 PM
I will bow to your greater knowledge then and look forward to seeing the additional work which will no doubt be even worse than the image. If that were possible.
#17 Posted by elmo mac on 27 Oct 2011 at 14:03 PM
If an image is dashed off in a rush, as this one seems to be, then you can be sure that the same approach was applied to the design process behind it.
There's nothing in this image that a well drawn elevation wouldn't show, and there's much that's wrong with it. Check out the people's shadows for a start, including the guy's with a solid wall behind him. What hope is there then for the careful attention to detail and a sense of pride that a public building, even a small one like this, demands?
There's nothing in this image that a well drawn elevation wouldn't show, and there's much that's wrong with it. Check out the people's shadows for a start, including the guy's with a solid wall behind him. What hope is there then for the careful attention to detail and a sense of pride that a public building, even a small one like this, demands?
#18 Posted by fiona on 27 Oct 2011 at 14:49 PM
JD...you really do keep missing the point don't you? I have no 'greater knowledge' about this scheme - and neither do you...but you've made up your mind. Arrogance and ignorance. A scary combo.
#19 Posted by Jules Ceaser on 27 Oct 2011 at 14:55 PM
NO! I dont have the desire/ will power/ ability to look at site plans, end elevations and wotnot. I wanna look at a pretty picture of a building and says 'thumbs up' or 'thumbs down'. Kinda like Rome or the X factor.
To this building I say 'feed it to the lions'!
To this building I say 'feed it to the lions'!
#20 Posted by JD on 27 Oct 2011 at 15:09 PM
It's you who is missing the point. This careless and could be anywhere image tells me the scheme will be very poor indeed. If I am wrong I'll say so and send a letter of congratulations to Atkins. But the world population will reach 10 billion before that happens.
#21 Posted by fiona on 27 Oct 2011 at 15:31 PM
JD. You are really quite a bitter aren't you? Is your 'prictice' loosing work to Atkins?
#22 Posted by JD on 27 Oct 2011 at 17:30 PM
As far as I know my practice has not scraped the bottom of the barrel just yet to compete against prictices like Atkins. If they had they would no doubt have lost, there are prictices that can always do things cheaper, I'm sure you are part of such an organisation being unable to recognise dross when you see it. I will ask the director however.
#23 Posted by FW on 27 Oct 2011 at 19:18 PM
#22 Keppie will be pleased, takes the pressure off their new testicle building in Aberdeen. Quick 3DReid get something online.
#24 Posted by Fiona on 28 Oct 2011 at 08:46 AM
JD, yes I work for a large company (so my opinion is invalid..?). I am a director of estates with a background in urban design. I have commissioned designers from practices (not 'prictices' - are you South African?) large and small and have learned that it is not the size of the company that matters but the individuals working on the project. Big companies are just as likely to have good people and do good work as small ones. Size doesn't matter. People do. Nice talking to you...
#25 Posted by murphy on 28 Oct 2011 at 10:00 AM
Its great when people comment on projects and posts - brightens up my day no end.
I would agree with you both, I would like to see the rest of the plans before I make final judgement but I would say that the quality of the image released says a lot about the scheme. Its not about how expensive the visualisation is, using 3D studio or whatever but the effort gone into it.
We are talking about an architectural image that is supposed to communicate to people the quality of a building. This would be critiqued poorly up and down the country in any University for lacking effort, skill and consideration.
I would agree with you both, I would like to see the rest of the plans before I make final judgement but I would say that the quality of the image released says a lot about the scheme. Its not about how expensive the visualisation is, using 3D studio or whatever but the effort gone into it.
We are talking about an architectural image that is supposed to communicate to people the quality of a building. This would be critiqued poorly up and down the country in any University for lacking effort, skill and consideration.
#26 Posted by JD on 29 Oct 2011 at 15:42 PM
#24 I do not know if you are dense or deliberately ignoring my main point. This has nothing to do with the talent Atkins has or, judging by the majority of their projects, has not. My point simply is that this image is so poor that it confirms to me that the project, no matter the section or elevetion or plan, will also be poor. Any architect who allows this image to be promoted as representative their project has no pride in their work and nothing to offer. That is my view. I am not South African but work for an English based practice with offices in Glasgow. Prictices is apt, in this case, again in my view
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