Campaigners post alternative Marischal Square visualisations
February 11 2015
The visualisation depicts how the area could if greater deference is afforded to Marischal College by tearing up plans for a £107m hotel, office and leisure scheme and replacing it with a more traditional granite building to the south housing a hotel or office space.
Over 200 people are expected at a ‘Reject Marischal Square’ campaign march on site this Saturday at 13:00 but both Aberdeen City Council and developer Muse remains unbowed, insisting that the first ground works are on track to take place next month.
Completion is expected by the summer of 2017.
Graphic reproduced by kind permission of John Martin and Lorna McHattie
A before and after montage illustrating the scale of planned changes
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7 Comments
#1 Posted by Peter on 12 Feb 2015 at 10:17 AM
I suppose construction of the granite terrace on the left of the image is part of their proposal then? Or maybe they just didn't want to show the back of "Markies".
#2 Posted by Neil C on 12 Feb 2015 at 11:04 AM
Jeez.........that's awful too.
#3 Posted by ELLA h on 12 Feb 2015 at 11:28 AM
Aberdeen is such a conundrum... there is A LOT of money and so much opportunity yet it is all so untapped. Everything lookss ten years out of date, their housing generally looks like those awful kit homes that only the north of scotland can produce as such an appalling rate, there are very poor shops, the city looks like it was built of breeze block and most new development lacks any sort of spatial ambition. Aberdeen needs some decent entrepreneurs to bring it to life. IT must be the only Scottish city to actually remain buoyant through the economic downturn, yet it still looks awful. At least with other 'carbuncle' candidates you can see that the economy explains development delivered, in Aberdeen there is no such excuse. Its just plain lack of ambition and experience on the part of those delivering development. They need to step out of this granite cold box and see whats happening elsewhere and bring it into the 21st century.
#4 Posted by Dave Mac on 12 Feb 2015 at 11:34 AM
Good luck to them. I wish them all the best but fear they'll be given short shrift - there's money to be made!
#5 Posted by Methilated Spirits on 12 Feb 2015 at 14:44 PM
I'm sure that the built backdrop could be improved upon but the protest group really has to be congratulated on sticking to its guns on this issue. I was never really keen on filling the Union Terrace Gardens with concrete but here, on the other hand, exists a great opportunity to create a really impressive city square. And of course, any new building should reflect local tradition in style and materials, no matter if granite looks like 'breeze block' to those who want Aberdeen to look like anywhere else!
#6 Posted by taxi driver on 13 Feb 2015 at 14:36 PM
I remember that seagull, i'll get him next time!
#7 Posted by Annie McLennox on 17 Feb 2015 at 08:32 AM
Whilst the style of Architecture is highly subjective, the principle of introducing density to that part of the City Centre is bang on. To suggest that it become parkland is utterly ridiculous, when commerce would bring life and vitality to a city centre that is on its knees.
What is it with (a certain group of) people up there - first the City Gardens project is kicked into touch, despite a 55% vote in favour, now they want to stand in the way of another viable development
What is it with (a certain group of) people up there - first the City Gardens project is kicked into touch, despite a 55% vote in favour, now they want to stand in the way of another viable development
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