June 19 2019

Glasgow’s riverfront is set for further dramatic change with the latest proposals to erect a high-rise hotel capped by a glazed rooftop restaurant - billed as a ’node point’ for Buchanan Street and St Enoch Square.

Diners willing to risk vertigo will be able to ascend to a glass-floored cantilevered balcony hovering above the street 20 floors below, a piece of theatricality aimed at driving interest in the hotel and its environs.

Young & Gault Architects are behind the tower, branded Citihome, which will entail demolition of existing heritage buildings at 8 Dixon Street, across the road from the A-listed Custom House.

 In a planning statement, the practice wrote: “As the pedestrian moves south down Buchanan Street and approaches Saint Enoch Square the proposed building will really come into its own as the facades are richly modelled with deep window reveals.

“The building will be a story in stone and metal, and it will be complemented by a small but refined public realm.”

Particular attention will be placed on illumination to maximise visibility, encouraging pedestrian footfall towards Clyde Street in the process by drawing traffic from surrounding streets toward the neglected waterfront.

18 Comments

#1 Posted by A Local Pleb on 19 Jun 2019 at 12:16 PM

So whatever happened to the Stallan Brand project that achieved planning consent for the same site?? https://stallanbrand.com/projects/dixon-street-hotel/

#2 Posted by David on 19 Jun 2019 at 12:21 PM

This is a particularly important site in the urban fabric of the City centre, probably one of the most important applications in recent years.

Why then do we see such poor visual representation of the proposals in the application? Surely there should be high CGI quality representations of the scheme from various points along Buchanan Street, St. Enoch square and the river.

It's very hard to understand the quality of the proposals based on the poor graphic quality of the 3D information.

#3 Posted by Ross on 19 Jun 2019 at 12:29 PM

There are far better images of the new scheme on the planning portal and even on Glasgow Live - unsure why UR hasn't chosen to use them.

#4 Posted by UR on 19 Jun 2019 at 13:23 PM

There is an evening view doing the rounds but this was a little low-res for us to use.

I’m not aware of any other planning imagery but I have requested updated visuals of the latest design which should be ready for publication later in the week.

#5 Posted by David on 19 Jun 2019 at 13:37 PM

@Ross,

The only application I can find for this scheme is a demolition application which happens to include a heritage statement with similar 3D information to that above.

Can you provide a link to the full application with higher quality CGIs?

#6 Posted by IndyNoo on 19 Jun 2019 at 14:00 PM

What is wrong with Glasgow City Council? How on earth can they entertain such mediocrity? I suppose if this the "talent" that is churned out from the Uni's there is no hope...

#7 Posted by Ross on 19 Jun 2019 at 14:24 PM

David, the night image referred to is https://www.glasgowlive.co.uk/news/glasgow-news/glasgow-hotel-rooftop-restaurant-set-16446309.

#6, I have to say I disagree - this is a pretty decent design, especially going by the usual standard of hotel proposals. Not sure what exactly you'd propose doing to make the design better? Looking at the planning portal, the materials they are using are decent and they seem to be trying to create something a bit different as a whole with the 20th floor bar and glass floored balcony.

As for your remark about GCC, I'm not exactly sure what they have to do with it when the amended design hasn't even been approved by them yet?

#8 Posted by Donnie on 19 Jun 2019 at 15:53 PM

@IndyNoo
What are you on about?? Do you know it's not GCC who are proposing the development?? Anyone can submit a planning application.

Personally, from the basic sketch, I think it looks like it would fit in quite well.

#9 Posted by Barney Gumble on 19 Jun 2019 at 15:58 PM

I like it!

#10 Posted by Pedro on 19 Jun 2019 at 17:09 PM

There are lots of images on the Citihome Glasgow web page..

http://www.citihomemanagement.co.uk/citihome-glasgow/#brands

#11 Posted by Sir Ano on 19 Jun 2019 at 17:19 PM

The use of "sketch style" should result in the immediate removal from the ARB register.

#12 Posted by Gee on 20 Jun 2019 at 11:53 AM

If you can't match your context, draw your context to match you.

#13 Posted by Charlie_ on 20 Jun 2019 at 14:47 PM

It's context will be a series of 14-17 floor hotels.

#14 Posted by Brian Sewell on 21 Jun 2019 at 09:26 AM

#2 The proposal is impossible to consider as there the proposal is obfuscated by the architect by rendering both the object and context in an automated sketch world. This does not allow the viewer in, or any leeway in interpreting the proposal. This is either willful for whatever purpose, or they don't know what they are doing. I would tend towards the latter.

Ironically (and they clearly have an irony bypass), the viewer is forced to see the proposal in concrete literal terms, the opposite of the function of a sketch.

In a digital age, the serious question is, can architects actually draw, never mind know what a drawing does and is for?

I suspect that when flesh is put onto the bones, this proposal will be less architecture and more a graphic assemblage of industrialised components.

Par for the course, then.

#15 Posted by devilish advocaat on 21 Jun 2019 at 10:20 AM

#11 Couldn't agree more.

#16 Posted by Gordon on 21 Jun 2019 at 10:23 AM

These architects need to wake up!
http://theconversation.com/glass-skyscrapers-a-great-environmental-folly-that-could-have-been-avoided-116461

#17 Posted by town planner on 21 Jun 2019 at 14:14 PM

Some height is needed here, and hopefully if we get one it can act as a catalyst for future development, interested to see better visuals...shame if it means the Stallan-Brand proposal ain't happening, which was 'quirky' in a good way.

#18 Posted by Donnie on 24 Jun 2019 at 12:12 PM

@16

Its an interesting article and an issue worth considering. I do wonder whether the effect differs between places... and the weather. Is it so much of an issue in Glasgow? Could the benefits from solar gain in the colder months offset the need for air-con in the warmer/sunnier days...(which are probably few and far between in Glasgow some years)?

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