August 29 2019

A £140m office block designed by Cooper Cromar architects for Glasgow’s Argyle Street has been handed the all-clear from planners, enabling the project to begin construction.

Spearheaded by Osborne+Co and Scotsbridge Holdings the project will deliver around 270,000sq/ft of grade A office space over 13 floors, providing room for 3,000 people.

Will Hean, development director for Osborne+Co, said: “We would like to thank Glasgow City Council and their planning team for their constructive input, insights and valuable guidance throughout this process. Working collaboratively at all levels with the Council over the past 18 months towards this final consent has involved sound judgement and bold vision combined.”

Conor Osborne, the CEO of Osborne+Co, added: “We are confident that this ambitious development will help Glasgow to fulfil its full potential by attracting global occupiers looking to invest and expand their UK presence and benefit from the skilled local workforce Glasgow has to offer.”

The prominent Argyle Street site has lain vacant for over 20 years.

20 Comments

#1 Posted by Clarinda on 29 Aug 2019 at 16:05 PM

I am deeply saddened by the councils decision on this. This B listed building represents many of the beautiful buildings that make up Glasgow rich architectural character and history.

For whatever reason this building has been allowed, over the 15 years, to lie empty and derelict with no action taken by the council, Historic Scotland or the developer to salvage it to the point it is now 'beyond economic sense' to do so. Meaning, obviously, the only other alternative must be a 14 storey tower....

Allowing this demolition is a mistake, as it was for St Enochs and the Victorian Gothic Christian Institute at 64-100 Bothwell Street.

#2 Posted by hector mcvector on 29 Aug 2019 at 16:15 PM

"enabling the project to begin construction", or to put it more acutely, "enabling the destruction of the sandstone, Victorian, B-listed building that currently occupies the site"

Send in the bulldozers!!!!

#3 Posted by Jezza Alexander on 29 Aug 2019 at 17:17 PM

Council needs to go to specsavers.

#4 Posted by Max on 29 Aug 2019 at 19:53 PM

Will you all stop whinging! This is exactly the kind of large scale development Glasgow desperately needs.

#5 Posted by Bob ra Builder on 29 Aug 2019 at 22:24 PM

C'mon #1 that's a bit whiny. Why do you think it say empty for 15 years +? Building that no longer was suited for the city needs - perchance? Should we wrap it in cellophane as a great example to past year's so so skills and declare it a museum? Another building to sit with you hand wringers list of 50 Union street, lion chambers and the one on Argyll street?

#6 Posted by Jezza Alexander on 30 Aug 2019 at 11:48 AM

#4 Sure, at the expense of the city's rich architectural heritage. One by one these listed buildings come down and replaced by generic office builds the city certainly does not 'desperately' need.

#7 Posted by Chris on 30 Aug 2019 at 13:05 PM

#4 There are numerable gap sites in the area that could facilitate this building.

There's nothing redeemable about this proposal beyond it being "large scale".

#8 Posted by George on 30 Aug 2019 at 13:28 PM

#7 But if you don't own these other numerable gap sites then it is very difficult to build on them. I fully support keeping rich architectural heritage, but I also like to see progress and I think the latter would apply for these buildings which are low density and have looked an eyesore for 20 years.

#9 Posted by Pleasantfield on 30 Aug 2019 at 13:43 PM

Dear me. Same old same old. When will we see a genuinely original and trully different design. Every one from the finance district to this follows the same formula. Even materials are now all the same.

#10 Posted by airdrieman on 30 Aug 2019 at 13:51 PM

#9 yes lets get back to wattle n daub! love a nice bit of thatch myself!

#11 Posted by Whatisthepointoflistingbuildings? on 30 Aug 2019 at 14:08 PM

#4 There are so many brownfield sites which could have been developed and there is no point listed buildings for protection if we're going to knock them down anyway, we don't need to keep them ALL but we need to make better decisions.

This building looks like every other tall building in Glasgow, unimaginative.

#12 Posted by airdrieman on 31 Aug 2019 at 00:08 AM

#11 yes but those brownfield sites are owned by developers who aren't developing but land banking for the future....what to do! Tower Hamlets just listed 37 boozers...you happy with that decision to protect the legal drug dealers?
To be brutally honest it doesn't look like every other tall building in Glasgow to the educated, but those blinkers you're wearing are quite restrictive..

#13 Posted by Bily on 31 Aug 2019 at 10:57 AM

Gutted at the loss of another neglected building. Was hoping they would have kept the facade. Would add a bit of personality to an otherwise bland office block. I embrace progress but not at the expense of our heritage. Would be nice if the office blocks could be distinguishable from each other. It will come to be that you will not be able to identify which street you are on just by looking for landmark buildings. Time , time was called on the brownsite owners to sell up or develop the sites. What is the City Chambers doing about Candleriggs? That site is an eyesore? Drags down the whole area. Either make it into a public square or build on it. Can’t believe that such a prime site is not desirable. I am beginning to think I will not see it being developed in my lifetime.

#14 Posted by Ross on 31 Aug 2019 at 13:09 PM

#13, agree the Candleriggs site is a disaster. Drum Property are now involved and they usually get things done (Barclays, Finnieston flats currently u/c). Stallan Brand are the architects and there was a massing study on their Instagram recently so I’d expect that proposals will come out fairly soon. Will be similar to what was previously proposed I’d expect but it looks like they’re trying to create proper streets this time.

#15 Posted by Neil C on 31 Aug 2019 at 14:45 PM

Positives: Large commercial development adding new life to Argyle St. Stops jobs going to Edinburgh or some out-of-town business park. Site has been derelict since the early Noughties.

Negatives: Everything else. Unimaginative and generic architecture which doesn't belong on this historic street, replaces a lovely Victorian building with a glass box nobody will ever celebrate, should have been built on one of the numerous gap sites along Broomielaw, another example of GCC not protecting listed buildings, another slap in the face for the entire concept of listed buildings.

#16 Posted by Christy on 31 Aug 2019 at 17:24 PM

Why can't they knock the building down but keep the facade for the new development? They do it in London frequently these days.

#17 Posted by Max on 1 Sep 2019 at 01:41 AM

Frankly there are many examples of this kind of fairly average Victorian building all over the UK (if not the world) and more often than not, saving the facade does nothing but leave us with a terrible pastiche. It’s only attribute really is that it’s old. Dem it and Let Glasgow Flourish.

#18 Posted by GMan on 2 Sep 2019 at 14:20 PM

Might as well dem the whole city, seein as more lunatics take erections over 90 degree angles these days than the detail in old buildings, to those folk these old buildings are making the city look like there should be people walking about barefoot in horse waste...

#19 Posted by George on 2 Sep 2019 at 17:17 PM

A really helpful and rational comment @GMan, just dem the whole city. I'll go and warn my mum now...

#20 Posted by Bob ra Builder on 4 Aug 2023 at 17:15 PM

#19 hello George. 4 years and still nowt happening. Anything sinking in yet?

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