October 28 2019

A landmark Coatbridge church tower could be saved under new plans brought forward by Entasis Architecture to erect a new flatted development within the grounds of the fire damaged Dundyvan Parish Church.

The B-listed has languished on the Buildings at Risk Register since 1995 with a succession of failed housing bids coming and going over that time.

The latest scheme envisages substantial demolition to the red sandstone church and an associated manse, retaining only the tower as an access stair for some flats as well as the western elevation.

This follows the collapse of the church roof and interior floors due to prolonged exposure to the elements.

Justifying this approach the architects wrote: “The scale of the development and its roof profile have been arrived at to reference the scale and ridge height of the old church, ensuring that the visibility of the tower is not compromised and the residential block neither dominates nor is dominated by the tower.”

Associated iron railings, boundary walls and gates will also be retained as part of the works.

11 Comments

#1 Posted by Auntie Nairn on 28 Oct 2019 at 12:46 PM

OOhhh. Oh No. That North elevation. No no no

#2 Posted by Gandalf the Pink on 28 Oct 2019 at 13:18 PM

Just in time for Halloween, plans of a Frankenstein nature. If this is saving the building then perhaps it is better they let it die.

#3 Posted by Kate on 28 Oct 2019 at 16:05 PM

That is an appalling design. Cheap and ugly, with no thought given whatsoever to the existing church. Awful.

#4 Posted by Clarinda on 28 Oct 2019 at 21:02 PM

This is a difficult one for me...

I do want this to be saved and I can see what they're trying to do with the roof to reflect what was there but overall that design is unacceptable. The materials, the balconies. I think it requirers a redesign.

#5 Posted by IndyNoo on 29 Oct 2019 at 08:36 AM

Come on Glasgow designers - what are your Architecture Schools producing?! This is shocking beyond repair. The Local Authority should not even consider this turgid monstrosity and enforce the designers to go and study some precedent before resubmitting.

#6 Posted by Macky on 29 Oct 2019 at 08:43 AM

I get that the accommodation block of the building is not that imaginative; but the wow factor comes with the spire and tower retention. Having the spire visible throughout Coatbridge is important for people.
Lets face it, a large part of the pot of money for this project will be on demolition and retention of façade; which leaves little left for design and flare.

#7 Posted by Jim on 29 Oct 2019 at 10:20 AM

The church will have played an important part in the lives of many local people but is sadly now a ruin and likely to be too costly to retain. The tower however is currently substantially intact and still acts as a landmark and reminder of the history of the town. The block of flats are to be scaled to replace the ruined church nave and are domestic in nature and do not need to look like a public building. Allowing flats will provide much needed homes, especially for older people and enable the consolidation and reuse of the fine listed gothic tower - thereby securing it as a landmark for current and future local residents. The materials and colours should complement the church and include renewables like heat/ solar panels on its large roof

#8 Posted by Jim on 29 Oct 2019 at 11:21 AM

Could the Block 1 not be turned around so that its gable sits alongside the retained church frontage, so the block sits roughly in the footprint of the current church nave? This would remove the need for a detached facade with windows hidden by the church facade. Looking at the floor levels the top two flats could have windows incorporated into the large church window and the bottom flat could use the small ground floor windows. This would also have the benefit of the main block facing south, with a south facing roof for renewables. Could the main car park be accessed from Kirk Street instead?

#9 Posted by HMR on 29 Oct 2019 at 13:10 PM

That's beyond words, awful style, massing, detailing etc etc etc.

Dreadful

#10 Posted by calamity coatbridge on 29 Oct 2019 at 17:45 PM

In scale and sensitive ? Eh, no. How is the tower for access when new build only goes halfway up ? The photo shows an area of ground around the tower. Why not build the new accommodation separate from the tower with a connecting glazed roof forming a communal space - thus respecting the old and creating a better streetscape at the edge of the site with the new ??

#11 Posted by Steven Roulston on 23 Feb 2022 at 12:48 PM

Absolutely disgusting design no thought given cheap and nasty

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