January 21 2020

Glasgow City Council has published its draft regeneration plans for Blythswood as part of ongoing efforts to revitalise the city centre through to 2030.

Designed to improve connections with the west end by bridging a rift created by the M8 cutting the proposals centre on a newly accessible Blythswood Square and upgrades to both Charing Cross and Anderston stations (including new multi-storey car parking) as well as part of a broader package of public realm improvements.

This would facilitate the introduction of pop-up events and shops with outdoor music and light festivals to complement a new permanent music venue at the O2 ABC on Sauchiehall Street.

A key priority of the framework is Blythswood Court, described as an ‘unattractive 70s structure’, with considerations being given to either restructuring the lower levels or even undertaking a programme of full redevelopment.

Among the more fanciful proposals contained in the draft framework is an outlandish idea to build a temporary water slide down Blythswood Street, although this is unlikely to be a prioritised this side of 1 April.

An eight-week public consultation on the plans is expected to get underway from 31 January.

The project design team includes MVRDV; Austin-Smith:Lord and Gerry Grams.

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