February 22 2021

Carson Sall Architects have begun a public consultation to deliver the second phase of a major residential development on the north bank of the River Clyde at Yorkhill Quay.

Peel-owned Glasgow Harbour and Urban Pulse propose to file a joint application to deliver 410 co-living apartments with rooftop terraces overlooking the river and A-listed Graving Docks spread over three blocks sharing a ground-floor podium providing communal amenities.

Offering a combination of self-contained facilities to attract a broad range of residents the towers will incorporate a top-floor sky bar and amenity decks alongside basement cycle and parking below a ground floor shop, co-working units and a gym. Other facilities will include a cinema, local shop, tool station, launderette, gym, medical, restaurant/café bar, landscaped outdoor amenity space at ground and top floor, all available for use by the local community.

A riverfront promenade will also contribute to the active frontage which in turn offers direct access to the lower podium.

Adhering to the Yorkhill Quay masterplan set out by Keppie Design the plan sets out three nautically-inspired towers are modelled on the funnels of a steam-powered ocean liner, reflected in a landscape plan by Oobe which accentuates the illusion of a ship moving through water by mimicking the ripples and eddies of a ship's wake.

Outlining the concept behind the plans the applicants wrote: "The ship’s wake is a combination of two different phenomena, the bow wave and the Kelvin wake, a characteristic wave pattern behind the ship (named after Lord Kelvin who first explained the physics of ship wakes in 1887).

"The bow wave is expressed in landform to the east of the building to create a double-sided amphitheatre responding both to the building and wider public realm.

"The turbulent wake will be represented in the emerging proposals for the green space on the west which will be expressed through both the hard and soft landscaping."

On the first floor 'main deck' flowering plants and grasses will be specified to appear as sea spray amid wave-like seating and benches. Feedback on the proposals is invited online through to 19 March. 

11 Comments

#1 Posted by David on 22 Feb 2021 at 13:35 PM

Glad to see such high provision of active ground floor usage. However I'll reserve final judgement when detailed designs and materiality are indicated; some other projects by this architecture firm look fairly decent so I have high hopes for this site.

It's a difficult site being cut off from the west end by the Clydeside Expressway, but glad to see a high density proposal on such a narrow strip of river frontage.

#2 Posted by Robin B's Discount on 22 Feb 2021 at 14:30 PM

That looks superb. A great addition to the riverside if it can be developed to that concept.

#3 Posted by Douglas Boateng on 22 Feb 2021 at 14:43 PM

Do you think they could squeeze some allotments in? Asking for a friend.

#4 Posted by Yorkie on 22 Feb 2021 at 16:07 PM

So are Keppie still on this job or was that a masterplan exercise for Peel?

This seems quite a departure from the Architectural theme within that (which had a few copy and pastes admittedly).

Odd....

#5 Posted by Robin B's Discount on 23 Feb 2021 at 12:06 PM

@4 - the text suggests its Carson Sall Architects doing this scheme. Maybe Keppie are the masterplan only?

#6 Posted by John Glenday on 23 Feb 2021 at 12:12 PM

For clarity the masterplan is being prepared by Keppie in consultation with Carson Sall.

Carson Sall are leading phase two (depicted here) with phase one by Keppie visible in the background.

#7 Posted by Meh on 23 Feb 2021 at 13:17 PM

Cringeworthy concept. Also can't tell from the proposal what will become of the highly popular cycle/walking path that currently runs around the back of the site. Is this going to be removed for the FastLink expansion (why are GCC still insisting on this?) and foot/cycle traffic routed along the river front? If so will there be decent provision for both pedestrians and cyclists so they don't have to fight over what little shared space is provided in order to maximise building footprints/car parking, etc?

And has anyone done an analysis on the wind tunnel effect created by towers built next to the river? Anyone who has walked past the Crown Plaza and the hotels by the squinty bridge will know what I mean...

#8 Posted by pooka on 24 Feb 2021 at 10:09 AM

#7 certainly the wind will be howling between these towers with nothing on the facades or at ground level to break it down.

#9 Posted by RabC on 24 Feb 2021 at 16:35 PM

This is too ambitious for Glasgow it will never get built.

#10 Posted by David on 25 Feb 2021 at 12:05 PM

#9 too ambitious for Glasgow? Doesn't say much for Scotland when a statement like that is made of its largest city, especially given that the majority of new building and design is in the Greater Glasgow area. Other more "ambitious" schemes became a reality, I see no reason why this one shouldn't.

#11 Posted by Para on 26 Feb 2021 at 23:12 PM

The mixture and blend of facilities is commendable. #7 is spot on - cringeworthy architectural patter! It looks more like three industrial hoppers.

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