September 1 2021

Stallan-Brand Architects alongside Oobe landscape architects have lodged plans for a combined leisure centre, theatre, library and cultural facilities in Giffnock, East Renfrewshire, following consultation with the public.

The replacement Eastwood Recreation Centre will rise within Eastwood Park, enhancing the landscape setting around the C-listed Eastwood House while providing upgraded leisure, culture and education facilities.

Fronting a formal processional corridor incorporating places for play including table tennis, teqball and boules the public realm will extend to an eastern plaza suitable for use as an outdoor events space before opening out into parkland to the south. A total of 123 new trees will be planted to replace 41 which will be lost.

The architects said: "The proposed building will not only act as a mediator, improving Eastwood House’s setting within a defined mature parkland, but also opens up routes and internal thoroughfares across important site-wide axes. The building will be as public, open and free-flowing as possible and is ideally located within an improved centre of the park, with the area taken up by the existing building given back to landscaping.

"The design of the proposed building’s façades, in particular the south elevation, will be light, elegant and as transparent as possible."

The large-scale attraction has been designed to incorporate active frontages promoting through views to a pool, gym, library and cafe beneath an overhanging canopy to mitigate glare. Primary construction is slated to begin by next autumn, with the existing facility remaining in operation throughout until a switchover sometime around 2024. 

Post your comments