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Inverness hotel plan recommended for approval

January 16 2014

Inverness hotel plan recommended for approval
Highland Council planners have recommended that a 165 bedroom hotel in Inverness at Glebe Street, overlooking the River Ness at Friars Bridge, be granted planning permission.

Drawn up by Keppie Design’s Perth studio on behalf of Castle Rock the scheme incorporates a restaurant, bar, gym and conference rooms on the site of a former swimming pool which has lain derelict for over a decade.

It follows prior consent for a development of identical use, scale and massing in 2010, which lapsed earlier this year, but Keppie ‘felt the scheme was just as strong now as it was when it was granted planning permission[‘ and so have left it unchanged save for the adoption of a flood alleviation scheme.

This takes the form of a riverfront block stepping up in height to seven storeys faced in white, silver and grey metal rainscreen cladding.

In their design statement Keppie say: “The design solution to this particular site is to develop a contemporary, landmark building, which resounds well to the water frontage and surrounding context.

“Particular attention has been paid to the creation of a visually interesting feature development on this arterial route within Inverness. The scale of the development respects the context and urban grain of the site, taking cognisance of and successfully addressing both the immediate views into the site from the pedestrian and vehicular routes along the riverside, Chapel Street, and the wider context of the area; creating a visually distinctive building within the site.”

Highland Council will deliberate as to whether or not to give the scheme their backing during a meeting on 21 January.
A feature spire is intended to emulate a number of riverfront churches
A feature spire is intended to emulate a number of riverfront churches
It is hoped the scheme will inject some vitality to a forgotten corner of the city centre
It is hoped the scheme will inject some vitality to a forgotten corner of the city centre

10 Comments

Partick Bateman
#1 Posted by Partick Bateman on 16 Jan 2014 at 13:29 PM
What are you supposed to say about something like this? Fits into the blandscape?
Stephen
#2 Posted by Stephen on 16 Jan 2014 at 13:38 PM
Another awful piece of cheap tat that Keppies will have inflicted on us. Thanks folks.
honestly....?!!!
#3 Posted by honestly....?!!! on 16 Jan 2014 at 13:44 PM
Agree #1, another bland design from Keppie!! Are they ever going to get themselves a decent designer?
Millhugh
#4 Posted by Millhugh on 16 Jan 2014 at 15:40 PM
Deary me. This is on the corner of the old town and they are throwing up a horror like that. White render, right next to the river and Shore Street Roundabout - it'll look lovely in 5 years time with the climate in Inverness, not!
Robert
#5 Posted by Robert on 17 Jan 2014 at 13:47 PM
It takes a special kind of talent to produce work of this quality...
Highlander
#6 Posted by Highlander on 17 Jan 2014 at 14:11 PM
What is it with Inverness? Gateway to the Highlands, yet totally incapable of building anything that even suggests the beauty of its landscape? Who runs the planning department up there and what part of the mid 90's are they stuck in??? We have realised now that out of town campus's (inverness college -windowless wonder), retail parks (two giant telcos) and hotels in middle of no where do not make places!! Plus some really really ugly housing with that disgusting rough cast render that whoever builts them seems obsessed with up there. Someone, please sort it out.
stuart linsley
#7 Posted by stuart linsley on 17 Jan 2014 at 15:38 PM
But you must admit, that the feature spire is a stroke of design genius … in-spired even.
Anon
#8 Posted by Anon on 17 Jan 2014 at 21:36 PM
Have to agree with above comments . The render of the rear elevation is a shocker. Both the render and architecture are 1 out of 10
Flint
#9 Posted by Flint on 18 Jan 2014 at 12:32 PM
'A feature spire is intended to emulate a number of riverside churches'........you couldn't make it up!!
CADMonkey
#10 Posted by CADMonkey on 20 Jan 2014 at 10:45 AM
I cant imagine a more dreary set of images, or deign, for what is surely one of the best available sites in Inverness.
This would get a fail at a student crit.
What has happened in Inverness - everything new is just plain boring rubbish.

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