Govan Gateway

Govan Gateway, sitting at the edge of Govan Town Centre, both defines the entrance to Govan and acts as a prominent symbol of the urban renewal of this inner city suburb. The commission was won through an open competition organised by Govan Housing Association.

The development consists of three distinct elements:

The Gateway, a freestanding six storey block with rooftop pavilion and garden, set at an angle away from the pavement edge to maintain the view to an historic tenement, know locally as the “Potted Heid” due to the similarity of its granite base to potted meat, recognising that this tenement already formed the gateway to Govan A small square has been created in the resulting space between the flats and the pavement.

The Terrace, a gently curving five storey block adjoining the “Potted Heid”. The granite base and string course of the Potted Heid is reflected in the use of polished block and precast stringcourse. The flats are accessed from a south facing external balcony, the width, design and orientation allowing resident’s to actively use and personalise this external space.

The Crescent, set behind the Terrace and dramatically reducing in scale, this provides a mix of houses and low level flats all south facing with private gardens. The shape of the crescent and scale of buildings create a quiet, intimate space.

Overall the development provides a mix of 37 units for rent, 30 for sale and 12 for shared equity.

A simple palette of materials has been used throughout, a multi-hued brick, polished block and gold aluminium cladding, all used to reflect the materials and colours in the surrounding buildings.