October 4 2022

Wasps Studios is to undertake a significant refurbishment of their Briggait headquarters, an A-listed market hall complex in Glasgow, after being awarded £1.6m of regeneration funding.

Working with Collective Architecture, David Narro, Rybka and Doig & Smith, the workshops and artists' studio provider will carry out roof and fabric repairs as well as deliver a new extension.

Reorientating the halls back towards the River Clyde, the work complements earlier phases of refurbishment by bringing the remainder of the site back into use.

Work will focus on the creation of a new entrance and cafe off Clyde Street, utilising the ornate 1873 main facade, while a derelict corner block is to be refurbished as a standalone microbrewery or office. Between these elements, a central gap site will be framed by a gated steel colonnade to provide a secondary entrance.

In a statement Collective wrote: "It is proposed that a new contemporary steel colonnade is introduced to define the boundary of the gap site, strengthening and reinstating the historic building line of where a tenement once sat. The use of steel is proposed as a contemporary reference to the impressive historic roof structures of the halls."

Later halls dating from 1889 and 1904 will be refurbished to operate as separate or linked venues by way of a sliding partition, permitting their use as a marketplace or modular workspaces. A modest extension will underpin these activities by providing access to both halls.

Collective added: "It is proposed that the new extension is formed by a partially expressed cranked column arrangement with a facade of curtain walling providing opportunities for visual connections between the interior of the halls and Clyde Street. The cranked columns are proposed to stop short of the existing structure with a long roof-light bridging the gap creating a light touch connection between old and new whilst bringing natural daylight deeper into the plan."

Extensive glazing within this new circulation space will orient visitors by providing glimpses of the interior courtyard and main halls.  

11 Comments

#1 Posted by The Heart of Saturday Night on 4 Oct 2022 at 12:08 PM

Would be nice to see a visual that isn't riddled with hipsters, but there you go.

#2 Posted by Realist on 4 Oct 2022 at 13:41 PM

My personal favourite is backwards-hat-ketchup-dude.

#3 Posted by Mick on 4 Oct 2022 at 16:12 PM

Yep. One person of colour and nobody over the age of 30.

#4 Posted by Hipster on 4 Oct 2022 at 21:58 PM

If these people are hipsters then i am much hipper than i thought!

If it's a competition i spotted - 4 persons of colour, 1 Gary Barlow imitator, 1 curious cyclist possibly attempting a wheelie whilst riding the wrong way down a one way street, 1 application of tomato ketchup...

#5 Posted by Gandalf the Pink on 4 Oct 2022 at 22:23 PM

One person of colour???

#6 Posted by Hash on 5 Oct 2022 at 10:26 AM

Looks great. All they need to do now is to convert the unused half of the railway line above into a Glasgow ‘high line’, which could extend down to Lauriston/Gorbals and even down to Govanhill if a bit more creativity was used. Would be a unique and interesting green space, and would encourage people south of the river

#7 Posted by David on 5 Oct 2022 at 12:30 PM

#6 that line (the City Union line) is earmarked for part of the Glasgow Metro project. But a highline park space would be great for any parts that won't be utilised.

#8 Posted by Mick on 5 Oct 2022 at 13:40 PM

Being serious though, it looks good. Let’s hope it’s a goer

#9 Posted by Mack on 5 Oct 2022 at 19:27 PM

Being really serious though, it doesn't look good. It's a wishy washy nonsense.

Throw In a farmers market, some random assortment of nonsense acts being carried out by a disparate group of ages, a hot dog being deep throated and smiles all round.

Ita a vanity few images and nothing more.

#10 Posted by Fireman Samson on 5 Oct 2022 at 19:31 PM

Some of the most horrendous photoshopping I've ever seen.

Either show shadows or don't, but if you must insist with whatever this style is, be consistent and at least get the angles and positions right.

#11 Posted by Tammy Scoosh on 7 Oct 2022 at 20:33 PM

The first 2x images are drier than a bag of sand, but the final image is juicy

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