April 6 2023

Revised plans for a giant housing complex at Charing Cross, Glasgow, have been brought forward by Watkin Jones and Hawkins/Brown.

The developer still proposes to demolish Portcullis House, a vacant 1970s office block to make way for high-rise accommodation but has swapped out the build to rent flats and co-living spaces in favour of 765 purpose-built student flats.

The change in use dovetails with a reduction in the built footprint to accommodate more public realm and landscaping, together with a reduction in the building mass.

In a statement the applicant wrote: "Through iterative testing it was deemed that delivering a high quality managed PBSA is the best and most suitable solution for the site, bringing benefits such as increased public realm with a reduced building footprint as well as reducing the building mass to improve daylighting and sunlight levels to neighbouring properties and sites.

"The development will help to create a 'compact city' form which supports sustainable development."

This sees the planned tower set further back from Charing Cross Station while a second tower is removed, leaving only a shoulder element straddling the M8.

10 Comments

#1 Posted by Georwell 84 on 6 Apr 2023 at 15:51 PM

Seems to be the way things are done now. Punt hotels or high spec/rise and then change to inferior student accommodation later. Disappointing.

#2 Posted by David on 6 Apr 2023 at 16:16 PM

Marked improvement on the previous proposals...hope this one gets approval.

#3 Posted by LR on 6 Apr 2023 at 16:41 PM

lol lol lol

lol lol lol

#4 Posted by Roddy_ on 6 Apr 2023 at 20:26 PM

So much for local distinctiveness.

Yet another unremarkable tower design that could be in Croyden or Leeds or Salford to join those emerging at Anderston Quay,John Street,St Enoch’s and Buchanan Galleries. The Bosco Verticale it is not.

This iteration is less bloated than the previous and marginally better proportioned, but the ambition and vision for such a prominent gateway site to the city is still simply not there.

The consultation document makes a great play of how this will be transformative at all city scales including having ‘lively streetfronts’ per the local DRF. Most PBSA makes this claim, but usually have a single institutional point of access and are ‘glazed and occupied’ at street level rather than actually being ‘active’. Yet again, the city’s lack of a proper tall buildings and plinth policy will mean that inevitably we’ll get a sub-optimal product.

#5 Posted by Fat Bloke on Tour on 6 Apr 2023 at 21:55 PM

Filler -- might go as far as saying that it is interesting filler.

What we need are fewer gap sites and more economic activity.

When we get that and some more then we can start being picky.

Glesga had a tower fixation once -- now the "multis" are a dying breed as we move towards a future of cheap stack-a-pleb groundscrapers with pointy roofs.

Consequently cut them some slack.

#6 Posted by Olga Korbut on 6 Apr 2023 at 22:05 PM

Which part of this straddles the M8?

#7 Posted by JM on 7 Apr 2023 at 09:20 AM

Oh my, oh my, oh my…

#8 Posted by John V on 7 Apr 2023 at 13:27 PM

Looks better than the previous red row monstrosity. Disappointing that the BTR is dropped for student accommodation however. What height will the new proposal be?

#9 Posted by Spike on 7 Apr 2023 at 17:24 PM

Architecturally I think this is right for this site but not sure about the proposed occupancy?

#10 Posted by alibi on 10 Apr 2023 at 14:22 PM

The sketches seem to have 'rubbed out' most of the floors to give a (potentially misleading) sense of vertical emphasis.

Has retrofit been considered?

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