June 9 2023

Moves to provide accommodation for 634 students on the site of a historic M&S store on Glasgow's Sauchiehall Street have solidified with the submission of a planning application.

The £76m build, led by Fusion Students and Matt Brook Architect, will retain the unlisted modular Robert Lutyen's facade as part of moves to introduce five shops lining a reinstated Wellington arcade linking to Renfrew Street.

This work will see more recent black granite over cladding to the ground floor removed to reveal the original facade. This will be complemented by moves to beef up the street grid with a vertically accented new build element spanning the full block, rising to 18 floors on Renfrew Street.

Finished in 'stone-like' glass fibre reinforced concrete the 'hewn mass' includes expressed framing around dark bronze windows and pleated solid panels. Explaining this appearance in a planning statement, the architects wrote: "There is a subtle variation in the solid elements of the external envelope, utilising a smooth and textured finish. The arrangement of these finishes is such to portray a solid element that has been carved/ hewn out with a smooth outer face and textured inner."

Resulting depth to the facade will ensure a changing play of light and shadow throughout the day.  

4 Comments

#1 Posted by Lovely on 9 Jun 2023 at 10:38 AM

Kindof interesting.

#2 Posted by Fat Bloke on Tour on 9 Jun 2023 at 11:40 AM

The Garnethill mob will be out in force soon to get it cut in half.

#3 Posted by Great Uncle Beet on 9 Jun 2023 at 13:11 PM

Throw the dog a bone and it will chase it.

#4 Posted by Roddy_ on 9 Jun 2023 at 22:00 PM

It looks a bit like they've been copying out of Reiach and Hall's jotters.City of Glasgow College?

Anyway, the design and access statement is hilarious.... It basically says that we have absorbed all of the influence of the rich architectural heritage of the Central Conservation Area and then synthesised it into a dull gridded fish tank. No art, no detail, no joy - flat roof - box on end - jobs a good 'un. It just looks and feels like more of the same for the City of Glasgow- generic austerity architecture for the centre of Scotland's cultural heart? Sorry- but it's just isnae good enough.

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