May 13 2025

The retrofit of a prominent office building in Glasgow city centre as student housing is taking a more streamlined approach to the street corner with a planning revision.

3DReid Architects returned to the drawing board at 33 Bothwell Street following feedback for their January submission, with moves to rationalise the rooftop extension by removing a 'lantern' corner feature to simplify the facade.

In a statement, 3DReid told Urban Realm: "Following discussions with Glasgow City Council's planning department, we have re-visited the design to establish a simpler and more coherent appearance to the main building frontages.

 "The set-back rooftop additions now continue the horizontal composition of the existing building with repetitive, vertical, bronze anodised aluminium framing to prevent solar gain and control visual clutter. The removal of the corner element significantly reduces the visual dominance of the rooftop additions.  

"The existing regular rhythm of fenestration is re-instated generally to ribbon openings and at 5th floor, intermittent bays are re-instated to relate to the classical frieze and dentils of the neighbouring building on Wellington Street. In addition, a lighter bronze tone to the cladding is more discrete affording the existing stone banding more visual prominence."  

The revised proposals have been filed for detailed planning consent. 

4 Comments

#1 Posted by Roddy_ on 13 May 2025 at 13:54 PM

It has gone from what I described in the original article as 'ugly and badly behaved' to, just plain ugly.
The opportunity for the designers to prove their deftness of touch in terminating the building against the skyline has, alas, been passed over.

#2 Posted by Craigbert on 13 May 2025 at 14:41 PM

Awkward, ungainly and top-heavy. Enough about my dancing, this is a 70's throwback carbuncle contender.

#3 Posted by Lovely on 13 May 2025 at 19:44 PM

More bad sci-fi, looks like a giant built version of a 1960's computer gone wrong, or rather that the photocopier did that thing when it breaks and stretches the last part of your copy into vertical lines...

#4 Posted by Freshly on 14 May 2025 at 10:49 AM

On a positive note - one Starbucks parasite less in the city for the time of renovation.

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