July 10 2025

A community centre in Glasgow city centre is positioning itself for the future as a more accessible, functional and efficient space through an overhaul of its existing access arrangements.

Dress for the Weather and Fiona Sinclair have been appointed by Garnethill Multicultural Centre (GMC) to upgrade the 19th-century Rose Street building, previously used as a church hall.

Works will see the basement opened up, improvements made to the upstairs hall and a new attic floor created to make more effective use of available space. This will permit the introduction of disabled access, improve energy efficiency and services, as well as the renewal of walls and floors as required.

Outlining their developed design the applicant wrote: "Our proposals seek to respond to the Georgian and Victorian urban vernacular as well as the Art Deco Moderne of GMC in the forming of the contemporary additions to the building. When considering the landscaping we propose a confident, public space to Rose Street that differentiates GMC from residential tenements. In the rear extension which is more functional we have strived for a utilitarian, pragmatic approach while still committed to a facade system that creates relief and creates a series of varied volumes and therefore sits comfortably within it’s context."

The majority of the works are planned for the rear of the property, specifically a newly installed passenger lift and circulation core. In tandem with these changes, the basement will be opened up to the street with a large opening and ramp access. 

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