Union Terrace Gardens leak suggests decision is near
November 14 2011
Understood to be amongst them are plans for a huge glazed winter garden, designed to act as an all season’s recreation space, which proved to be a favourite amongst the public.
Jurors are continuing to mull over which scheme should be given the nod in a further round of deliberations ahead of their final decision in the next few days.
It comes ahead of a vote on Friday in which Aberdeen City Council will decide whether or not to hive off a decision on whether to proceed with the £140m scheme to a referendum.
Designs are being kept anonymous for now to prevent jurors from being swayed by any names attached to particular projects.
4 Comments
#1 Posted by Scot on 14 Nov 2011 at 12:42 PM
The pictured design seems to have struck a chord with most. It essentially retains the gardens in their current form, keeps the arches but develops over the covered railway line and dual carriageway. Hopefully the development can achieve greater support from all corners.
#2 Posted by Julie on 14 Nov 2011 at 13:22 PM
It does NOT retain the gardens as they currently exist. The level is raised to the depth of the first tier path - so pretty much as high as the base of the arches. It still means the public space will be transferred into private hands, so if the costing all goes the way of the Edinburgh trams, expect big changes - up to and including the sale of some or part of the space. It also does not fulfil Woods very specific conditions for his 'donation' of *up to* £50 million - raised to street level on all sides and road/railway fully covered. There is only one design that meets his spec and it isn't the one pictured above.
#3 Posted by Debra Storr on 14 Nov 2011 at 13:49 PM
It also closes off an existing pedestrian access from Woolmanhill ( reused as service access to the development), removes the remaning view of the listed Union Bridge, and one aspect of the listed Rosemont Viaduct. The arches are reused (good but it doesn't need the rest to do this). The glass worm itself would be a barrier to access from Belmont St, unless it was maintained open but that conflicts with the idea of holding events inside. And as Julie says, the hollow is substantially filled in. A model and selective drawing do not make this clear and Malcolm Reading has failed to answer queries on such (important) details including the formation of an access to the station - one of the few tangible benefits of 'doing something'
#4 Posted by Sarah Glynn on 16 Nov 2011 at 13:15 PM
Do you have to come from a flat place like me to appreciate the excitement of a city built on hills and valleys? The proposal to fill in the existing gardens is vandalism - as well as a huge and irresponsible financial risk in today's economic climate.
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