Contractor appointed for Highland Council offices
February 12 2013
The scheme, drawn will see the existing listed council building, dating back to the 1860s, demolished to make way for 24,000sq/ft of contemporary office space. This will be arranged over three floors and incorporate the authority’s education, culture, social care and sport departments which are currently scattered throughout the town.
Clad in timber to the rear, with stone and glazing applied to the prominent frontage, the scheme will be dominated by a feature clock tower. The consolidation exercise will also incorporate the façade of the curved Stafford Place Buildings which adjoin the site and forms an integral part of Wick’s historic High Street.
David Sutherland, Project Manager at The Highland Council, said: “The development has been a long time in the planning and will deliver a state of the art facility for the Council to do its business with its customers, whilst ensuring efficient use of resources both in buildings and staff. The location is central to maintaining not only the viability of the town centre but also that of neighbouring businesses that depend on Council staff for much of their trade.”
The design for the new Wick Council offices was prepared by the Highland Council's in house architect team, with JM Architects providing Morgan Sindall with technical design development. It is scheduled for completion in autumn 2014 and aims to achieve a BREEAM excellent rating.
An unpreposessing historic building, pictured in the foreground, will be demolished
The scheme will create a new civic heart for the town
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5 Comments
#1 Posted by Physics Is Fun on 12 Feb 2013 at 16:39 PM
Love the free-floating clock.
#2 Posted by Egbert on 13 Feb 2013 at 12:44 PM
Pretty good stuff - well done Highland Council.
#3 Posted by Auld Cynic on 13 Feb 2013 at 13:45 PM
This is really very odd, is it not?
A bizarrely graphic concoction of mixed languages and metaphor? Asplund, Terrangi and maybe even Moneo; all attempting to give civic gravitas to local authority, but telling us what about its inner workings? Nothing?
Maybe a plan and section would help explain this icy (im)perfection, but then again maybe not?
A bizarrely graphic concoction of mixed languages and metaphor? Asplund, Terrangi and maybe even Moneo; all attempting to give civic gravitas to local authority, but telling us what about its inner workings? Nothing?
Maybe a plan and section would help explain this icy (im)perfection, but then again maybe not?
#4 Posted by a Forbes on 14 Feb 2013 at 13:26 PM
This scheme reminds me of a poor mans version of Aarhus Town Hall by Arne Jacobsen. http://www.flickr.com/photos/jaedde/438981815/
#5 Posted by shiny beast on 14 Feb 2013 at 16:59 PM
that clock'll last 5mins in the windspeeds of Caithness or flights of young seagulls
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