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Custom House hotel wins planning approval

October 17 2013

Custom House hotel wins planning approval
Glasgow City Council has granted planning permission to a Hilton Doubletree hotel on the site of the A listed Custom House.

Work will entail the refurbishment of the historic building to form a new bar, café, conference space and offices whilst land behind it will be used to build a 209 guestrooms as well as a number of restaurants, a gym, business centre and conference suites.

Façades are given a strong diagonal emphasis by way of a rhythmed curtain wall and constant ratio of glass to masonry, whilst at street level the secondary Dixon Street entrance is clad in a combination of curtain wall and ceramic granite rain screen.

Babak Sasan at SASANBELL said: ”We are delighted that our close working relationship with Glasgow City Council and Historic Scotland has resulted in an effective and credible response to this challenging site. This will bring some much needed regeneration to the Glasgow waterfront.”
Another new hotel, designed by Farrel and Clark, is planned for a plot to the immediate north
Another new hotel, designed by Farrel and Clark, is planned for a plot to the immediate north
Of built the hotel tower would rise on a gap site to the rear of the Custom House
Of built the hotel tower would rise on a gap site to the rear of the Custom House

15 Comments

:|
#1 Posted by :| on 17 Oct 2013 at 17:26 PM
:(
Sven
#2 Posted by Sven on 17 Oct 2013 at 18:52 PM
While I like the design, the shadowing on the streets below and the square itself must be an issue as the tower and mass will block out the sun as it is south of the street and square...the tower is out of place with the streetscape and dominates the square and the view all the way from Buchanan St.
Flint
#3 Posted by Flint on 18 Oct 2013 at 08:38 AM
I'm sorry - but this is just WRONG!
ooctopus
#4 Posted by ooctopus on 18 Oct 2013 at 12:01 PM
Terrifying.
before:
https://publicaccess.glasgow.gov.uk/online-applications/files/170C2B7510FDA9983CF174D591D0962C/pdf/12_00578_DC-EXISTING_ELEVATIONS_-_CONTEXT_SOUTH___EAST_ELEVATIONS-394683.pdf
after:
https://publicaccess.glasgow.gov.uk/online-applications/files/962D5A93CC283553D94EEA9420095AF2/pdf/12_00578_DC-PROPOSED_ELEVATIONS-_CONTEXT_SOUTH_AND_EAST_ELEVATIONS-394682.pdf
Partick Bateman
#5 Posted by Partick Bateman on 18 Oct 2013 at 14:23 PM
It's a bit too subtle. Do you think they could make it more out of scale and jarring?
neilius
#6 Posted by neilius on 18 Oct 2013 at 17:08 PM
If it is necessary to build tall buildings like this PLEASE think about designing the skyline - and no, I don't mean slapping a logo on it.
Pablo
#7 Posted by Pablo on 18 Oct 2013 at 17:48 PM
Striking, modern, confident, interesting design. I like it.
andysco
#8 Posted by andysco on 18 Oct 2013 at 19:48 PM
I like it. It's bold and reminds me a little of Birmingham's new library. Should be a good addition to a very run down and forgotten part of the waterfront.
wonky
#9 Posted by wonky on 19 Oct 2013 at 20:32 PM
A question to the perennial pessimists: do you prefer the walking dead site ala boarded up somerfields or the proposed doubletree and Hyatt hotels?
These two developments will add footfall, restaurants, bars, tourists, even retail space and improve the urban landscape...it may also be a key step in opening up a more inviting river setting to people- its still a criminal piece of urban planning that we cannot get people to interact with one of the worlds most famous rivers.
In any other city it would be a supreme asset, the jewel in its crown- this is a problem the city needs to solve.
septic
#10 Posted by septic on 20 Oct 2013 at 11:13 AM
Wonky, yes. It's far less offensive as is just now. Even with your apt description above.
Partick Bateman
#11 Posted by Partick Bateman on 21 Oct 2013 at 09:26 AM
Wonky
Looking at the visuals, it appears that the carcass of Somerfield is still clinging on. This hotel has just been shoehorned into the car park behind.
Neil C
#12 Posted by Neil C on 21 Oct 2013 at 12:09 PM
#11 - The Hyatt hotel (blonde sandstone building in the foreground of picture 2) is a separate development, planned for simultaneous development with the Hilton. I agree this corner of the city centre needs both developments to work effectively, but I quite like the Doubletree design, and its black cladding ties in with the Bank of Scotland building at the opposite side of St Enoch Square.

Quite honestly, I'd rather have anything than that hideous Somerfield, and as for the Hilton site, if this is how we get Custom House back into use, c'est la vie.
Enjoy
#13 Posted by Enjoy on 24 Oct 2013 at 15:29 PM
Marginally better than this. Just marginally mind.

http://www.urbanrealm.com/news/3365/Easyhotel_over-cladding_works_complete.html
Senga McSporran
#14 Posted by Senga McSporran on 28 Oct 2013 at 15:28 PM
We'll be tired of it in 5 years. It'll be run doon in 10 and demolished before it's 30.....what an utter waste!
Sven
#15 Posted by Sven on 30 Oct 2013 at 12:57 PM
@wonky

"it may also be a key step in opening up a more inviting river setting to people"

Apart from removing all sense of a river being there by blocking anything south of the skyline and making the square enclosed and closing the city further from the river? Following your statement the best thing would be to demolish all buildings south of St Enoch Sq to open up the view to the river...not a bad idea...

Few cities actually make use of their river, especially in Northern Europe as cities where built away from rivers due to pollution during the industrialization. You can easily go to Vienna without seeing the Danube for example.

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