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Hotel conversion back on the cards for defunct Aberdeen department store

November 14 2014

Hotel conversion back on the cards for defunct Aberdeen department store
A long mooted hotel conversion of Aberdeen’s former Esslemont and Macintosh department store is back on the cards following submission of fresh proposals for a 98 bedroom hotel by local developer Castlecall.

Drawn up by Halliday Fraser Munro the scheme will see a concrete barnacle clamped to the building’s Broad Street frontage removed to be replaced by a full height fritted glass sheath.

An existing link bridge connecting two adjoining buildings will also be replaced with a triple deck glazed connection with a street level restaurant facing Union Street.

The scheme neighbours the planned Marischal Square development, also by Halliday Fraser Munro.
The surrounding area has benefitted from renewed focus following Aberdeen City Council's move to Marischal College
The surrounding area has benefitted from renewed focus following Aberdeen City Council's move to Marischal College

4 Comments

Dave
#1 Posted by Dave on 14 Nov 2014 at 12:39 PM
Looks ok, tricky and tight site so not much scope for anything major.

However, Halliday Fraser Munro AGAIN? Can we PLEASE get input from other architects for once. I know Aberdeen is the place architecture goes to die but surely somebody must be able to break the HFM monopoly.
Ian Alexander
#2 Posted by Ian Alexander on 14 Nov 2014 at 13:48 PM
Aberdeen's Lord Provost was annoyed that Aberdeen did not feature in Pete Irvine's recently published book about his favourite 100 places in Scotland. Given that the city is also in the running for the award of most dismal town in Scotland, is it not time that the city made serious strides to markedly improve its buildings and environment.
Shaun
#3 Posted by Shaun on 17 Nov 2014 at 13:18 PM
Ian Alexander.......if you can't see that this development represents 'serious strides to markedly improve (Aberdeen's) buildings and environment' then I am quite frankly, at a loss for words.
Big Chantelle
#4 Posted by Big Chantelle on 17 Nov 2014 at 18:04 PM
@Shaun

I'm sure this work of architectural genius will have the same effect as the Guggenheim had for Bilbao.

On second thoughts.

However, the tourists can take in the cultural delights on Union Street -- amongst the sea of empty shop units you can stop for a cosmopolitan lunch in Costa Coffee. Or why not sit in Union terrace gardens -- in the rain and cold-- with the whirling sounds of the motorway going past.

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