January 9 2020

The Scottish Prison Service has tabled plans for a new HMP Glasgow on vacant National Grid land at Provanmill, adjacent to a decommissioned gas storage site.

Designed by BakerHicks to provide replacement accommodation for the overcrowded Barlinnie jail the proposal of application notice calls for a new facility to be built with capacity for 1,200 adult male offenders.

Based on a ‘geology’ concept the proposed solution sees a circulation ‘artery’ divide the site by function with reception, healthcare and laundry standing as ‘boulders’ with three ‘hands’ of accommodation fanning out to minimise prisoner journeys.

In their application the SPS wrote: “The levels of the site work well with the geology theme with the entry building cascading down the site like seams in a rock and the landscaping reminiscent of a quarry.”

Proposed materials include timber-effect cladding, photo engraved concrete and coloured render panels.
 

5 Comments

#1 Posted by Laugh.Able on 10 Jan 2020 at 10:32 AM

Hilarious, ludicrous, nonsense.
A 'botany theme' would be more appropriate to the interests of inmates: perhaps a design based on the outline of a cannabis plant.

#2 Posted by Nairn's Bairn on 10 Jan 2020 at 12:10 PM

Planning statement waffle notwithstanding, the predominant theme on this scheme seems to be vertical bars, so pretty contextual to be fair.

#3 Posted by Dominic Smith on 10 Jan 2020 at 21:45 PM

Hmm! Looks pretty much like all the other modern prisons in Scotland. Central spine, accommodation on one side and ancillary buildings on the other with the gate and visit at the front. Nothing very original from this plan but it probably suits the site. Bars won't be vertical (not on the cell windows anyway.) What you see in the concept drawing is the outside of the Gate Building. Not sure this will survive through to the final design for a few reasons.

#4 Posted by Alistair Henderson on 5 Feb 2020 at 10:29 AM

Dominic - you are right and something is amiss here. I have made a Freedom of Information request on this matter. I've been watching SPS from a distance and their estates approach to large projects is unusual.

https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/design_process_for_hmp_glasgow#incoming-1515053

#5 Posted by MOSS on 13 Sep 2022 at 15:48 PM

Hi Alistair did you ever get a response to your request? I would appreciate more information if so, you can reach me on mossgrott0@proton.me thanks

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