Graeme Nicholls Architects have embarked on a retrofit of a shop unit in Glasgow's Italian Centre, at one point serving as the offices of Page\Park, to serve as headquarters for the United Diocese of Glasgow and Galloway.

 

The Diocesan Centre is the product of an invited competition to renovate a 310sqm unit at 49 Cochrane Street which has lain empty for a decade and is being taken forward by a project team including Brown + Wallace, David Narro Associates and Design ME.

 

In a statement, the Graeme Nicholls Architects wrote: "Our concept proposes a recontextualised palette of materials found in historic churches - stone, timber, brass, and patterned glass.

 

"It was essential to the client that the office avoided a commercial or institutional feel to reflect their ethos of being welcoming to all. Our design makes careful use of proportion and human-scaled spaces as well as improved access provision for disabled visitors and staff to create a sense of inclusiveness.

 

"Key strategic moves include relocating the existing stair to the centre of the plan. This change allows light into the core and also provides a natural break between staff and public spaces. We have considered changing use patterns for the Diocesan Centre, and have therefore designed-in flexibility to allow it to adapt to future needs."

 

The project has already received planning and listed building approval and will go out to tender later in the year.