Millport town hall rejuvenation makes a grand entrance
June 11 2020
Full details of the long-awaited refurbishment of Millport town hall have been published, the culmination of concerted efforts by the Friends of Millport Town Hall to find a new use for the 1878 landmark.
Serving as the civic heart of the Isle of Cumbrae until 2012 the unlisted building has swiftly deteriorated to the point where it now languishes on the Buildings at Risk Register. Now O'DonnellBrown Architects have authored detailed plans to renovate the structure to serve as a community hub once again.
Located on the junction with Clifton Street and Howard Street in the historic town centre the hall comprises three attached buildings, creating a confusion of entrances and level changes.
Planned works will rationalise access while permitting the use of the main hall as a concert and performance venue, capable of hosting weddings and conferences. Three holiday flats will also be provided on the second floor with a heritage centre situated in the basement.
Key to ensuring these spaces will be fully functional is a double-height entrance foyer flanked by generous south-facing vertical windows to flood the space with light. This will lead on into a triple-height stair atrium to provide a dramatic entrance to the main hall.
This signature volume will be sensitively handled by stripping back a suspended ceiling to reveal previously hidden roof trusses. Blocked window openings will also be revealed again to maximise light and space.
As part of the work, exterior stonework will be cleaned and restored to bring the hall back to its former glory.
The main hall will return to its historic proportions
A commnty hub will foster social connections within the isolated community
A start n-site is expected to be made by early 2021 for completion a year later
A voluminous entrance hall is scaled to impress
Lack of maintenance has brought inevitable decay to the structure
The revamped hall will serve as a hub for the islands tourism economy
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5 Comments
#1 Posted by R J Bennett on 11 Jun 2020 at 13:45 PM
Cool design. The use of the word 'author' as a verb is odd why not 'architect'.
#2 Posted by Mary Hill on 12 Jun 2020 at 13:48 PM
Very nice indeed
#3 Posted by Philip on 13 Jun 2020 at 10:09 AM
The interior volumes/ images are lovely however the relationship between the facade of the element and the existing is clumsy...at best.
What is the rationale behind the material selection?
What is the rationale behind the material selection?
#4 Posted by modernish on 19 Jun 2020 at 17:13 PM
Grim wee brick box. Nice bleached out visuals they may be, but the substance is poor.
#5 Posted by John Glenday on 21 Jul 2020 at 13:25 PM
Hi Philip - I have this thinking behind the materials selection provided by the architect:
'The materials proposed for the new east elevation (light grey brick, concrete, timber and metal) are all robust and complementary of the existing palette. They provide a contrast to avoid pastiche, ultimately seeking to unify the building without pretending it was always that way.
'The scheme aims to create rational, hard-working spaces for a variety of uses, while also allowing for intuitive movement around the building, with carefully crafted architectural moments.'
'The materials proposed for the new east elevation (light grey brick, concrete, timber and metal) are all robust and complementary of the existing palette. They provide a contrast to avoid pastiche, ultimately seeking to unify the building without pretending it was always that way.
'The scheme aims to create rational, hard-working spaces for a variety of uses, while also allowing for intuitive movement around the building, with carefully crafted architectural moments.'
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