February 25 2021

Glasgow City Council has appointed a design team led by Hawkin\Brown Architects and Civic Engineers to regenerate both banks of the River Clyde.

Working with Harrison Stevens, Urban Movement, Arch Henderson, Turley, Atelier Ten, LLP, New Practice, Turner & Townsend and ITP Energisec the team will create an enhanced green space on the south bank outside Carlton Place, together with an extended north bank at the A-listed Custom House.

The City Deal project will extend the present embankment some 20m beyond the current quay walls along the north bank to establish a series of mixed-use development plots and enhanced public realm.

The resulting £25m 'River Park' aims to transform perceptions of the waterfront, making the area an attractive leisure destination that is better integrated with the city centre.

Stephen O’Malley, co-founding director of Civic Engineers said: “This ambitious project presents an incredible opportunity to reconnect the Clyde with the city core, allowing buildings, activity and people to pivot towards the river and capitalise on this world-class, south-facing setting and all of the vitality this reframed amenity will bring."

Peter McLaughlin, partner at Hawkins\Brown, added: "In replacing the quay wall and creating development platforms with active ground floors and high-quality public realm and landscape, the project offers the opportunity to reconnect Glasgow City Centre to the River Clyde and contribute to the creation of a river park by reactivating the river frontage and making this a place for the people of the city to use and enjoy."

A public consultation on the plans will take place this summer. 

8 Comments

#1 Posted by Sarah Jones on 25 Feb 2021 at 16:26 PM

I wonder if they will include any allotment gardens in the scheme, where people can grow veganic fruit and vegetables.

#2 Posted by Damp Proof Membrane on 25 Feb 2021 at 16:33 PM

Why not just build over the Clyde here, uniting both banks and filling it all in with private speculative development devoid of publicly owned public space? May as well? The building on the far right of the image looks to have a raised ground floor, for ventilation to lower-ground parking?, thus negating any proper connection to the adjacent outdoor space(s). Everything that is aspired to can be achieved without building new huge buildings here, by redeveloping the current width of land with some activity of bars and restaurants if you must, and dare I say it, a south-facing public park?

#3 Posted by Matthew Benians on 25 Feb 2021 at 18:58 PM

I'm really pleased about this long overdue overhaul of a neglected city centre riverside location. The north stretch of the Clyde Walkway is long overdue public realm improvements. In it's present form it's step flights of steps are rarely used and I don't feel comfortable using the riverside path between Glasgow Bridge and Victoria Bridge. I'm not sure what an 'enhanced green space on the south bank' comprises, or indeed is needed? Hopefully the public consultation will assist my understanding.

#4 Posted by Fat Bloke on Tour on 25 Feb 2021 at 20:34 PM

Why don't they just go the whole hog and put it in a pipe?

That is what the did to the Molendinar after all.

Horrible idea -- reducing the scale of the Clyde to the Kelvin in order to gain some real estate that will be sold on sometime in the future.

Not good.

#5 Posted by MV on 26 Feb 2021 at 09:33 AM

Pretty sure I've seen this movie before? In Custom House 1, flying a kite: it starred RMJM and in Custom House 2, thats no kite, its a balloon: it starred 3DReid. Now we have Custom House 3, forget the sky, its land fill: we have numerous architects. I hope that at least one of these leading practices are actually being paid some fee.

#6 Posted by ACH on 26 Feb 2021 at 09:48 AM

Whilst I don't think this is free from criticism, I do think that this is the right direction for the Clydefront. The A814 absolutely ruins any chance of the city centre feeling connected to the riverfront, and the walkway is too thin to develop on and separate it from that god-awful A road.

I think a widening of the walkway is necessary to have anything close to a lively riverfront.

#7 Posted by MCN on 26 Feb 2021 at 14:34 PM

Do we even need the river? Personally i find it mostly an inconvenience. Would be easier if it was a wide mutli-lane road. Or allotments as #1 suggests. Where is the imagination!

#8 Posted by Gordon Gekko on 1 Mar 2021 at 08:53 AM

Look at that, isn't it just wonderful

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