Glasgow's skyscraper vision sparks split over city's skyline future

The National

3 hours ago

Last week, Glasgow City Council revealed its Tall Buildings Design Guide, which outlined areas in the city like Charing Cross, Anderston Quay, Trongate, and Cowcaddens as potential sites for taller buildings.
The guide, which marked a departure from decades of previous rules where building heights were restricted, also provided expectations for building quality, design, and aesthetics.
Norry Wilson, who is behind the popular social media account Lost Glasgow, which aims to document, discuss, and appreciate the city's architecture and its community from the last few centuries, is skeptical of the new guidelines.
READ MORE: Former SNP MP's critique of UK defence review was a missed opportunity
He claimed that there is 'no clamor from developers to build skyscrapers in Glasgow' and that he doubts any plans to build any will ever come to fruition.
However, Labour MSP for the Glasgow region, Paul Sweeney, who has a keen interest in the city's architecture, welcomed the guidelines as he hopes the change in policy will help address the growing need for housing.
'Glasgow has not built as many tall buildings as comparable British cities in recent years, and there is a pressing need to repopulate its urban core – which is the least populated of all major British cities,' he said.
'At present, Glasgow has no buildings taller than 100 metres, while Manchester has 26 with eight more under construction.'
Sweeney added that whilst the principles outlined in the tall buildings design guide are of a 'high level,' he would like to see more of a 'house style' developed for Glasgow.
(Image: Newsquest)
He said that the guideline does try to address some 'fundamental deficiencies' that have 'plagued previous generations of tall buildings' in the city, such as slab form, lack of ground floor activation, isolated locations, and a lack of elegance on the skyline.
Sweeney added: 'I hope these principles will now be robustly implemented and provide greater certainty for architects, developers, and local communities on what Glasgow expects in the design of such buildings.
'We certainly must never repeat that atrocious design of the Clayton Hotel and Virgin Hotels on Clyde Street, which saw their designs diluted to cut costs, resulting in cheap, clunky-looking cladding, a removal of a feature crown structure from the roof design, a blank facade facing Union Street and poor-quality landscaping at the base.
'Perhaps the design guide could also benefit from a rogues gallery of what hasn't worked well in Glasgow as well as examples that we are rightly proud of.'
However, Wilson has said that he has 'absolutely no idea' where the demand for skyscrapers is coming from, as most people would rather live in family homes instead of massive buildings.
The freelance journalist pointed out that back in March, three tower blocks dating back to the 60s at Wyndford Road were destroyed using controlled explosions to make way for nearly 400 new homes.
(Image: Robert Perry)
The four 26-storey blocks and several smaller high-rise buildings at one point provided homes for around 6000 people but were deemed by the owners, Wheatley Homes housing association, as not fit for purpose.
'It's a very strange one because, as far as I'm aware, there is no clamor from developers to build skyscrapers in Glasgow,' Wilson said.
'I mean, even in just the last few weeks, Glasgow's just demolished pretty much the last of our own skyscrapers at Winford and Maryhill because there's no demand for skyscrapers in Glasgow.'
He added: 'I've got a sneaking suspicion this is really just a sort of paper exercise.'
Wilson, whose father and grandfather were architects who contributed to Glasgow and the greater area's skyline, explained that the city's historic height restrictions were implemented by the fire department.
He said that because the water pressure from their hoses could only reach about six or seven stories, they implemented a building height restriction so that fire crews could reach any possible blazes.
Wilson said that he hasn't noticed many people discussing the need or want for skyscrapers in the city on any of his Lost Glasgow pages.
He said: 'Most folks that looked at it think it's the council talking shop again, and unless it gets rubber stamped, it's not going to change anything.'
He added: 'Everyone piles into Lost Glasgow and says, 'why don't they build more social housing' and you've got to point out, well, Glasgow doesn't build social housing anymore.
'That's the job of housing associations and all the rest of it.
'Where the demand is for skyscrapers, where that demand's coming from, I have absolutely no idea.'