Practice to redesign historic square and surrounding streets as part of wider city-centre overhaul
John McAslan & Partners has been awarded the prestigious job to transform Glasgow鈥檚 George Square eight years after its appointment on the scheme was originally cancelled.
The practice has been re-commissioned by the city council to design a new vision for the historic square and around 2.5km of surrounding streets.
Construction of the scheme is expected to start in 2023, a decade after McAslan first triumphed in a 拢15m contest to overhaul the square.
In January 2013, minutes after McAslan was announced the winner, then-council leader Gordon Matheson broke the news that he was scrapping the scheme.
He said he made the decision under pressure from Glasgow residents, who he said had 鈥渕ade it clear in no uncertain terms鈥� that they did not want a 鈥渞adical redesign鈥� of the square, the city鈥檚 civic centre.
McAslan founder John McAslan suggested Matheson had been playing political games in cancelling the scheme, and appeared on Newsnight in an attempt to rally public support.
First laid out in 1781, the square is home to some of Scotland鈥檚 highest profile public monuments, including the cenotaph and statues of famous Scottish public figures.
It is also home to some of the city鈥檚 best known buildings, including the 1889 Beaux-Arts style City Chambers, headquarters of the council since 1996, the 1874 Merchant鈥檚 House, and a column bearing a statue of Romantic-era Scottish poet Sir Walter Scott.
The scheme has been re-awarded as part of the city鈥檚 拢115m Avenues project to create a network of attractive, accessible, safe, sustainable and easily-maintained routes throughout the city centre.
That scheme is itself part of the Glasgow City Region Deal, which will see the UK and Scottish governments each invest 拢500m to fund new infrastructure projects in the city.
Glasgow City Council leader Susan Aitken said the redesign of George Square and its surrounding streets was a 鈥渃rucial鈥� project that will be a 鈥渟ymbol of our vision for the city centre - a place that will be far more attractive to Glaswegians and our visitors鈥�.
Andy Harris, Leader of John McAslan + Partners鈥� Landscape Team said he was 鈥渢hrilled鈥� to be appointed on the scheme.
The Department of Architecture at the University of Strathclyde and the Mackintosh School of Architecture at The Glasgow School of Art are teaming up with John McAslan + Partners through a range of educational initiatives to include students and staff in the design process.
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