News:
MARISCHAL COLLEGE IMAGES REVEALED
26 May 2008
Exciting new images have been unveiled of Marischal College transformed into Aberdeen City Council’s new corporate headquarters. Click here.
The images show the archway to the courtyard converted into the new main entrance to the council HQ, a remodelled and re-landscaped courtyard, and an internal perspective of the proposed reception area.
A planning application was lodged on Friday 23rd May 2008 to convert the archway area leading into the courtyard into the HQ reception and to make a number of minor amendments to the original planning permission.
A further planning application will follow at a later date, detailing proposals to clean the building and restore the stonework to the original gleaming granite.
Aberdeen City Council leader Councillor Kate Dean said: “These new images give us the first real hints of what the finished Marischal College will look like. I’m sure they will fire the imagination of Aberdonians, who are so proud of this wonderful building and who have been so saddened by the years of neglect.
“This is not just about creating a new City Council headquarters, vitally important though that is in order to provide our staff with the quality environment from which they can deliver quality services.
“This is also about carrying out a restoration project which will give everyone in the city a Marischal College to be proud of and about creating a public building which the people of Aberdeen will take pleasure in visiting.”
Holmes Partnership's Harry Phillips said "The proposals to be submitted to the Planning Department tomorrow represent the culmination of a detailed analysis of the existing grade A listed historic building, together with the Council's requirements for an inspiring and welcoming headquarters office building.
A key design priority has been to overcome the split layout of the building caused by the access Pend which separated the north and south wings on 3 floor levels. The proposals create a grand new entrance lobby in the entrance pend which both connects the building and at the same time provides the Council with a superb public entrance on to Broad Street.
With the possibility of over 1000 visitors to the new building daily, the development will transform Marischal College from a vacant and neglected structure into a vibrant and attractive civic headquarters."
The scheme involves the demolition of the Marischal College interior and its replacement by a 21st century office building, providing 17,000 square metres of modern office space on four floors for up to 1,300 city council staff.
The conversion will create parking spaces, retain all the granite elevations, and provide a new, predominantly open-plan interior of contemporary, hi-tech and sustainable design.
For further information and images contact John Pelan