Watt Brothers, Glasgow
Glasgow
A Heritage Led Hotel Redevelopment and a Landmark Legacy
Type
Lifestyle Hotel
Client
confidential
Status
On the drawing board
Glasgow’s former Watt Brothers department store is set for a bold transformation and a vibrant new chapter. This historic building will be reinvented as a 100-bed lifestyle hotel with a design focused on heritage and guest experience. An Application for Planning has been submitted for the design proposals to re-use and adapt this important example of Glasgow's built heritage.
Our approach has been very strongly to work with this building and not against it. A considered critical analysis of the architectural structure of the existing building fabric led us to a spatial design with a very selective intervention strategy. Retention and reuse with creative design and the addition of operational and functional excellence. By preserving classical façades, Art Deco details, and the original fundamental architectural anatomy, the design delivers a distinctive identity.
Adaptive Reuse
At street level, a warm and inviting hotel entrance, retail spaces and vibrant interiors will reintroduce movement and create a more engaging and attractive edge to the surrounding streets. This will increase visibility, support revenue generation and encourage guests and city visitors. Internally, layouts are optimised for operational flow, guest experience, reflecting the building’s heritage and providing flexibility for future change or operational needs.
Landmark Legacy
This is a considered repositioning of a landmark building, and a demonstration of how historic assets can be reactivated to deliver a compelling hotel offer.
This is a confident, future facing revival that secures the legacy of one of Glasgow’s most well known buildings.
"Ica’s collaborative, responsive approach, combined with a thoughtful interpretation of our vision, has brought new life to such an important and sensitive building."
THAT Group
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