Architects Journal – Retrofit & Reuse Award 2024 – Winner
Scottish Design Awards – Retrofit Award – Silver
Dating from 1927 and originally constructed as a Salvation Army Citadel. In 2023, the building underwent a full refurbishment to convert it into a single office development, with works encompassing internal alterations, external improvements, and the creation of a striking new entrance feature.
At nearly 100 years old, the building’s existing structure required careful assessment prior to any intervention. The first floor comprises a suspended timber beams spanning onto masonry walls, steel beams, and cast-iron columns. The roof is formed by timber and steel trusses, with timber purlins spanning between them. The ground floor was found to consist of timber battens laid onto a thick bitumen slab.
The building was found to be in generally good condition, although localised rot repairs were required to the roof structure, several floor joists had been replaced following historical water ingress, and minor repairs were necessary to the external masonry walls. Crucially, the structure was assessed as suitable to accommodate the proposed alterations.
The internal reconfiguration required the removal of existing walls, addressed through the introduction of three new steel frames to support loads above the openings created. Ground beams were designed to distribute the resulting loads back into the existing foundations, avoiding the need for more extensive underpinning.
The existing staircase was removed, with new timber floor joists introduced to infill the resulting void. A new staircase was then constructed along the party wall, improving natural light penetration into the centre of the plan. To accommodate this, the existing timber floor was removed and the steel beams cut back accordingly.
Central to the architectural vision was providing fully accessible entry to the building, achieved via a new ramped entrance to the side elevation. This is marked by a new sculptural steel tower, the Entrance Beacon. The Beacon draws on Glasgow’s rich heritage of ornate metalwork, referencing the nearby Bridgeton Umbrella, whilst confidently signalling the building’s new public entrance and completing the street elevation.
The building won Retrofit Project of the Year at the Architects Journal Retrofit & Reuse Awards in 2024.
