Glasgow Central Station Renewal

Glasgow Central Station redevelopment, Hielanman’s Umbrella revamp, Strathclyde rail building renewal architects, Scottish railway architecture

Glasgow Central Station

Category A listed Building in Strathclyde refurbishment design by Atkins, Scotland

post updated 15 March 2024

Design: Dress for the Weather

Hielanman’s Umbrella Refurbishment

Glasgow’s Hielanman’s Umbrella could be revamped with new multi-coloured shops and neon lights under new proposals for the city centre, rerports BBC Scotland today.

The covered section of Argyle Street, below the platforms of Glasgow Central Station, last saw major refurbishment in the 1990s.

The area is home to several small shops and food outlets. It once also was the venue for a famous dance music club, the Arches nightclub.

The Hielanman’s Umbrella got its name from being a popular meeting point for Gaels in Glasgow in the early 20th Century.

Glasgow City Council commissioned Glasgow-based architecture practice Dress for the Weather to create a design that improves the “sense of security and well being for all users”.

Shopfront improvements, lighting installations and hand-painted signs are part of the Hielanman’s Umbrella plans.

14 April 2021

Building refurbishment design: HLM Architects

voco Grand Central Glasgow Hotel Building Refurbishment

Works have completed on the refurbishment of voco Grand Central, a 19th Century former Great British Railway Hotel, in the heart of Glasgow city centre. Part of the IHG Hotels & Resorts group, this is the first voco branded hotel in Scotland.

voco Grand Central Glasgow Hotel Building
photo courtesy of architects office

voco Grand Central Glasgow Hotel Building

14 Nov 2014

Glasgow Central Station Building Renewal

Design: Design & Engineering, Atkins

Atkins have completed a number of significant interventions within the Category A listed Glasgow Central Station.

Main entrances from Union Street and the low level station have been transformed in advance of Glasgow’s Commonwealth Games along with the main concourse washrooms in an attempt to elevate the quality of passenger experience within the internationally significant station building.

Glasgow Central Station
photo © Andrew Lee Photographer

The presence of the low level station within the upper concourse has been heightened through the introduction of tall, delicate archway structure which recalls the original decorative gateways and barriers.

Glasgow Central Station
photo © Andrew Lee Photographer

The significance of secondary access to Union Street has been intensified through the introduction of large format porcelain tiles which create a dialogue with the ashlar sandstone and granite of the original building. The large format gates, like the archway, feature ornate metalwork based on the motifs and symbols found in the original station environment.

Glasgow Central Station
photo © Andrew Lee Photographer

Logan Doak, Project Architect at Design & Engineering, Atkins said:
There was an over reliance on complex signage within the station and there was a desire to simplify the passenger journey and communicate important gateways from a distance through material and form. Although significant in scale the new Arch and gateways are elegantly proportioned and delicately perforated, laser cut steel plates help belie their structural weight.

Glasgow Central Station

We have very much enjoyed working with the Central Station team and congratulate them on their success in becoming ‘European Station of the year 2014â€Č.

Glasgow Central Station
photos © Andrew Lee Photographer

Glasgow Central Station Restoration images / information from Atkins Design & Engineering

Glasgow Central Station Renewal architects : Atkins

Location: 79 Gordon St, Glasgow, Strathclyde, southwest Scotland, United Kingdom

Central Station Glasgow

Central Station regeneration project by Gordon Murray and Alan Dunlop Architects and Arup Scotland won a prestigious Europa Nostra Award:
Glasgow Central Station building aerial
Glasgow Station photo: Guthrie Photography, provided by gm+ad architects

Central Station Glasgow

Address: 79 Gordon Street, Glasgow, UK G1 3SL

Phone: 0845 711 4141

Central Station History
Central Station: Blyth & Cunningham 1876-79
Central Hotel: Rowand Anderson 1879; James Miller 1901-06
Central Station regeneration: gm + ad architects 2003

Central Station Glasgow redevelopment architect : gm + ad architects

Central Hotel initial architect – Rowand Anderson

Scottish railway arch building
Central Station building arch photo : Andrew Lee, provided by gm+ad architects

Central Hotel Glasgow completion architect – James Miller

Glasgow Railway Station

Queen Street Glasgow : redevelopment news

Scottish Railway Stations

Waverley Station

Edinburgh Park Station

The contractor for renewing this major Strathclyde rail hub building also worked on the Scottish Parliament, Museum of Scotland and BBC Scotland HQ

A building design by gm+ad architects adjacent to the station (west) is the Radisson Hotel Glasgow, located on the south side of Argyle street.

Historic Glasgow : best buildings of the past

New Glasgow Building Designs

Contemporary Glasgow Property Designs – recent selection below:

Buchanan Wharf Glasgow Office Development
Students Loans Company HQ at Buchanan Wharf
photo courtesy of Drum Property Group
Buchanan Wharf Glasgow Office Development

Holiday Inn Pacific Quay Hotel
Architects: Mosaic Architecture + Design
Holiday Inn Pacific Quay Hotel Strathclyde
image courtesy of architects
Holiday Inn Pacific Quay Hotel

Comments / photos for the Glasgow Central Station Building design by Atkins + Hielanman’s Umbrella renewal by Dress for the Weather page welcome.