By Ken Hutcheon.
People will be aware that there is a major development being proposed where the old council buildings are being demolished at Broad Street.
Several hundred went to see the exhibitions by MUSE (the developers) and indeed many put in their comments and often objections to the plans they saw.
The final plans have now been submitted to Aberdeen Council to obtain approval.
Unfortunately, in my opinion, MUSE did not take those approx. 1100 comments and objections into account when arriving at their final design. (See the web site below for a breakdown of the feedback responses given to MUSE at the first exhibitions). So now is the time to make your comments or objections really count.
A website has been set up at www.marischalsquare.weebly.com which shows the wonderful perspective in Central Aberdeen we are about to lose for generations unless you object by following the links on the web site which will take you through to Aberdeen City Planning.
There you can view the latest plans and make comments or objections to the plans online while on their site. These comments/objections will form part of the report which will go to Aberdeen City Planning Committee and have to be taken into account when the Council make their final decision on the plans.
After some correspondence with Aberdeen City the cut off date for objections or comments has been changed from 06/06/2014 to 18/06/2014 so there is time to lodge your comments on the plans.
- Comments enabled – see comments box below. Note, all comments will be moderated.
Please don’t spoil the beautiful view of Marischal College with more glass boxes on pillars just like the ones you’ve pulled down. They will look dated in no time and we’ll be back here again arguing about plans. Provost Skene’s house and Marischal College need space around them to appreciate their stunning architecture. Save the proposed plan for a location more fitting. Tourists will never come to Aberdeen for office blocks and shops, they’re looking for a bit of history and culture.
Sheila is completely correct with her comment and I wholeheartedly agree.
Something I thought about when I’ve seen the artist impressions online in the E&E, is that with the proposed concrete buildings on the west side of Broad Street being as tall and wide as they are, how can the pictures be so sunny. In reality as the sun passes from east to west, even on a clear summer’s day there will be a lot of shadow, just like we had when Aberdeen Shifty Council (IMHO) was in St Nicholas House. During the winter Broad Street will be dark, dingy and unwelcoming, perhaps becoming like the top deck of the St Nicholas Shopping Centre.
I quite agree Sheila. I’m sure future generations of Aberdonians will look back say (not for the first time): what an opportunity missed. It’s high time Provost Skene’s house comes back into the consciousness of “everyday” Aberdeen environment.
For the record, I am NOT Aberdonian but have lived here for the last 35+ years. I am a ‘teuchter’ from Inverurie and to be honest in all of my time here I cannot really remember having feelings of pride of being in this city which I call home. Sure – we’re the ‘oil capital of Europe’ etc etc but you’d hardly know it. I’ve also travelled to many cities in Europe and America and been blown away by some of the most beautiful architecture you cud ever wish to see……… and with that in mind, I TOTALLY remember the first time I looked up Upperkirkgate as I was crossing the street and I literally caught my breath on seeing, for the first time, Marischal College in ALL of it’s glory, in the sunshine …. For the first time EVER I felt pride in this city – and was moved to tears by the beauty and impact and sheer majesty of what I saw!!! And every time I cross that street I look up and never cease to be amazed. PLEASE – do not build yet ANOTHER ‘modern’ glass monstrosity that is going to hide this amazing building!! Let it be seen! Marischal College is something that we should be celebrating and promoting for our tourists and visitors to Aberdeen!! It IS a masterpiece!!
I agree with all the comments about opening up the views to Marischal College and to Provost Skene’s House but the thing that really bothers me is the deliberate misinformation (at best) put forward by the developers, backed by the City Council. They state in their blurb that the new building will be significantly lower than St Nichols House – wrong. It will be lower than the tower block of St Nicks, but the part of St Nick’s which was opposite Marischal College was only three stories high. This new build, positioned closer to Marischal than St Nicks, will be eight to nine stories high, almost three times the height of the previous building. They also state that there will be no real problem with wind – again wrong. It was interesting to note that the most damage to the temporary covering to the tower block was on the lowest five floors, the area where wind turbulence is at its worst. This new build will extend that very real problem all the way accross to Upper Kirkgate. I think the Councillors need to be given a chance to see on site, the actual distances involved and the heights involved before this thing goes any further. Aberdeen is rapidly turning into the laughing stock of Scotland, where it could have so much to offer but continually delivers disasters.