London has always been the major city in the UK, a centre for Government, trade, education, art, and more. However, in Victorian and Edwardian Britain, it wasn’t the only major hotspot. Glasgow actually got the nickname as the “second city”. It was a powerhouse for industry, enjoying a great period of prosperity. Sadly, it wasn’t to last and the city is in the midst of transformation. We want to have a look here to see what we can learn from Glasgow’s sensitive regeneration. Then, if you need help from a top architect in London, you can talk to us.

Past glories

As we said, Glasgow had some incredible golden years. It was prosperous and enjoyed massive expansion. There was a boom in the population, with thousands of people moving to the city for work. At one time it had thriving docks, a number of fantastic tenements, and even a subway and tram network. It got some truly iconic pieces of architecture too, including the Mackintosh Building.

Like many other UK cities though, de-industrialisation was a huge problem for Glasgow. Suddenly things were closing left and right in the 60s, including the docks and tram system. Unemployment became a serious problem. Even worse, the population began declining. As a result, many areas fell into poverty and decay.

Regeneration

The silver lining for Glasgow is there has been decades of work to fix the problems. Progress since the 80s has been steady. There has been a focus on providing sufficient housing and amenities. There has also been plenty of support for the services industry, bringing more jobs and people to the city.

One thing we find really interesting, especially as a top architect in London, is how sensitive the regeneration work is. The goal is to preserve the original grid layout of the city where possible. At the same time, work is ongoing to save and regenerate iconic architecture. The Mackintosh Building sadly falls into this category today after a fire in 2018. A project to restore it “faithfully” is in progress, with the aim of opening in 2030.

Interestingly, Glasgow is taking some inspiration from the development of Manchester. It is transforming with a focus on building more high rises for offices and housing. The key thing with Glasgow’s approach though is they want to ensure no new developments compromise the character of the city. They are careful about deciding what can be built and where. Retaining the cultural value and heritage is a main focus.

Even more notably, Glasgow has a new approach to zoning. They are looking at what different areas actually need. In addition, they are working to avoid past mistakes like allowing large projects in the wrong locations.

Glasgow today is a very different proposition, but it’s become a great example of how thoughtful redevelopment and quality design can help change a city’s fortunes. In fact, it is one of four cities to feature on the shortlist for the Design Capital of the Year award.

Plan your project with a great architect in London

Coffey Architects is the perfect company to work with to develop your ideas. Crucially, you can come to us with bold, innovative, and experimental proposals. We’ll then help you to develop them and settle on a final design that works.

So, get in touch today and start the journey with a passionate, award winning architect in London. We can work with any brief, including planning for conservation areas and heritage assets.