A new £200k canopy for the pedestrian bridge over the Forth
& Clyde Canal at Clydebank Shopping Centre is to be designed by
Neil McLean of Glasgow architects RMJM, following a major design
competition amongst architects, it was announced today (24 January
2007).
Neil McLean's winning design reflects a swan in flight over the
canal, with two long cantilevering wing spans emerging from a
central supporting steel structure.
"The winning entry stood out as an inspired solution and an
iconic structure. It is strikingly elegant and
sophisticated. It has beauty with lasting value and will look
well from all approaches, not least from the canal itself", said
Andrew Wright, leading architect and past president of the Royal
Incorporation of Architects in Scotland (RIAS), who chaired the
judging panel.
Sixty six architects submitted designs in the novel competition
- initiated by RIAS and Clydebank Re-built, the town's pathfinder
urban regeneration company - to design a canopy to replace
the existing 25-year old metal-latticed framed which local people
had criticised as being "unsightly".
"We were delighted with the wide response to the competition
from architects in Scotland, from the rest of the UK and a few from
abroad. Many found real inspiration in their design approach
from Clydebank's illustrious past and its plans for the future",
added Mr Wright.
Construction work on the new canopy is expected to start in
August and it should be completed by December.
The winning design could be enhanced during the hours of
darkness through a programme of changing light effects as "a beacon
to the regeneration of the area".
The canopy project is funded by West Dunbartonshire Council
through a grant from the Scottish Executive's Cities Growth Fund,
Strathclyde European Partnership Urban II programme, and
Clydebank Re-built. The new canopy will be a feature in
the eventual link up of the town centre with the regenerated Queens
Quays, the former John Brown shipyards site.
Four designs were short-listed in December by the judging
panel. The four short-listed designs were from architects
Graeme Andrew of ATA Studios, Glasgow; Constantine Koritsas,
London; Ged Young of AIM Architects, Dundee with Arups Engineering
and Neil McLean of RMJM, Glasgow with Buro Happold Engineers.
A two- week exhibition of the winning design, together with the
short-listed designs and a selection of the other entries is to
open in Clydebank Shopping Centre next month. It will be
opened by John McFall MP, chair of Clydebank Re-built on Friday 9th
February.
Note to news desk
The canopy design competition was launched by RIAS(Royal
Incorporation of Architects in Scotland) and Clydebank Re-built,
the town's pathfinder urban regeneration company in September 2006,
with closing date for entries on 17 November. The
judging panel included expert architects and engineers, and
representatives from West Dunbartonshire Council, British Waterways
Scotland, Nelson Bakewell, property managers for the shopping
centre and Clydebank Re-built.
Further information from
John Brown for Clydebank Re-built 0141 959 4380 or 07881 818474
(mobile)