THE steps up to Buchanan Galleries are set to be demolished as the first of a series of plans to transform the shopping centre has been given the go ahead.
Planners at Glasgow City Council have approved an application from Landsec, the owner of Buchanan Galleries, to make changes to one of the entrances.
It was submitted alongside four other applications earlier this year, as the company looks to revamp the centre, with proposals including a new foodhall and more leisure space.
Planning documents stated the existing Buchanan Galleries façade and entrances present a “subdued and somewhat inward-facing aspect to Buchanan Street”.
A letter to the council from planning consultants Savills — on behalf of Landsec — added the plans involve “demolition of the existing entrance steps which are not considered to be well utilised due to their form in the street”.
It continued: “The proposals provide an improved access arrangement into Buchanan Galleries which is considered to be pedestrian friendly while delivering high quality placemaking.”
“Level access is fully integrated, removing barriers and encouraging all users, regardless of mobility, to move comfortably through the space and into the building.”
The letter also stated the design “incorporates informal platforms that can accommodate performance, play, or gathering”.
Images showed new seating and space for outdoor tables and chairs. They also show existing ramped access will be retained for emergency escape, lighting columns will be refurbished and some steps, along the building façade, will be upgraded.
The application added: “Primary pedestrian routes along the building are retained and, in places, widened to support two-way movement and reduce pinch points.”
The wider plans for the transformation of Buchanan Galleries focuses on “turning an inward facing mall outwards”, the plans state.
They add reconfigured retail units that will “greatly increase engagement at street level” and provide the “right space for the major brands who are not yet present in the city centre”.
Landsec aims to create a “welcoming and safe civic space” at the top of Buchanan Street. Plans add the current interior is “considered dated and inactive”, particularly in the evenings.
The aim is to “introduce Glasgow’s first dedicated food hall, alongside other inline food, and leisure uses that extend the vibrancy of the centre into the evening economy”.
Proposals to demolish the shopping centre were dropped last year in favour of redevelopment.
