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Reinvent the City Centre: Inverness College UHI Competition


By Helen Aird

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Inverness architects Peter McIlhenny, Andrew Bruce and Neil Sutherland consider the designs.
Inverness architects Peter McIlhenny, Andrew Bruce and Neil Sutherland consider the designs.

A FUTURISTIC auditorium and library on stilts, a cultural museum designed to reflect the mountains which surround Inverness and a science museum inspired by the waves of the Moray Firth.

These are just some of the ideas second year architectural technology students from Inverness College UHI came up with when they were asked to design a project to help regenerate Inverness city centre.

The visions formed part of a competition organised by The Inverness Courier as part of its campaign to Reinvent the City Centre, which aims to stimulate discussion on the future of the city centre and push for positive change.

We received nearly 20 entries, the majority based on the vacant eyesore site at Glebe Street, with ideas ranging from a Thomas Telford Museum to a Scottish Museum of Myth and History.

The designs were fun, innovative, imaginative, and above all, represented a catalyst for change at a time when Highland Council is looking to pursue a new cultural attraction in the city centre.

The entries were judged by leading local architects Peter McIlhenny, Andrew Bruce and Neil Sutherland, who were truly impressed by the quality of the work.

"The future of the city centre is an issue we should all be involved in. We need a better place to experience for ourselves and our families," said Mr Sutherland. "That is what buildings are all about – the human experience and the relationship with the bigger picture. It is a delight to see uplifting and exuberant designs."

Holly Fraser's design for Glebe Street.
Holly Fraser's design for Glebe Street.

Taking first place was former Culloden Academy pupil Holly Fraser, who came up with The Scottish Heritage Experience – a heritage museum and hotel – at Glebe Street.

The judges were particularly impressed with the thought she had put into the design of her building, which starts at the same level as nearby housing and rises up to overlook the Friar's Street Bridge.

They felt it was a mature and well-developed design in terms of its relationship to the site and other buildings and admired the use of timber cladding and slate and the inclusion of a grassed roof.

"She is using the roof in a positive way with views of the river – it is almost like a destination people would go to to look over the city," said Mr Sutherland.

Fellow judge Mr Bruce added: "As an addition to the riverside it is well mannered and would sit very well. It is a very strong concept. Glebe Street is a challenging site and this is an extremely intelligent and effective response to that site."

Miss Fraser, who is keen to set up her own architecture practice in the future, explained she was keen to showcase views of the River Ness by including lots of windows at the front of the building.

"It is not too in your face, but it is still very Scottish," said the 19-year-old, who lives at Milton of Culloden. "I am just really shocked to win, there were so many really good designs."

Her prize includes vouchers for the Eastgate Shopping Centre and paid work experience with Mr Sutherland's practice MAKAR, based at Torbreck, which specialises in the use of local timber and natural materials.

Keith St Lawrence's design for Bank Street.
Keith St Lawrence's design for Bank Street.

Fourth year student Keith St Lawrence (21) was highly commended by the judges for his redesign of Moray House, Bank Street, into a boutique hotel with underground parking.

As a fourth year student, the judges felt his extra years on the other students who entered the competition put him in a different category, with the concept and development process more detailed and refined.

"One of the tricks of the trade is to focus on one or two things and do them really well, to stick with them and work through to completion," said Mr Sutherland. "If you look at this, you could actually build it now and you can only do that when you have gone through a long process of development."

He praised the quality and finish of the design, which fits in well with the existing streetscape.

"It is a challenging site and this design is well behaved and distinctive at the same time," added Mr Bruce.

Mr McIlhenny, who is president of the Inverness Architectural Association, continued: "On a practical level it is good to see someone do a Barcelona on parking and shoving it underground."

Tibor Bandula, who designed a bold library, auditorium and hotel, and Rory MacFarlane, who created a library and cultural centre, were commended.

Tibor Bandula's bold statement building.
Tibor Bandula's bold statement building.

The judges loved the bold design Mr Bandula chose for his building at Glebe Street.

The copper-cladded building is raised on stilts to protect it from flooding and features rugged lines of curtain glazing inspired by the mountains around Inverness.

"The lines connect the most used areas of the building, which need the most light, and are designed to create different views and stimulate different emotions throughout the building," said Mr Bandula (25), a time-served painter and decorator who lives in Douglas Street, Nairn. "I really wanted to create a building that stood out and was iconic."

The judges described it as a "big statement" building.

"We like it for its slap in the face quality," said Mr McIlhenny. "It is like it has fallen out of an aeroplane, landed and cracked. It is quite a cute little design."

Mr Bruce described the internal design as mature, clever and contemporary. "This is a bold statement and when it is a major public building, there is an argument for that."

Rory MacFarlane's building, inspired by a stack of books.
Rory MacFarlane's building, inspired by a stack of books.

Meanwhile, it was the narrative behind Mr MacFarlane's design for a library and cultural hub at Glebe Street which impressed the judges. "I started off with a stack of books in my head as it is an awkward shaped site," said the 40-year-old of Columba Road, Dalneigh. "I thought it would work and it just developed from there."

The south-west facing stepped design makes the most of natural sunlight and the view of the River Ness. "Altogether it is a very good design," said Mr McIlhenny. "It has started off with a very strong literal idea of books and has been taken all the way through to the building materials. It also shoulders into the site and sits in it rather than consumes it."

In particular, he liked that the 40-year-old joiner and carpenter by trade had started with a much bigger idea, which included climbable external walls.

"You should always start at the extreme end of an idea and then work back if you have to rather than starting at mediocre and never getting beyond it," he said.

All the designs – featured below – are now on display in the Eastgate Shopping Centre, near the Falcon Square entrance, until Friday 26th June.

We would love to know what you think. Please get in touch. Post a comment, email editorial@inverness-courier.co.uk, or tweet @InvCourier using #reinventinverness.

The Students

Adam Wylie – Library, auditorium and hotel, Glebe Street.

Adam Wylie
Adam Wylie

Adam Wylie

Chloe Marks – Cultural museum, Glebe Street.

Chloe Marks
Chloe Marks

Chloe Marks

Chris MacLean – Historic Highland Museum, Glebe Street.

Chris MacLean
Chris MacLean

Chris MacLean

Chris Treadgold – Inverness Science Museum, Glebe Street.

Chris Treadgold
Chris Treadgold

Chris Treadgold

Holly Fraser – The Scottish Heritage Experience.

Holly Fraser
Holly Fraser

Holly Fraser

Jack Thomson – Civic Centre, Glebe Street.

Jack Thomson
Jack Thomson

Jack Thomson

Jordan Black – Science Museum, Glebe Street.

Jordan Black
Jordan Black

Jordan Black

Michael Cumming – Highland Heritage Museum and Water of Life Hotel, Glebe Street.

Michael Cumming
Michael Cumming

Michael Cumming

Michael van't Zand – Museum of Scottish Science and Inventors, Glebe Street.

Michael van't Zand
Michael van't Zand

Michael van't Zand

Oliver Tinsley – Inverness civic library and music venue, Glebe Street.

Oliver Tinsley
Oliver Tinsley

Oliver Tinsley

Patryk Miszczuk – Thomas Telford Library, Glebe Street.

Patryk Miszczuk
Patryk Miszczuk

Patryk Miszczuk

Rory MacFarlane – Inverness library and cultural hub, Glebe Street.

Rory MacFarlane
Rory MacFarlane

Rory MacFarlane

Shannon Henderson – The National Gaelic Library of Scotland.

Shannon Henderson
Shannon Henderson

Shannon Henderson

Tibor Bandula – Library, auditorium and hotel, Glebe Street; Redevelopment of Castle Road.

Tibor Bandula
Tibor Bandula

Tibor Bandula

Tibor Bandula

Keith St Lawrence – Redevelopment of Moray House, Bank Street, to hotel.

Keith St Lawrence
Keith St Lawrence
Keith St Lawrence Design Bank Street
Keith St Lawrence Design Bank Street

Ryan Hislop – Museum of Energy and Technology, Glebe Street.

Ryan Hislop
Ryan Hislop

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