Paul Stallan Studio’s Commonwealth Games project, led by architects Alistair Brand, Ian Harper and Paul Stallan, in collaboration with the City Legacy Development Consortium were approached by Glasgow City Council to create a masterplan providing accommodation for the 2014 Commonwealth Games bid. The site is located in Dalmarnock in the East End of the City an area in desperate need of investment and social regeneration. More images and architects’ description after the break.
The village site is located in the Dalmarnock area of Glasgow, approximately 5 kilometres south east of Glasgow City Centre. The site is bounded by the River Clyde to the south and east and the Celtic Football Club stadium to the North. During the 19th and mid 20th Centuries, the Dalmarnock area played a crucial role in the evolution of Glasgow as a formidable industrious force. Dalmarnock was an important part of a Glasgow wide powerhouse of the British Empire’s Second City attracting a wide range of industries including heavy engineering. For example iconic structures like the Forth Rail and The London Tower Bridge were all made in Dalmarnock.
The population in the Dalmarnock area rose to 150,000 by the middle of the 20th Century and enabled a thriving community to evolve, albeit packed into “single end” tenements – 118 sq ft (10m2) of living space -accommodating on average 10 people and affording Glasgow the unsavory reputation of having some of worst slums in Europe.
Post war and with heavy industry in decline saw an intense period of “aspirational” local authority urban planning on a gargantuan scale, experienced city wide. Whole communities where effectively cleared. The 2014 Games Village therefore represents a major first phase of regeneration that will address the challenges of the recent past seeing the creation of 704 new homes, a 120 bedroom care home and generous public open spaces. These are being designed with a focus on the long term regeneration of the community but will initially be used as the Athletes Village for the 2014 Commonwealth Games event.
During the 2014 Commonwealth Games, the houses and care home will be used as athlete’s accommodation whilst the open spaces will accommodate a sizeable tented village. After the games the open spaces will provide generous amenity for the community and space for future development of a further 400 units which will allow the community to continue to expand and evolve.
The planned mix of homes incorporates a diverse range of sizes and types of properties that will be important in creating a balanced community. 300 of these homes will be for sale, with 300 being provided for social housing and a further 100 for mid-market rent. The Paul Stallan Studio with client City Legacy has master-planned a real and lasting legacy project. The unique design of the accommodation however presents flexibility and allows for relatively simple post Games retrofit for the Legacy housing phase.
During the Games these homes will accommodate up to 8,000 athletes and officials from around the globe. Alison Shepphard, Scottish Swimmer and Olympic and Commonwealth medalist who reviewed City Legacy’s bid said: “I can see even at this stage that City Legacy’s designs are going to provide a ‘Home from Home’ for athletes and officials. I think that their Games Village design will provide a quality of experience better than any other previous Games I have attended.”
After the Games the masterplan integrates a further 765 additional homes. The riverside site has a diverse natural habitat and will provide an important amenity for the community. The homes will be low rise, with many energy efficient features resulting in significantly reduced energy bills and a minimum 60% carbon emission reduction.
