Hotel Indigo Glasgow, Scottish Accommodation, Ica Architects, Photos, Building

Hotel Indigo, Glasgow

Waterloo Street Building, Strathclyde, Scotland – design by Ica, architects

3 Jun 2011

Hotel INDIGO Glasgow

Hotel INDIGO

75 Waterloo Street, Glasgow

Design: Ica Architects & Ica Interiors

photos © Keith Hunter

Originally constructed in 1892, the former Italian Palazzo-style building on the corner of Waterloo Street and Blythswood Street was home to the city’s first electric lighting station. The huge dynamos in the basement were switched on just over a decade after the American inventor Thomas Edison patented the electric light bulb. The building then underwent substantial changes in 1930. These changes gave the building its modern grid-iron city centre appearance, which it retains to the present day.

The transformation of this vacant B-listed 19th Century building with its semi-industrial past into a contemporary boutique hotel preserves the essence of the ‘spirit’ of the building’s 1930’s Art Deco & Beaux Arts alterations and additions of that time.

The practice managed to deliver the whole project in just two years, which is the InterContinental Hotel Group’s first Scottish-based Hotel Indigo brand with its aptly-named Limelight Bar & Grill, thanks to fruitful negotiations with the city planners.

photo © Neale Smith

One of the main planning issues with the authorities of GCC Heritage & Design and Historic Scotland was to retain the existing ornate plasterwork of the ceilings and bulkheads on the former ground floor showroom dating back to the 1930’s. We also worked within the constraints of the Art Deco black granite shopfront openings at street level. The planners also agreed with us to remove an existing central staircase in order to free up the ground floor plan and maximise the street activation of the ground floor, together with a proposed set-back rooftop extension, which added a further 25% of bedroom accommodation.

Ica Architects generated a very efficient ‘fit’ between the various elements of the hotel INDIGO brand and the existing building structure by making substantial structural changes to accommodate the cores required for a modern hotel. This was a fundamental move that breathed new life into the building and ensured the delivery of an excellent product for the client, as well as making a significant contribution to repairing the urban fabric of Glasgow.

photo © Neale Smith

Ica Architects & Ica Interiors

“Ica Interiors was established in 2003. There are 5 interior designers and we specialise in commercial interior design with particular expertise in hotel and hospitality interiors. Our work includes new build developments, building conversions and conservation as well as concept and brand development.”

We recently completed a global project with Intercontinental Hotel Group on the re-design of their Holiday Inn Express brand. This included the design of a new bedroom and prototype which is now being rolled out across the world. We are now working on similar projects for a number of the large international hotel groups.

“We were delighted to be awarded the European Hotel Design award for our design of the Holiday Inn Express bedroom design in October 2010”.

“The recently completed boutique hotel Indigo and Limelight bar and grill in Glasgow’s Waterloo street was a great opportunity to showcase our design ideas in the context of a very demanding and unique project. To transform what was Glasgow’s first electricity power station in 1892 into a refined and exciting boutique hotel was a very satisfying challenge. The fusion of period detailing which had been added in 1929 with our contemporary and vibrant style has gone down really well with our hotelier client and the public. Limelight has many unique features including specially commissioned artwork which focuses on entertainers and personalities that have shaped the cultural history of Glasgow over the last 100 years”.

Hotel INDIGO Glasgow – more photos:

photo © Neale Smith

“Another refurbishment project on site at the moment is Residence Inn by Marriott in Quartermile Edinburgh, the first of its kind in the UK. The 107-bed apartment will be targeted at long stay customers. Having just completed the conversion of the Indigo in Glasgow which was built originally in 1892, it is a real contrast to work on this building which is modern and was designed by Sir Norman Foster. The project is due for completion in October this year”.

“Further hotel refurbishment projects are planned in both Edinburgh and London in the coming year. We also have forthcoming new build projects in Edinburgh and Aberdeen”.

“Our connection to Ica Architects sets us apart from other Interior practices. Our combined knowledge and experience of hotel design provides our clients with a comprehensive service. The fact that we are all in the same office and constantly interacting enables us to deliver an excellent and co-ordinated service for our clients”.

Hotel INDIGO images / information from Ica Architects

Keith Hunter Photography
13 Oxford Rd, Renfrew PA4 0SJ
0141 886 4503 mob 07831 117980

Glasgow Hotels