Archiprix International Workshops, Scotland National Centre for Architecture Design and the City

Archiprix : International Workshops Glasgow

Scottish Architecture Project – Ideas – Designers

Architecture Workshops Scotland

Expect controversy as young architects let loose on Glasgow.

Why are we spending £1m per mile on a new motorway in Glasgow?

And what is the future for that “useless river”?

Archiprix Glasgow

Last year they ruffled more than a few feathers in Edinburgh with proposals to site a ‘green’ transport hub on Princes Street, now one of the architects behind the award-winning An Turas ferry terminal has Glasgow in his sights. As over a hundred young architects from across the globe prepare to gather in the city for the 2005 Archiprix International, details of a major project they will work on were unveiled at The Lighthouse, Glasgow, Scotland’s National Centre for Architecture Design and the City.

The visiting architects are being asked to look at the future of the River Clyde, and at the project launch one of the group leaders, Charlie Sutherland of Sutherland Hussey, today threw down the gauntlet to the authorities by calling for the M8 motorway extension to be scrapped and the money used to develop the riverside.

‘Glasgow’s development plan currently promotes independent and unconnected zones, and the city’s most the most strategic piece of infrastructure – the M8 extension, which is costing £1 million per mile to construct – is going to smash through the fabric of the city. We believe this money should be used to create major developments IN the city rather than something that passes over it.

The young architects working with Sutherland will be asked to look at the North Bank of the Clyde and to float radical ideas to change what is currently a major traffic conduit, cutting off the river from the city centre, into an artery linking the river to the heart of the city.

Meanwhile another group leader, Sam Jacobson of London based FAT architecture, had his tongue firmly in his cheek when he asked ‘What’s the point of that useless river? It’s awkward to get over, it’s a big hole in the city and you can’t even dump sewage in any more? Is it really sensible to maintain millions of gallons water in the centre of Glasgow?

Seriously, he added ‘it’s time to write the next chapter in the Clyde’s history’

The outcomes of the workshops, which will also see groups looking at the future of the iconic cranes of the Clyde and another looking at new types of accommodation that might be created on the riverside, will go on display in The Lighthouse on 24 June.

Lighthouse director, Stuart MacDonald, said:

‘Rarely do we get the opportunity to have so many young architects from so many countries gathered together in one place. They are being given a completely blank piece of paper to write on and I am sure that their ideas will be absolutely fascinating.’

14 Jun 2005

Issued on behalf of The Lighthouse by New Century PR

The young architects arrive in Glasgow on 18 Jun for the week long workshop programme.

The six group leaders are:

DAVID ZAHLE of Danish architect, PLOT
Alex van de Beld, of Dutch architects, ONIX
Craig Dykers of Norwegian architects, SNOHETTA
Sam Jacob of London based FAT Architecture
Adrian Stewart of Glasgow’s Chris Stewart Architects – who worked on the Titan Crane
Charlie Sutherland of Edinburgh based Sutherland Hussey Architects

Exhibition details:
An exhibition of the outcomes of the workshops will open at Lighthouse Glasgow on 24 Jun 2005

Archiprix International

Archiprix International – Background

Archiprix International is a biennial competition, which showcases the world’s best graduation projects. It comes to the UK for the first time this year and features around 200 submissions from 67 countries across the globe. An exhibition of all submissions opens at The Lighthouse on 25 June. Winners of the Archiprix International 2005 will be announced and awards presented on Fri 24 Jun 2004.