Scottish TV Glasgow Building, Images, Architect, News, Proposal, Project

Scottish TV Glasgow : Television Headquarters

Television HQ Pacific Quay, Strathclyde, Scotland

15 Aug 2007

Scottish TV Studios Redevelopment

Plans granted for Cooper Cromar Architects’ £100m redevelopment of former Scottish TV studios, Cowcaddens. Full planning permission granted by Glasgow City Council for IVG’s redevelopment into 96 flats, 500sqm retail & 30,000sqm office space following the Scottish TV’s Pacific Quay move.

Scottish TV Headquarters

First project in UK outside London for German property giant IVG. Demolition work is underway. The two buildings range from 3-storeys on Cowcaddens Road to 10-storeys on Renfrew Street.

Adjacent building: The Herald building

Sep 2004

SMG Headquarters – information from Scottish Television

Scottish TV has been given the go-ahead to build a new HQ at Glasgow’s
Pacific Quay.

The commercial station was granted planning permission yesterday to build futuristic studios and offices next to the BBC on the south bank of the Clyde as soon as 2006.

A huge glass and steel structure will stand next to the BBC Scotland HQ and other new developments just up river from the Glasgow Science Centre.

The new building, which will have two state-of-the-art studios, will also serve as corporate headquarters for the station’s parent company, SMG. It will be built on a flood-proof plinth and have 60,000 square feet of offices.

Pacific Quay Hub was earmarked as a “media village” by Scottish Enterprise Glasgow, the city’s jobs and development quango. The BBC, and now Scottish TV and its sister companies, have committed themselves to act as anchors for the development.

SMG Television chief executive Donald Emslie said: “This is great news and it means we can get on with building one of the most modern television studios in Europe.”

Planning permission for the Scottish TV HQ was also welcomed by Pacific Quay Developments, the consortium which owns most of the land on the site. Its director Alan Somerville, said: “It is tremendous news for everyone who has worked remarkably hard to ensure that this ground-breaking deal goes ahead. We now move on to the next stage of building the landmark SMG studios with state-of-the-art technology.”

Scottish Television HQ – Building information Sep 2004

Scottish TV / SMG Move to Pacific Quay, Glasgow
+ Sale of Cowcaddens – Building PR May 2004:

Pacific Quay: image from May 04

Scottish TV is to move from its Cowcaddens site in central Glasgow to a purpose-built media centre on the banks of the River Clyde at Pacific
Quay.

In the deal signed today with Pacific Quay Developments, Scottish TV has secured a 20 year lease on a four-storey building to be constructed at the Gateway site on Pacific Quay, immediately adjacent to the South Rotunda and the proposed bridge linking Pacific Quay with the city centre.

Separately, Scottish TV has agreed to sell its Cowcaddens site to Aberdeen-based Scotia Homes, who plan to redevelop the site for mixed use. The Cowcaddens deal includes an area of the site owned by Glasgow City Council, who will receive a share of the sale proceeds from its sale.

Work will start on Scottish TV’s new home at Pacific Quay, subject to planning permission, in the Autumn of 2004. The building will also house the corporate offices of Scottish TV’s parent company, SMG plc and the company expects to move into the 63,000 sq.ft. facility in Autumn, 2006.

The new building will house state of the art studios, edit suites and transmission facilities as well as offices, dressing rooms and staff areas for the company’s 350 Glasgow-based staff in addition to significant numbers of freelance and contract staff. Scottish TV expects to invest approximately £20m in the fit-out of the building, creating one of the most modern television studios in Europe, mirroring that of its sister station, Grampian TV, in Aberdeen, which opened in June of 2003.

Commenting on the announcements, Donald Emslie, Chief Executive of SMG Television, said: “Scottish TV serves viewers across central Scotland, but its home has always been in Glasgow. I’m delighted we’ve found such a prestige site, in a great location that meets the needs of our business and our staff. I can’t wait for Scottish TV to move to Pacific Quay. “The Cowcaddens deal with Scotia, who we know well, allows us to continue to serve our viewers while our new facility is built.”

Alan Somerville, Director, Pacific Quay Developments said: “This is fantastic news. Everyone has worked tirelessly to secure this landmark deal and I am delighted that SMG will be at our waterfront site within the next two years. “SMG require purpose-built studios to provide state-of-the-art technology to fulfil modern broadcasting demands. I am delighted that SMG will join the BBC on the waterfront which will become home to Scotland’s broadcasters for many years to come.”

Martin Bruce, managing director of Scotia Homes, said: “This is an outstanding opportunity for Scotia to launch in the west and we look forward to working with Glasgow City Council in the planning of a landmark mixed-use development for this prime city centre site.”

Leader of Glasgow City Council, Councillor Charles Gordon expressed his
delight at SMG having the confidence to relocate to a riverside site within the city, commenting:

“This is a further boost to the Council’s strategy for the development of the River Clyde corridor, and confirms yet again that Glasgow is a place which can meet all of the requirements of a national business with some confidence. The proposed residential and commercial development on SMG’s current site at Cowcaddens will also add to the growing development momentum which has built up in the Cowcaddens area, and which is bringing increased numbers of residents into the City Centre.”

Pacific Quay, Scottish TV / SMG Buildings information: 12 May, 2004

Further Enquiries: Scottish TV/SMG / Pacific Quay Developments and Scotia Homes

Scottish TV – Glasgow Building
Scottish Television looks set to quit its well-known Cowcaddens headquarters, after the parent company, SMG, embarked on a search for new premises.
Aug 2003

Scottish TV Headquarters Context

SECC Glasgow

BBC Scotland

picture from architect

Comments / photos for the Scottish Television Glasgow – Pacific Quay HQ building page welcome