At-risk building on Glasgow's Argyle Street could be saved as plans for flats proposed

An at-risk Argyle Street building which has been surrounded by scaffolding for years could be saved after fresh plans for flats were revealed.

The new owners of 50 to 52 Argyle Street, a B-listed former office block, want to create 13 flats as part of proposals which would include partial demolition.

Innovative Asset Management, part of Preston-based Bhailok Group, bought the building last year and has now asked Glasgow City Council to allow the redevelopment.

Sitting on the corner of Argyle Street and Miller Street, the property was earmarked for demolition in 2015 before a planning application was withdrawn. A later bid to build 21 flats on the site was approved in 2019, but has not progressed.

Plans submitted on behalf of the applicant by ZM Architecture state the new owners are “committed to repairing and preserving” the building through “pragmatic and careful conservation”.

The project would include the refurbishment of the south and east side of the building while a “new rear element in a contemporary style” would be created to “replace the existing metal cladding and brick section which is in poor structural condition”.

It would also “stabilise the historic defects” caused by water ingress issues.

Originally designed for use as an office and warehouse from 1905, it is currently on the Buildings at Risk register. However, ZM Architecture reports that since its involvement from 2017, it has “managed to prove that demolition was not necessary and the building could be saved”.

The firm believes the conversion aligns with Glasgow City Council’s aim of increasing the city centre population, with 12 two-bed flats and one-three bed flat planned. Retail space would be retained at ground and basement level.

“The works involve some demolition,” the plans add. “The building has already been stripped internally back to structure and made wind and watertight by previous owners.”

They also state, as the building is over 18 metres in height, the “technical standards for fire fighting, fire rating of structure, ventilated smoke lobbies etc and accessibility are specific and become onerous”.

“Due to the constraints of the existing stair core and configuration of the existing shafts, it is not possible to design a compliant lobby solution to fully meet the regulations.

“Therefore, we are bringing forward a fire engineering based approach that maintains the core and original stair but by design and mitigation resolves the issues so that layout of the core and stair can be maintained.”

The scaffold around the building, used for advertising, has allowed a conservation team to assess the issues and survey the condition of the stonework.

It is intended to carry out a “full refurbishment of the facade”.