Glasgow Hielanman's Umbrella to be refurbished for first time in two decades

An area outside Glasgow Central Station is set to be refurbished for the first time in over two decades.

The Hielanman’s Umbrella, a covered section of Argyle Street directly below the station, will be redesigned to improve the “sense of security and wellbeing for all users”.

The stretch is home to small shops and restaurants and Platform, the street foot and events venue previously The Arches nightclub.

New shopfronts, neon artworks and animated lighting has been proposed as part of the overhaul.

Glasgow City Council previously drew up a brief asking for design proposals that would make the area more vibrant and attract more footfall to support businesses.

Plans to transform the Hielanman’s Umbrella Glasgow City Council/Dress for the Weather

Instead of “permanent, hard landscaping” interventions they asked for the focus to be put on “softer, cultural interventions”.

The local authority has now commissioned Dress for the Weather to take on project.

Their proposals include removing existing signage and adding hand-painted signs at either side of the Central Station sign.

Shopfronts will be transformed by a new red, blue and green colour scheme and new hand-painted signs.

The current shopfronts were installed in the late 1990’s as part of a regeneration strategy that upgraded the lighting, shopfronts and streetscape.

New lighting will be used to create a more “accessible and evenly lit road and streetway”.

Heritage features will be “enhanced” with “animated lighting” to the overhead steel girders and beams. The new sings to the East and West of the area will also be lit up.

Updated shopfronts proposed Glasgow City Council/Dress for the Weather

A number of neon artworks are proposed to sit at a high level between the shop units with the collections currently being curated in collaboration with Sculpture Placement Group.

The plans will now go before Glasgow City Council.