The developers overseeing the creation of an £11.9million film and tv studio at Glasgow's Kelvin Hall have applied for listed building consent to progress the plan.
Glasgow City Council has secured £7.9million in funding from the Scottish government as part of the ongoing refurbishment of the historic B-listed building.
The local authority hope the new studio will attract big-budget entertainment and drama productions. The industry is estimated to be worth up to £500m to Scotland annually, with 60% of its revenue generated in Glasgow.
Gardiner & Theobald have been working with Reiach and Hall Architects to design the studio including production and editing suites, dressing rooms, and meeting spaces.
It will be available to let for independent producers and is expected to host a range of public screenings that aim to re-establish the Kelvin Hall’s primary purpose as an entertainment venue.
The plans state that the space in front of the film studio will be transformed to encourage performance and gatherings.
"The central vault that directly responds to the building’s original front entrance, is a prime location for creative enterprise, gallery space, pop-up markets, stalls, temporary installations."
There will be spaces for live readings, screenings, performances and music, with catering facilities.
Kelvin Hall has been partially refurbished and the western vault is now home to sports facilities, a public cafe, children’s soft play area, a climbing centre and museum collections.
The remaining two vaults are inaccessible to the public and in need of renovation.
Architects say the Baroque-style, red sandstone frontage of the building that mirrors the Kelvingrove Art Galleries across the road, is "of significant architectural value" and the plan will reinstate the facade as the central point of entry to the complex.
Built in 1927, the hall was originally intended to house large scale national and international exhibitions, such as the Glasgow Civic and Empire Exhibition 1931.
During the Second World War it was converted into a factory for barrage and convoy balloon production.
Over the years it has hosted national sporting events, live music, circus performances, carnivals, election counts, political gatherings and markets and was once home to the city's transport museum.
Comments & Moderation
Readers’ comments: You are personally liable for the content of any comments you upload to this website, so please act responsibly. We do not pre-moderate or monitor readers’ comments appearing on our websites, but we do post-moderate in response to complaints we receive or otherwise when a potential problem comes to our attention. You can make a complaint by using the ‘report this post’ link . We may then apply our discretion under the user terms to amend or delete comments.
Post moderation is undertaken full-time 9am-6pm on weekdays, and on a part-time basis outwith those hours.
Read the rules here