City Quay, Dundee
The project involved the re-development of the site of the former Panmure Shipyards, most famous for building the RRS Discovery. The development focused around the remains of the Caithness Stone Category ‘A’ Listed Slipway, believed to be that which the Discovery was constructed upon and included what remained of the Category ‘A’ listed Harbour Workshops, Category ‘A’ listed fire damaged Tannery, and Category ‘B’ Listed Hacklemakers buildings.
The objective was to deliver a commercially viable residential waterfront development that restored and complimented one of Dundee’s major historic landmarks. Our client purchased the site from Forth Ports Ltd with a Planning and Listed Building Consent in place previously achieved by other architects. We developed this design, with their cooperation, leading to further approvals for an increased number of units reflecting the aspirations of our client.
The buildings had fallen foul of lack of routine maintenance, unsympathetic additions and vandalism, including a building fire during the early stages of our commission. The aim was to establish the historic significance of the buildings and build upon the features dictated by their historic purpose. Research of City Archives, local knowledge and online information, including previous applications allowed a far greater understanding and ability to highlight and preserve additional artefacts, integrating them into the design.
New buildings were designed to complement and highlight the slipway forming an enclosing side to a courtyard with the slipway as the central focus. They featured a saw tooth roof line previously found in the demolished workshops removed from the other buildings on the site which helped break the scale and mass transitioning from the apartments to the semi-bowed end of the existing neighbouring building. These north facing lights afforded the opportunity for some spectacular double volume spaces within the townhouses.
Existing buildings were based on reviving historical items and integrating them into contemporary yet sympathetic surroundings, by the removal of modern additions and the reinstatement of the majority of original window and door openings dividing the building into suitably sized townhouses and a number of flats into the remaining.
Site wide external design work focussed on creating routes through the site and highlighting the remains of the historic slip, providing in keeping safety railings and a mixture of hard and soft landscaping.
The success of the project was testament to the client’s willingness to ensure the development was fulfilled in a sympathetic manner. We were able to combine micro and macro detailing to ensure the historic heart of the development and its heritage were retained but in a manner that not only tied the various elements together but linked into the overall waterfront redevelopment of Dundee.
The project won a Dundee Institute of Architects Award for design and a Dundee Civic Trust Award for its contribution to the townscape of Dundee.
