New Rotterdam Wharf

The design proposal for New Rotterdam Wharf is an amalgamation of key elements found within the Scottish Opera visitor experience. It takes shape through the form of the classic theatre experience. Breaking down the key elements, spaces and components a user would expect to experience when attending the theatre and translating them into the journey explored on site.

The site is split into six typologies, including foyer, auditorium, café, wings, back of house and the Gods. Working across different levels, they create spaces for everyday activities and public circulation, ensuring efficient and smooth logistics in the background, and also providing strong links back to the canal and adjacent development.

As with any theatre experience, some spaces are programmed for public use and exposure, and others are more hidden and less polished, but equally important. Each space, whilst having its unique function, performs an integral part of the overall experience that visitors are invited to discover.

Translating the experience of a visit to the theatre into the journey found on site takes shape through the encouraged exploration of the myriad of both working areas and public realm zones. The user journey throughout the site is also influenced by the transitional elements blended into the design.

The site invites users from the hard edge of the streetscape to begin their exploration within the public plazas and gathering spaces, before inviting them further into the site.

Two core design elements on site are the stepped landscapes. The northern steps provide a direct link and primary route between the levels for the Scottish Opera site. Elements of soft landscape, trees, extended platforms and seating nooks are integrated into the terraced landscape, providing shelter, visual impact, space to gather and rest and connection. The south steps offer a series of spaces and pockets throughout the terraced landscape, providing access from the platform level to the upper levels of the site.

By providing zones of interest and encouraged exploration throughout the site, a strong sense of connectivity is gained as visitors and locals navigate throughout the scheme. All public spaces are designed to encourage community engagements, offer settings for temporary and permanent amenities and activities, and facilitate connection between people and nature.

The provision of these social spaces and zones of interest allows the canal boundary to blend and soften with the site. Encouraging visitors and locals to explore and navigate further through the site whilst providing a stronger connection between the adjacent elements

The site is located where the urban grain of Glasgow streets meets the soft and calm setting of the Forth and Clyde Canal. The flow between a harder grey toned urban edge and a softer, planted and habitat diverse edge runs through the development and helps shape the designed site.  It flows from softer to the east as a response to the Canal and towpath and then integrates into a more urban edge to the city on the west.

To create a progression between the streetscape and the green Canal and tow path, transitional paving and soft landscaping is introduced. By softening the user journey from the predominantly hard edge of the site at Edington Street towards the more relaxed, playful and green spaces found towards the Forth and Clyde Canal allows for a connection to be made between these two contrasting environments whilst also embracing the hard to soft transitions.  The combination of transitional paving and soft landscapes creates a blended experience throughout the site. The definition of public and private spaces is a core element of the design. The landscape design is carefully considered to provide privacy to resident’s zones where needed and open public spaces accessible to all.  In addition to the strong contextual response the spaces are informed by function with the harder spaces accommodating varied activity, more frequent and in many modes such as pedestrians, cars and large delivery vehicles.  The softer areas to the east respond to spaces which are used more for passive activity with occasional deliveries and vehicle movements.

The project looks to enhance the surrounding landscape and create a strong connection between the canal and the new development. The addition of street furniture, such as seating, lighting and cycle stands will encourage users to experience the landscape as a resting place addressing the canal corridor, and not just pass on by.

Adding access points from the site to the canal and towpath allows for stronger connections and usage of the canal towpath and the various national cycle network connections the canal offers. The adjacent plazas allow the users of the canal to explore the blended nature of the site. Social spaces, resting points and gathering areas allow the canal to take on a new, more inviting and integrated identity. By blending the edge of the canal within the scheme allows the towpath to be seen as an animated edge to the new development.

Taking inspiration from ‘The Gods’ found hidden away at the top of a theatre, the scheme boasts a hidden gem in an urban setting. At the top of the terraced landscape a walled garden reveals itself with impressive views across the city and canal. A space to be discovered, and to be enjoyed by all.

The garden comprises a few key zones, including space to rest, play, discover and connect with nature. Terraced planting with integrated seating provides ample rest spots to take in the views of the surrounding city skyline. Highlighted with bespoke feature paving inspired by actors’ marks found on stage, two key areas within the garden offer the opportunity for event spaces and spill-out areas.  This upper level on top of the rehearsal rooms provides a flexible space for Scottish Opera to provide seasonal outdoor productions, festivals, private events, and to engage with artists of varying media displaying their creativity in a public forum. 

The project is informed by an understanding of the existing characteristics of the site and its ecological context. Existing trees are to be retained and act as a backdrop or curtain to the animation of the site to the west, and nature-based strategies are integrated where possible, including the introduction of native trees and planting to provide habitats and homes for wildlife. Surface water is managed across the site with nature based solutions increasing the biodiversity and providing improved habitats close to the users of the site.  The integration of softer landscapes is also used to mitigate the microclimate of the site, creating pockets of green spaces amongst the urban environments, and providing safe and attractive places to sit, under trees, in groups, individually, and within sheltered planted spaces. Tree species are selected carefully to suit the place and their proposed position, they are predominantly native species and are climate resilient, ensuring their healthy establishment and ongoing contribution to the cities carbon and climate targets.

We see this development as an opportunity to make a positive contribution to address national biodiversity, habitat and climate change issues.