Glasgow's O2 ABC building to be completely demolished
Six years after it was damaged by fire, the iconic building is to be taken down
Glasgow’s iconic O2 ABC building is set to be completely demolished, six years after it was damaged in the second Glasgow School of Art Fire.
The structure on Sauchiehall Street was issues a dangerous buildings notice earlier this month, which stated work to “demolish and remove the front façades along with their immediately attached floor and roof structures” was to be started by September 30 and completed by December 9.
Despite calls from local politicians and residents to save the famous 1929 front entry way, councillors on the city’s planning committee approved the application for consent for the demolition of the C-listed building.
An application from Vita Group will be considered separately, as they have submitted plans for student flats and a food hall on the site.
One condition decided by the committee requires the owners to take “all reasonable steps to salvage materials from the demolished building for reuse, repurposing, and recycling”, with a written list of items to be submitted prior to demolition.
Originally submitted in 2019, the application to knock down the building from owners Obarcs No1 LLP received more than 50 objections.
A council report stated officials had agreed with the applicant that the “application to demolish the building should be placed on hold until a time when it was supported by a proposal for a replacement building”.
However, visits to the site in March and June this year have shown “further deterioration” and led to the serving of a dangerous buildings notice. Work on the demolition must start by September 30.
The report added upper sections of the façade are “unrestrained and in danger of collapse” and building standards staff are concerned over “how long the deteriorating façade structure can survive without collapse”.
Vita Group has also requested conservation area consent to demolish the unlisted former Jumpin Jaks nightclub building as part of its redevelopment plans
Planning officials were “satisfied” that the “catastrophic fire to the Mackintosh has severely damaged the structural integrity of this listed building as well and that the full or partial retention of this building is not viable.”
Historic Environment Scotland initially objected but later accepted there are “limited options for the meaningful repair of the majority of the building, including the arcaded parts of the front elevation”.
The organisation encouraged the “retention of the entrance portico”.
Bailie Elaine Gallagher, Greens, who chaired the committee, asked: “What level of threat does the condition of the facade actually pose to the public?”, to which a building standards officer said it “does pose an immediate threat”.
He added that temporary measures taken in 2019 to “restrain elements of the facade” are “well beyond any design life that was intended at the time”.
“We are concerned that there is a public safety risk and that’s why we erected the exclusion zone,” he said.