Keltbray Chinatown Developments Ltd submitted a planning application to Glasgow City Council to redevelop the 4.4-acre New City Road site into a mixed-use neighbourhood. 

Designed by Hawkins\Brown, the development includes student and conventional residential accommodation, as well as roughly 1,500 square metres of commercial floorspace at ground floor level. 

SLR has been appointed to work alongside the project architects to form spaces that connect with the city and present the location’s cultural importance. 

The site is situated at a key gateway into Glasgow city centre from the north. 

A major aim of the project is to embed culture as well as public artwork that reflect the area’s heritage, through connecting with local artists and members of the community.

Chris Sholdis, associate director at SLR Consulting, said: “This is a genuinely exciting project to be involved in. The Chinatown site has enormous potential, and our role is to create a public realm that feels rooted in the character of the place. 

“We’re focused on designing spaces that work for the existing community and the people who will live, work and visit here in the future.”

A lot of the existing Chinatown businesses in Glasgow will be relocated into new units within the development. 

Community engagement has taken place for the project, especially with Glasgow’s Chinese community, as well as a pre-application process with the council. 

It is anticipated that the student accommodation aspect of the project would benefit from its closeness to the city’s universities.

Andrew Burnside, associate director of development at Keltbray, said: “The high-quality public realm designed by SLR will provide much needed urban repair in this part of the city, producing a space which will become a hub for the local community. 

“This commitment to the communities in which we work is paramount to Keltbray, and we look forward to being an active member of the community in this part of Glasgow for a long time.”