Glasgow glasshouse to get new lease of life

Plans to turn Springburn Winter Gardens in Glasgow into a modern community asset have been released.

The Springburn Winter Gardens Trust and Collective Architecture have detailed £8.1M plans for the restoration of the A-listed glasshouse at the heart of Springburn Park.

Built more than a century ago following a donation from a local industrialist, Springburn Winter Gardens is at the heart of Springburn Park and has lain derelict since 1983.

The proposed project is centred around repurposing the main hall — the largest single span glasshouse in Scotland — as a venue for performances and events, holding up to 1,800 people.

There would also be a café/bar and kitchen with outdoor courtyard and a heritage exhibition space celebrating Springburn’s industrial and social history — using artefacts from the former Springburn Museum that was closed in 2001.

Trust Secretary Paul Sweeney said: “The trustees have worked long and hard with the community in their spare time to reach this important milestone of finally being able to visualise what a restored Winter Gardens could look like.

“In a post-Covid Glasgow, this is exactly the sort of ambitious project that is essential to building a more vibrant and sustainable community in the north of the city.”

Project Architect Ross Aitchison added: “Restoration of the Winter Gardens would play an important part in the cultural, social and community regeneration of Springburn and North Glasgow.

“We see these proposals for a multi-generational community hub as a viable, and deliverable, opportunity to bring a much loved and missed jewel back into active use by the local community.”