akp wins role on McLellan Works co-working space conversion

akp Scotland has been engaged as principal contractor to carry out the major refurbishment of the Sauchiehall Street site that will house the proposed McLellan Works.McLellan Works will occupy an entire block on the north side of Sauchiehall Street and complement the multi-million-pound Avenues programme.The works to be completed by akp are predominantly over levels 1 and 3 encompassing strip out and refurbishment, with the addition of shopfronts and external upgrading works to the stonework, roof, etc.Under the scheme, the proposed McLellan Works situated in one of the city’s most elegant buildings will be home to creative SMEs and food and retail outlets.In recent years the building around the galleries operated as Breckenridge House, incorporating a mix of commercial tenants and retail units.The aim is for McLellan Works to continue to serve as the entrance to the McLellan Galleries, which stands immediately behind the building and is currently occupied by the Glasgow School of Art.The building has 34,440 square feet of mixed co-working and SME office space over the upper three storeys. The ground floor commercial space has 9,366 square feet of retail and commercial space.A focal point of the refurbished building will be the central entrance with an artisan café and meeting spaces providing access to the building.The development is being led by McLellan Works’ new owner, Bywater Properties, with its transformation being carried out by Glasgow-based architects, Stallan-Brand, national building consultancy, project management and cost consultants Trident and principal contractor akp Scotland.The McLellan Galleries, which sit within the same block as the planned McLellan Works, were originally built in 1855 to house the art collection of Archibald McLellan, a local coach builder, councillor and patron of the arts.From 1869 the galleries were home to the Glasgow School of Art (GSA) until its move to the Mackintosh Building in 1899.