This is what could replace Aberdeen’s Union Terrace Gardens if the north-east public lend their support to the new city square being proposed by business leaders.
An eight-week public consultation on the £140million scheme to raise the gardens and cover over the Denburn dual carriageway and neighbouring railway line begins on Monday.
People will be asked if they back the civic square bid, led by ACSEF (Aberdeen City and Shire Economic Future) with a £50million pledge from Sir Ian Wood and, if so, what they would like to see included.
But the omission from the consultation of a proposed new cultural centre was last night condemned by Peacock Visual Arts spokeswoman.
ACSEF chairman Tom Smith said the design, adapted from the feasibility study into the scheme, should act as a springboard for the public’s own ideas. He said: “We want people to start to imagine what could happen in such a space and share our excitement about the amazing potential.”
Mr Smith moved to deflect criticism that the project was about concreting over the historic green heart of the city.
He said the ambition was for gardens to make up at least half of the five-acre site – about the same as at present – but the open, street-level layout would also be suitable for market stalls, a Christmas tree and ice rink in winter and outdoor concerts, plays and opera in fairer weather, with European-style pavement cafes stretching down from Belmont Street.
He said: “We will be researching gardens and international garden designers around the world and may even launch an international design competition to see how we could deliver something extra-special and unique within the city square project.”
One option which will not feature in the consultation is the £13million centre proposed by Peacock Visual Arts, which had already secured funding and planning permission when the ACSEF project was announced.
The Scottish Arts Council, which was bankrolling the centre, with Aberdeen City Council and Scottish Enterprise, agreed to extend its deadline for Peacock to take up a £4.3million grant, but that too is running out and the whole future of the plan is now in jeopardy. An online petition in support of the Peacock bid had attracted 3,877 signatures yesterday.
Mr Smith said its omission from the consultation was deliberate, but there could still be a place for the arts in the civic square. “It would be completely inappropriate to consult on a scheme which already has planning permission and, therefore, we have not included the Peacock design in this consultation exercise,” he said. “However, there is the potential for a contemporary arts centre within our scheme and ACSEF is adamant that a cultural centre with wider appeal as part of the bigger scheme is a compelling proposition.”
A spokeswoman for Peacock Visual Arts said it was a “great disappointment” that its centre did not figure in the consultation, and the citizens of Aberdeen were being denied the right to have an informed debate on the full range of options.
“All Peacock would like is to be part of a fair, open and inclusive process of consultation,” she said. She added that the fact that the consultation was being paid for with public money made it even more important that it should be transparent.
“People must get the chance to show their support for alternative uses of the gardens, including Peacock's new arts centre which has had more than £1million of public money invested in it to date,” she said.
“The confirmation today that the public will not be consulted on anything other than Sir Ian's scheme means that this money risks being wasted while additional public money is spent on consulting on Sir Ian's scheme.”