A programme of works for an ambitious residential-led mixed use development in the heart of Aberdeen is to be mapped out this summer.
Queen Street is regarded as an opportunity to deliver transformational placemaking and high-quality urbanism to complete the civic quarter of the city.
The development will incorporate key public services, cultural assets and high-quality public realm to support a core of contemporary urban living.
The vision, being developed by planning officers, was shared today with Aberdeen City Council’s Capital Committee Programme.
Committee convener Councillor Marie Boulton said: “Placemaking is critical to the success of our city centre.
“Queen Street redevelopment will progress the themes identified in the City Centre Masterplan and aims to create social infrastructure through city centre living, cultural and civic functions.
“These will be incorporated with accessible and efficient service delivery for the people of Aberdeen.
“Service demand design, co-location and consolidation of the city’s civic functions will ensure efficient delivery is a key driver in how we achieve this.”
Planning Queen Street as a successful place will therefore focus on:
- Service demand – Public sector design opportunities
- Placemaking – Completing the urban quarter/civic heart
- Added value – Culture/amenity/city centre living
- Building demand – Securing our historic assets/high quality new build
Queen Street was described as an area where a diverse range of architectural heritage surrounds a core that lacks cohesion.
Historic assets like the Town House, Arts Centre and Marischal College create the drama and sense of place that as part of the vision needs to be balanced with quality public realm and complementary, but not competing, new architecture.
A full programme and emerging workstreams are currently being scoped. These will be defined in the coming weeks and be reported to the appropriate Council committees.
Recent and notable developments in the area include the transfer of Aberdeen City Council to the refurbished and reimagined category ‘A’ listed Marischal College, the Marischal Square development and the high-quality public spaces between.
Aberdeen City Council is leading the most significant transformation in the city’s history.
In 2019 the redeveloped Aberdeen Art Gallery will re-open and The Event Complex Aberdeen (TECA), a 12,500-capacity venue, will be launched.
Union Terrace Gardens is being revitalised and Provost Skene’s House is being redeveloped as a contemporary visitor attraction.
