Leading Scottish architects and conservation experts have signed a joint letter arguing that Ayr Station Hotel can and should be saved.
The B-listed building was badly damaged in a suspected arson attack last week.
The hotel had recently been the focus of a SAVE Britain's Heritage report which suggested the building was in better condition than previously thought.
The joint letter, published today in The Times, argues that if repaired, the landmark chateau-style building would lend itself to a variety of new uses and could act as a catalyst for the renaissance of Ayr.
The letter, organised by SAVE Britain’s Heritage, is signed by 20 Scottish architecture and conservation experts and organisations, including Karen Anderson, president elect of RIAS (Royal Incorporation of Scottish Architects) and Professor Gordon Murray, who worked on the refurbishment of Glasgow Central Station.
READ MORE: Campaigners fear for future of iconic Ayr hotel following fire
Other signatories include Jocelyn Cunliffe, vice-chair of the Architectural Heritage Society of Scotland, Jonathan Potter, president of the Glasgow Institute of Architects (GIA), and Niall Murphy, director of Glasgow City Heritage Trust.
The letter notes that one needn’t look far to find examples of listed buildings that have been brought back to vibrant use after devastating fires.
Less than a mile away, Seafield House – once home to the man who built the Forth Bridge – was named Best Renovation and Conversion project at last week’s Herald Property Awards, after reopening as luxury apartments 15 years after a blaze left it facing demolition.
The joint letter also calls for an urgent and comprehensive condition survey by an accredited historic buildings expert to understand the hotel’s structural condition following the fire and how much can be saved.
The text of the letter in The Times and signatories:
Sir, The fire at Ayr Station Hotel was shocking but we strongly believe the building can and must be saved (report, Sep 27). This Category B-listed landmark played an important role in the life of Ayr for generations and its repair and reuse can be a catalyst for the town’s renaissance. We need look no further than Ayr’s own Seafield House for examples of listed buildings restored after serious fires.
Thanks to the swift actions of fire crews, much of the building has been saved. What is needed now is an urgent condition survey by an accredited historic buildings expert to establish the facts, as only then can informed decisions be made. At the same time the council must begin compulsory purchase proceedings against the absentee owner. These are the vital first steps to getting the wraps off and the building back in use.
Signed:
- Henrietta Billings, director, SAVE Britain’s Heritage
- Bobby Jewell, Architects Climate Action Network Scotland
- Karen Anderson, president elect, RIAS
- Professor Gordon Murray, past president, RIAS
- Robin Webster OBE, PPRIAS
- Malcolm Fraser, director, Fraser/Livingstone Architects, Edinburgh
- Jude Barber, director, Collective Architecture, Glasgow
- Ewan Lawson, partner and conservation architect, Simpson & Brown, Edinburgh
- Michael Dougall, director, O’DonnellBrown and past president, Glasgow Institute of Architects
- Alistair Scott, architect, former director, Smith Scott Mullan Associates
- Rory Olcayto, writer and critic, Pollard Thomas Edwards, London
- Jocelyn M Cunliffe, national vice-chair, Architectural Heritage Society of Scotland
- Iain J Wotherspoon, Architectural Heritage Society of Scotland, Strathclyde Group
- Miles Glendinning, professor of architectural conservation, University of Edinburgh
- David Cook, director, Glasgow Building Preservation Trust
- Jonathan Potter, president, Glasgow Institute of Architects
- Fiona Sinclair, past president, Glasgow Institute of Architects
- Ben Addy, managing director, Moxon Architects, Crathie & London
- Kinlay Laidlaw, chair, Ayrshire Architectural Heritage Trust
- Niall Murphy, director, Glasgow City Heritage Trust
- Thierry Lye, chairperson, New Glasgow Society
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