The revamp of Glasgow’s George Square has taken a fresh step forward with a call out for specialists on the restoration of the square’s 11 landmark statues.
The experts will ensure Glasgow City Council has the necessary knowledge for the dismantling, transportation, storage and conservation of the bronze monuments, several of which are A-listed.
After the market engagement exercise, the council will then look to recruit the contractors to carry out the restoration work, a key stage in the wider regeneration of the Glasgow’s main civic space.
The notice for the statue experts has now been issued and is the next stage in the project’s progress, with the transformational plans now approaching their final planning hurdle.
As part of the redevelopment, the statues currently situated in George Square will be carefully removed from the stone plinths, protected, and transported to a workshop or secure storage facility.
READ MORE: The seven projects at the heart of Glasgow's billion-pound transformation
It is expected that the removal of the statues into storage will begin in early 2025, with the conservation work beginning next Spring and the statues being reinstalled in the refurbished square in 2027.
Given the highly specialised nature of bronze conservation, the experts being sought will help the council drill down into the required expertise of organisations bidding for the different areas of the work including their professional credentials, the suitability of storage space they are offering, and the type of community benefits that could be delivered.
Councillor Susan Aitken, Leader of Glasgow City Council, said: “This is very niche, highly specialised and painstaking work, so we need to ensure we’ve the right level of expertise on board from the get-go. To get that level of expertise, it’s clear we need specialists to help us find the right contractors for the job.
“These are A and B-listed monuments and for many people are a key part of the experience of visiting Glasgow’s main public space. It’s critical we get this right.
“But it’s genuinely exciting to be reaching the point where we’re now on our way to the quality civic space Glaswegians have long asked for."
The call out for statue specialists comes after new images showing how a redesigned George Square could look were revealed in October ahead of a planning application being submitted by Glasgow City Council.
The features include high-quality stone throughout the Square; informal 'play’ areas for children in sensory gardens in the eastern areas; a proposed water feature; a raised lawn platform; bespoke sheltered seating; and feature lighting.
The main image shows the famous George Square statues relocated, but no final decisions have yet been made.
The design for the eastern part of the Square responds to the formality of the City Chambers and of the Cenotaph, and a further raised green area has been proposed in front of the Cenotaph.
The design for the western part of the Square suggests an area for cafes to spill out along with paved areas for events and may include a water feature.
READ MORE: Mark Smith: X-rays and secret tunnels: how I changed my mind on George Square's fate
Future elements of the design will protect and extend greenery, including raingardens; respond to the institutional character of the eastern area of the Square in front of the City Chambers, and respect the central east west axis in the Square - City Chambers - Cenotaph - Sir Walter Scott Memorial Column.
The first phase will see George Square, John Street, Hanover and Miller Street, a section of North Hanover Street and Cochrane Street commencing construction in 2024 with completion due in 2026. The second phase of construction - at St Vincent Street, George Street, Dundas Street and Dundas Lane - will be completed in 2028.
The scheme is part of the wider £115million Avenues project - a network of new, attractive, accessible, safe, sustainable and easily-maintained routes throughout the city centre that are people-focused, encourage active travel and are more attractive to residents, workers, visitors and investors. The project is funded through the Glasgow City Region City Deal.
In 2012, Glasgow School of Art academics specialising in sculpture contacted Glasgow City Council with a report recommending the landmark statues in George Square be moved to other parts of the city to allow them to be better appreciated.
As well as backing the relocation of the equestrian statues of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert to Queen's Park on the city's south side, they recommend the statue of Sir Robert Peel to be located close to Glasgow University, where he was rector.
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