History

Opened in 1899/1900 as the St Andrews Cross Electricity Works, this historic building served as a coal-fired generation station, providing power to Glasgow. However, its role changed in 1922 when half of the site was acquired by the Glasgow Corporation and re-purposed into a printing works. Renamed to reflect its new function, the facility printed and stored the city’s planning records. Today, the proposal seeks to revitalize the printing works portion of the building as half is still owned by Scottish Power. This initiative aims to preserve the rich heritage of the site while adapting it to modern needs.

Location

The chosen site sits between two key areas in the Southside of Glasgow, these are Laurieston and Govanhill.

Laurieston hosts some fantastic creative projects and is home to one of Glasgow’s most loved theatres, the Citizens Theatre, which has recently undergone massive refurbishment. Govanhill is one of Glasgow’s most vibrant, creative, and up-and-coming areas. It is the most ethnically diverse area of Scotland with about 40% of its people coming from ethnic minority backgrounds. There are a number of grassroots creative initiatives within Govanhill and it is now home to the outdoor performance and arts space Queens Park Arena.

The site for this project sits on the intersect of Pollockshaws Road and Victoria Road. This is the end of the Laurieston area and the start of Govanhill, making this site a prime location to pull from the Citizens Theatre and redevelopment in Laurieston and feed into the ongoing creative work happening in Govanhill as well as benefiting from its diversity.

What?

The project seeks to transform the St Andrews Printing Works, located on Pollockshaws Road in Glasgow, into a dynamic cultural community centre. This centre will serve as a multi-functional space catering to the needs of the surrounding community. It aims to promote local businesses, aid creative endeavours, and provide educational opportunities.

How?

The St Andrews Printing Works will be revitalized into a vibrant hub where independent creators can produce and showcase their art, products, and services. By creating a collaborative environment, the centre will encourage community engagement and support local business. It will attract foot traffic during off-peak retail hours with creative workshops and by offering spaces suitable for a range of experiences and activities.

Why?

Due to the rise of online shopping highstreets are facing a crisis, there is an urgent need to revitalize retail spaces and foster community connections. This project aims to address these challenges by using art, leisure, and experiential activities to attract people back to traditional retail environments.

Entrance

Reception

Located directly in front of the main entrance and centred around the buildings original chimney stack. The reception is an area where visitors can find information on the building, book and check into workshop spaces and get general information on any upcoming classes, talks and performances.

Café

A grab and go style café serving cold food and hot and cold drinks. This café will entice people into the space off the street, as well as encouraging people to extend their visit. The café also provides people working in the studios a place to relax and recharge.

Shop

A space where makers can sell their work without having to rent a market stall. This small retail area will help attract off the street footfall and allow customers a quick shopping experience if needed.

Market Place

The Market units are large enough to house small studios for artists and designers, this will allow them to work away while safely engaging with the public and selling their work.

Stained glass in the truss adds vertical interest, emphasising the space’s vastness at 17750mm tall. Sunlight through skylights illuminates the glass on bright days, casting colourful reflections; artificial lights achieve the same effect on darker days.

The glass colours soften the market’s predominantly blue, grey, and white tones. Pink introduces warmth, while purple links the pink and blue, symbolically linking the market (Inspire) to the exhibition space (Play). This dual-purpose area invites relaxation and gathering while inspiring visitors.

Workshops

The workshops are the heartbeat of The Printworks, located at the centre of the building, where creators of all skill levels can work, learn, and innovate.

Within this core space, three enclosed workshops—Woodwork, Metalwork, and 3D Printing and Laser Cutting—provide a controlled environment essential for safety and minimising noise, dust, and debris. Prior induction to these workshops ensures user safety.

Opposite these workshops is the open layout space and craft workshop. The workstations in the craft workshop can be booked for short or long terms, this flexible area accommodates various creative activities like embroidery, knitting, sculpture, candle making, and more. Makers keen on retailing their creations can apply to showcase and sell their work in the shop located in the reception area, encouraging a vibrant creative community within The Printworks.

Exhibition

The exhibition space is located by one of the main entrances of the building, sitting between the market stalls and the workshops. This encourages off the street foot traffic and enhance the overall appeal of The Printworks. Serving as a buffer between the buzz of the workshops and the market’s vibrant energy, this exhibition area offers a space with a quieter energy for visitors to explore. Its strategic placement encourages passers by to pause and engage with the various artwork and crafts on display, encouraging them to spend more time within the building and explore all its areas. By showcasing the talent and creativity within The Printworks, this exhibition space not only adds to the market experience but also draws in curious individuals from the street.

Studio Theatre

The studio theatre and rehearsal spaces have the potential to support existing grassroots initiatives in Govanhill and Laurieston, such as Sistema, a charitable organization dedicated to offering musical education to children. This space could also have a link with the Citizens Theatre in Laurieston. It could act as a venue for outreach programs or overflow rehearsal spaces. Connecting these initiatives would help add to the local culture and draw in new audiences who might not have discovered the space.

Workshops

Located above the bustling hub of the café, reception, shop, and classroom areas, the Ceramic and Textile Workshops find their home. Purposefully situated away from the noise of workshops like woodwork and metalwork, as the work within these types of studios tend to do better in quieter settings. Also, they are common activities to offer beginners courses in, so a more relaxed environment would be beneficial. This location allows them to draw from the lively ambiance of the café and shop below, while their activities remain undisturbed by excessive noise.

The Textile Workshop spills onto an open mezzanine, inviting visitors to explore its creativity, while large windows in the Ceramic Workshop are located conveniently next to the stairs allowing visitors a view in, sparking intrigue.

Indoor Garden

Indoor gardens offer many benefits. Beyond adding aesthetic appeal, it purifies the air, reduces stress, and enhances overall well-being. Maintaining a garden on an upper floor requires strategic planning. Utilizing lightweight containers and drip trays can minimize structural strain while benefiting growth. Due to the skylights in the ceiling of this building there is plenty of natural lighting allowing plans in this space to thrive.

This garden serves as a gathering space where individuals can convene freely, without any obligation to engage in work or shopping. Visible from the garden, the craft workshop aims to spark visitors’ curiosity. Additionally, it provides an opportunity for people to enjoy a slice of nature, shielded from the unpredictability of Scottish weather.