A core connecting community and culture.

The proposed Fort William New Town Hall at Site 3 is a civic landmark that strengthens the town’s urban grain while responding directly to its dramatic Highland context. Embedded within both the landscape and the existing town structure, the building reinforces and enhances pedestrian routes by aligning closely with surrounding streets and introducing permeability through two new public courtyards.By partially sinking the hall into the ground, key communal spaces descend towards the underpass, forming a sheltered environment where public gatherings and events can take place. A continuous canopy extends the rhythm of the High Street, providing weather protection and establishing a welcoming threshold that blurs the boundary between the public realm and the civic interior.

The exposed steel frame allows for flexible spaces that accommodate council functions, community activities and everyday social life. The primary north-east-facing elevation is defined by an expansive wall of glazing, capturing soft daylight and framing panoramic views of the surrounding mountains. A single-storey tower element provides a vertical marker, creating a visual link with the town’s churches and reinforcing the building’s civic presence.The hall is clad in locally sourced Ballachulish slate, grounding it in the local area while enhancing durability and supporting a long-term, low-carbon, net-zero approach. A distinctive sawtooth roof (referencing Lochaber’s timber and aluminium industries) optimises daylight and natural ventilation while shaping a recognisable silhouette. Balancing solidity to the south with openness to the north, NorthPoint Hall’s angular geometry and structural expression reflect the character of Fort William, establishing a new civic beacon for the town.