Glasgow bets on the overhaul of the casino tower

Posted May 23, 2021

Planning permission has been granted to renovate the Alea Casino in Glasgow’s Springfield Quay leisure park.

Drawings of Threesixty Architecture will bring together all the gaming facilities on one floor while the old casino on the ground floor will become a new leisure unit with the creation of a new gallery-type mezzanine.

A new dedicated entrance tower would provide direct access to the casino on the first floor, with the existing atrium from the ground floor to the second floor being filled in to provide additional floor space.

A design statement submitted with the app explained, “The proposal creates a unique and exclusive arrival experience at the reconfigured casino on the first floor, generating a new beacon for the site by tying into existing branding and breaking the great mass of the existing building. “

He added: “The facade of the Alea du Quay building is vast and drab. The new access tower must stand out from this facade in a simple and clean way.

“The creation of this signature entrance to the casino gives Alea its own external expression and branding opportunity, adding an element of contemporary architecture and enlivening an otherwise unappealing and dated elevation.

“The design of the tower began as a problem-solving exercise with due technical diligence. But it had to develop into an elegant architectural solution.

“The light, translucent staircase tower reads like a glowing lantern. Its height has been increased to create a beacon visible from all over the city.