
Group 7a:
71-75 Robertson Street is definitely a “fish out of water” as one might say. Being located in Glasgow’s International Financial District, or IDF for short, this particular structure has definitely seen better days. What makes this site most unique is how it feels “out of place” in terms of its surroundings. Speaking architecturally, the reddish-tinted stone of 71-75 Robertson stand-out compared to the adjacent twenty-first century glass and steel office developments, of which 9,000 employees call their home-away-from-home every weekday from dawn to dusk.

At the street level, this part of Robertson Street lacks the vegetation that contributes to making a streetscape more “inviting.” Yet, as seen in the photograph above, the greenery is actually found spilling out of crevices on the weathered facade and further add to the overall irony of the lane. Despite all of that, what struck the interest of group 7a the most was the feeling of “unwelcomeness” that each team member felt during the time spent on site. A regular on this lane may question the presence of students around here because they have no business lurking around the city’s financial district, but shouldn’t the city streets belong to everybody?

Using the feeling of alienation as a means of inspiration, group 7a will be working to interpret that feeling in ways that can be potentially reversed and inflicted upon the regular users of this locale, in this case the business men and women contributing to the already static environment found throughout the IDF.