A very special mural, which is part of a major regeneration project in Glasgow's Anderston area, was unveiled today, 4 December 2015. The mural, which is the outcome of a Stage 3 Architecture "35-hour" student project, is part of a development designed by Collective Architecture and developed by Sanctuary Housing.
The Architecture students worked with school pupils and community groups to develop the ideas and design for the mural which has tapped into the rich history of the area. The mural was formally unveiled by Glasgow's Lord Provost, Sadie Docherty.
“The students are thrilled with the outcome of a project many months in the planning"says GSA tutor Nick Walker of Collective Architecture who helped guide the process to its conclusion. "The finished mural is testament to the group’s hard work in researching, consulting and ultimately designing an artwork that embodies Anderston’s past, present and future.”
 Work by School Pupils is used in the final design |
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Full text of Sanctuary Housing's launch press release below.
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Further information
Lesley Booth
0779 941 4474
press@gsa.ac.uk
News release
Mural marks regeneration milestone
A MURAL which celebrates a Glasgow community’s past and present is helping residents look to the future. The artwork, inspired by Anderston’s young and old, is now a fixture of Sanctuary Scotland Housing Association’s £50 million area regeneration.
The Glasgow School of Art (the GSA) was given a budget of £15,000 for a mural to mark the completion of the regeneration project’s third phase. Third-year architecture students used the memories and stories of residents to create the unique artwork unveiled today (Friday 4 December 2015).
GSA tutor Nick Walker, of Collective Architecture, helped guide the process to its conclusion.
Nick said: “The students are thrilled with the outcome of a project many months in the planning.
“The finished mural is testament to the group’s hard work in researching, consulting and ultimately designing an artwork that embodies Anderston’s past, present and future.”
Ten students from the GSA’s Mackintosh School of Architecture ran creative workshops to get inspiration from all age groups. Cranstonhill Nursery School, Anderston Primary School, St Patrick’s Primary School, Glasgow Gaelic School, Anderston Youth Café and Anderston Kelvingrove Church lunch club all influenced the final design.
GSA student Quyen Phan said:“At every workshop it was abundantly clear how proud residents are of Anderston. The mural attempts to capture the pride evident in each generation.”
The mural spells ‘ANDERSTON’ in individual, 60cm high, steel framed letters. Each letter is filled with materials relevant to the area. The ‘A’ includes small boats suspended in resin to acknowledge the historical importance of shipbuilding and the docks to Anderston. The ‘E’ and ‘S’ contain collages of pupils’ drawings which depict what Anderston means to them.
Cranstonhill Nursery School head teacher Kay Groves said: “The students spent a day with us and the children loved every minute.
“Their enthusiasm when decorating the individual letters of ‘Anderston’ was infectious – it certainly fed their imagination. It is great to see the finished mural and to know the nursery played a part in it.”
The mural is fixed to a wall in the square between William Street and St Vincent Street, making this community space more attractive.
Gordon Laurie, director – Sanctuary in Scotland, said: “This wonderful artwork is a welcome addition to our award-winning regeneration project.
“We are delighted the students consulted Anderston residents and used their work in the final design.”
A crowd gathered to see the mural formally unveiled by Glasgow Lord Provost Sadie Docherty.
Ms Docherty said:“It’s a privilege to witness the wonderful work you have helped create.
“The mural is an exciting creative collaboration that we can all enjoy for decades to come.”
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About Sanctuary
Established in 1969, Sanctuary Group is responsible for the provision of social housing, care and management services across England and Scotland. It owns or operates more than 100,000 units of accommodation and employs around 11,000 people.
The Group operates under a not-for-profit umbrella, with surpluses reinvested into the provision of affordable housing, the maintenance of existing properties, and the development of new services for customers.
Sanctuary is an exempt charity under the Charities Act 1993 and is regulated by the Homes and Communities Agency.
Sanctuary Scotland, a member of Sanctuary Group, was established in 1996 and was registered with Scottish Homes, now the Scottish Housing Regulator, in 1998.
The Association – a registered charity – operates in nine local authority areas in Scotland and owns over 2,900 homes.
For more information about Sanctuary please contact Kevin Turner, PR and Communications Manager (Scotland), on 07983 612734.