Sauchiehall Street seeks to revitalise a prominent but long-vacant anchor building in Glasgow’s city centre through a comprehensive mixed-use scheme delivering purpose-built student accommodation alongside active ground-floor retail, restaurant and community uses.

Located within Glasgow’s Central Conservation Area, the former Marks & Spencer store occupies a strategically significant position on one of the city’s most celebrated commercial streets, yet currently sits underutilised, contributing to the wider decline of the Sauchiehall Street corridor. The proposal addresses a well-documented undersupply of high-quality Purpose-Built Student Accommodation in Glasgow, offering a range of living options from en-suite rooms and studios through to one-bedroom apartments, tailored to the needs of undergraduate, postgraduate and international students.

Central to the scheme is the sensitive retention and reinstatement of the building’s historic Sauchiehall Street façade, preserving the character of the conservation area while integrating it into a new residential and commercial structure behind. A key placemaking move is the reinstatement of the historic arcade connecting Sauchiehall Street and Renfrew Street, reviving a lost pedestrian route, activating commercial frontages, and restoring legibility and footfall to both streets.

Design principles are rooted in a rigorous reading of Glasgow’s urban grain, drawing on the city’s characteristic grid, block structure, and the solidity of its architectural tradition, expressed through strong verticals, horizontals, and a carefully considered material palette. Generous indoor and outdoor amenity spaces, including green roof terraces, foster a sense of community while contributing to the public realm.

The concept design, developed by Corstorphine & Wright, establishes a clear architectural vision that balances heritage conservation with contemporary city-centre living. The design responds sensitively to the site's historic context while introducing a confident new built form that reinforces the character of Sauchiehall Street, enhances connectivity, and supports the long-term regeneration of this important part of Glasgow.