Welcome to the May 2005 news from Richard Murphy Architects.
News of current projects
Planning permission for the Redevelopment of Donaldson’s School
We are delighted to announce that The City of Edinburgh Council Planning Committee unanimously passed “with acclaim” our proposals for the redevelopment of Donaldson’s School for CALA.
The alteration to this extremely high profile Grade A building will involve seventy flats within the existing building and a further seventy in a new crescent to the rear as well as substantial re-landscaping and underground parking.
The project will not start on site until 2008 when the existing school vacate the premises. More information can be seen on the webpage.
A Second British Embassy
The Foreign and Commonwealth Office have commissioned us to carry out work on an existing building to convert it into a British Embassy in Skopje, Macedonia. The alteration works are already on site and we anticipate completion by Christmas this year. The building, formerly part of a Seismic Institute constructed in the 1960s, is a free standing three storey block, adjacent to an identical block already converted into the French embassy.
Although not confirmed, we are hopeful that work will start on site in the autumn of this year for our other project for the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, a new build British High Commission in Colombo, Sri Lanka.
Masterplan for Napier University’s Merchiston Campus
Napier University has commissioned us to prepare a Masterplan for its Merchiston Campus as well as develop plans for the conversion of a building for a new Screen Academy and the interior design for a suite of rooms for the Principal and her staff.
Extension to Adult Learning Centre, Kirkintilloch
Strathkelvin Development Company has submitted our planning application for a major extension to the Adult Learning Centre in Kirkintilloch, a project we completed in 2002. Drawings of the eventual combined building will shortly be posted on the website.
Housing at Ferry Road, Edinburgh
Our project for approximately three hundred flats at Ferry Road has been resubmitted for planning permission to the City of Edinburgh Council and new drawings have been posted on the website.
Two Shortlistings for Competitions
We have been shortlisted for two competitions - a new café in George Square, Glasgow for Glasgow City Council and a new library and museum in Castleford, Yorkshire.
Buildings on site
Our project for flats for Kilmartin Home at Dean Bank Lane is virtually complete and the first residents are expected to move in at the beginning of June 2005.
Number 10a Circus Lane has been handed over to our Clients Brain and Lesley Knox and we hope to be able to publish this house later in the year
The first resident has moved into a completed house in Cramond and work goes apace on the rest of the project. A second house has been converted into a show house and will be open to the public from very shortly.
Recent Press about the Practice
In the Sunday Times of 6 February, this year, an article about residential properties which had won over the years Saltire Awards appeared and included our housing at Tron Square (shortlisted at the time for an Award) which was quoted as a good example.
Our new school in Malta was featured in The Architect magazine in autumn of 2004 - with the headline "Transforming today’s schools into tomorrow’s schools - we have a winner (!)".
Our showing at the Biennale Exhibition last year was featured in the autumn of 2004 in the Architects’ Journal - entitled "Going for Gold in Venice" and quoting Peter Cook the organiser of the British Pavilion - "A good Murphy building is full of ideas and devices and he delights in calling attention to them"
In October 2004 "25 Beautiful Homes" magazine ran an article on the house we designed in Galway for our Clients, the Stonemans - emphasising their delight in a home that was sympathetic to its surroundings.
In December 2004, "CinemaBusiness" magazine featured an article bemoaning the fact that British Film did not have a national home and in fact needed one, saying - "A yardstick for quality will be the Sean Connery Filmhouse being planned for Edinburgh - £20m cinema, film making and film festival complex."
We have also recently featured prominently in the Architects’ Journal with a major review of the Galeri Arts Centre in Caernarfon on the 31 March followed by articles in 5 May edition on Pentland Avenue and Regent Terrace Mews.
Lectures
Richard Murphy will be talking to the ArchiPrix International at the Lighthouse in Glasgow on 24 June. Archiprix International is a biennial event that presents the world’s best graduation projects from higher education institutions in the fields of architecture, urban design and landscape architecture. The event comprises an exhibition, award ceremony and international workshop.
Other News
We were delighted to welcome to the office Glenn Murcutt, Australia’s most famous architect and winner of the Pritzker Prize and Alvar Aalto Medal, who spent an afternoon in the office and toured several of our projects during his visit to Scotland for the RIAS convention in Glasgow.
And finally, two milestones in Richard Murphy’s life; he successfully survived his 50th birthday with the help of a lot of friends and a week later with co-pilot Graeme Ritchie became the Scottish micro light dual pilot rally champion!
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