Zizhuo Wang

Located at 61 Broomielaw on the north bank of the River Clyde, the project proposes a new Community Knowledge Hub that reconnects the city with its waterfront. Broomielaw has undergone significant transformation from an industrial and port landscape into a contemporary urban district, yet the relationship between the city centre and the Clyde remains fragmented. The project responds to this condition by exploring how architecture can act as a “Building as a Bridge” between people, place and the river.

The proposal combines a library, learning spaces, workshops, exhibition areas, community rooms and informal social spaces within a flexible public building. Rather than functioning as an isolated object, the building extends the existing urban movement network towards the waterfront. A permeable ground floor creates a sequence of public spaces, allowing pedestrians to move through the building and continue towards the Clyde.

The architectural form responds to the contrasting conditions of the site. A stronger urban edge addresses Broomielaw and the city, while the building gradually opens towards the river through terraces, public spaces and framed views. The massing is broken into smaller volumes to relate to the surrounding urban scale and create a more human-centred environment.

Environmental conditions also inform the design. Glasgow’s wet maritime climate, prevailing winds and limited winter daylight lead to sheltered entrances, controlled openings, deep thresholds and carefully oriented public spaces. Through these strategies, Knowledge Quay aims to create an accessible civic destination where learning, community and the waterfront come together.