Planning Secured for Charing Cross Gateway

Charing Cross Gateway presents a bold vision for a people-friendly place on the western edge of Glasgow City Centre. A high-quality, vibrant, inclusive, and sustainable community – it will be an exceptional area to live, study, and thrive.

Post-war development of the M8 motorway network and modernist ideals of urban design have created an incohesive architectural and urban legacy. Pedestrians and the architectural experience were reduced to a secondary focus, with the needs of vehicular traffic prioritised.

Redefining the Streetscape

CXG Glasgow’s new development aims to restore and enhance the urban fabric and redefine the streetscape and focal points. Adjoining Charing Cross Railway Station, it has been designed to increase footfall through the area by creating direct and pleasant urban spaces.  Acting as a marker to this city’s western edge, the architecture will offer a mix of uses, reinforcing the economic competitiveness and supporting re-population of the city centre.

Formed by two towers, interconnected at basement level, ‘Phase One’ creates a 620-bed purpose built student accommodation. There will be retail and healthcare units at ground floor facing onto Newton Street and a new courtyard adjoining Charing Cross Station.

“Charing Cross Gateway represents the culmination of our experience in delivering place-focused urban design solutions. From the outset, our approach extends beyond the site boundary; we consider not only the immediate context but also the wider impact on the surrounding place. No building exists in isolation, and this principle underpins our design.

The scheme has therefore been developed to enhance the environment around Charing Cross Station, Bath Street, and the broader connections to the Mitchell Library and Glasgow’s West End. By embedding these wider considerations into the design process, we have created a proposal that responds rationally and sensitively to its context.

The building delivers a high-quality streetscape, characterised by robust detailing and active frontages at street level. Its facades respond thoughtfully to the surrounding townscape, while the upper levels are articulated with a distinctive crown that connects the development to the wider cityscape. In doing so, the building is designed to act as a long-term western marker for the city.

The development sits within the evolving context of Charing Cross, adjacent to The Ard to the south, and aligns with our wider masterplan ambitions – supported through ‘Planning Permission in Principle’ – for a tall building at the western end of Sauchiehall Street.”

Anthony Newman, Associate, MLA