30/2008 - Glass tower plan 'would horrify' Station Hotel creator
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By David Blackwood * 'Wow' factor behind plans for landmark building spark more debate THE FORMER secretary of a famous Kirkcaldy Architect has spoken out against the proposed plans to transform the Station Hotel into a 12-storey block of flats. Pensioner Elizabeth Halkett worked under the architect William Williamson, who is responsible for building a number of prominent buildings in the town, from 1942 until his death in 1952. Williamson built the Station Hotel in 1903. Ms Halkett told The Press that she thinks that Williamson would have strongly disapproved of the new development. "Mr William Williamson, the architect who designed the Station Hotel and other lovely buildings in the town, including the nearby police station, would, I am sure, be horrified by what is proposed for the stately building he designed" "He would definitely be against it. ''If they want to build a building like that they can go elsewhere. It's too bad the somebody can't take it over and turn it back into a hotel again. "The architect would turn in his grave if he saw what they had planned for it." The planned development will create 80 new flats on Bennochy Road in a 12-storey modern-looking complex, next door to the Adam Smith Theatre. The original building will be demolished, although the existing facade of the Station Hotel will be retained. Robert Kilgour, Chief Executive of Dow Investments Limited, who have applied for planning permission to build the flats said: "I've never known two architects to agree on any one design, so I wouldn't expect the architect to agree with mine. "I'm sure the original architect, if he was living and working in current climate, would understand that the building can't go on the way it is. A quick fix would not solve the problem." Mr Kilgour originally bought the building in 1987 and turned it into a nursing home under the Four Seasons brand, which he sold in 1999. In 2007, when the home closed he bought the building back. He said: "We did consider demolition 20 years ago, but instead I spent a million pounds trying to give the building a long life. "I respect people's right to an opinion, but it just can't go on in its current state, and its just too highly expensive and uneconomical to throw money at the problem. "I spent time and money to see if we could save the building, but my architect and I couldn't do it." He added: "I want to make a building that will make a statement when people come into Kirkcaldy, giving it a bit of a wow factor." Kirkcaldy Civic Society Chairman Ann Watters said: "It's unbelievable. ''I can't believe that anyone could propose something so stupid in the centre of Kirkcaldy. I think we have too many contrasting bad bits of planning that we have to live with already. "I shudder to think how anyone could plan to build something like this. I think it's appalling." Source: Fife Free Press / FifeToday.co.uk 30th October 2008 |
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