Winning design for Crichton laundry's £15m revamp revealed
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The winning design for the £15m cultural centre came from O'DonnellBrown Architects
The winning design for a £15m cultural centre in Dumfries has been revealed.
The building on the Crichton Estate will hold archives celebrating its history as a pioneering psychiatric hospital.
There were nearly 70 entries for the design competition and a team led by Glasgow-based O'DonnellBrown Architects emerged as winners.
They will now take forward the project to convert the former laundry along with the Crichton Trust.
It is hoped the new building can become an "iconic new landmark" at the Crichton
It is hoped the conversion of the building can create "one of the most significant cultural buildings in Scotland".
In 1829, Elizabeth Crichton wanted to create a university on the grounds with an inheritance from her late husband.
However, her plans were thwarted as it was felt unfilled places in other parts of the country made a south-west campus unnecessary.
She eventually admitted defeat and, instead, an "Institution for Lunatics" opened in 1839.
During its time in operation it carried out pioneering work in the field of mental health.
The laundry itself was a more modern addition and was used by the local NHS.
By the 1980s, the health board declared the Crichton surplus to its requirements and it was bought by Dumfries and Galloway Council to save it for the community.
The plans would replace the old laundry on the Dumfries estate
The winning conceptual design - by a team led by O'DonnellBrown Architects with White Arkitekter and Ekkist - has been unveiled by the Royal Incorporation of Architects in Scotland (RIAS), which organised the design competition on behalf of the trust.
Trust chief executive, Gwilym Gibbons, said he had been "overwhelmed" by the number and quality of entries.
He said: "We now look forward to working with the winning team and engaging with stakeholders and the local community to shape the final design and in attracting investment from potential funders, donors and sponsors for this important and iconic new landmark at the Crichton."
They have also been working with SHAX - a homeless support charity which currently occupies the building - to find a new home in the area.
Tamsie Thomson, chief executive of RIAS, said the winning design could deliver "something extraordinary" for the people of southern Scotland.
Michael Dougall, director at O'DonnellBrown, added: "We are looking forward to widening this collaboration with the involvement of the Crichton Trust and the people who work, visit, and study within the inspiring context of the Crichton Estate."
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- Published10 July 2022
