Paisley Learning and Cultural Hub has gained industry recognition after winning ESG Refurbishment of the Year at the Scottish Property Awards.
Home to Paisley Central Library, the hub has been created following a £7million investment by Renfrewshire Council and is part of an ongoing drive to regenerate Paisley and give people new reasons to visit the town centre.
Housed within a former High Street shop and spread over four floors, the new building includes a reception area, children’s library and storytelling area – with a unique play structure including a climbing wall and slide also in place having been codesigned with renowned Scottish artist Claire Barclay.
The upper floors include an outdoor terrace, community rooms and a study area for young adults, as well as free Wi-Fi and PC access to support digital inclusivity.
The venue is operated by local culture and leisure trust OneRen and already has an exciting programme of events scheduled, including the recently announced return of Paisley Book Festival, author visits, Bookbug sessions for families, and storytelling workshops.
Councillor Lisa-Marie Hughes, Renfrewshire Council’s cultural spokesperson and chair of OneRen, said: “We’re delighted to see the Learning and Cultural Hub gaining the recognition it deserves as it has been an incredible transformation of the building – and we’re already seeing the benefits with a huge increase in visitors compared to the same period last year.
“Placing a library in the centre of the High Street is part of our ongoing drive to give people new reasons to visit the town centre as we believe culture should be at the heart of its future and this modern, welcoming hub aims to be inclusive and accessible for all.
“We look forward to seeing it become a staple of the town centre in Paisley, inspiring current and future generations to discover a love for reading and learning, and I want to congratulate all involved in the refurbishment project. From the Council and OneRen to all our partners, this recognition is fully deserved and a welcome boost to Paisley’s ongoing regeneration.”
Photo: Cllr Lisa-Marie Hughes
The project edged out fierce competition from across Scotland and was also nominated in the Regeneration Project of the Year category, alongside the £20million regeneration of Paisley Town Hall which has been transformed into one of the country’s leading entertainment venues.
Jordan McCrae, Architect at Collective Architecture, said: “Winning the ESG Refurbishment of the Year award is a great achievement for all involved. We are delighted that the client’s vision and the team’s hard work has resulted in a fantastic building which will hopefully provide a truly public space on Paisley High Street and act as a catalyst for further regeneration in the area.”
The building was delivered in partnership with HubWest Scotland, and their CEO Iain Marley said: “We are delighted that the outstanding Paisley Learning and Cultural Hub was crowned ESG Refurbishment of the Year at the Scottish Property Awards.
“Creating new spaces and fully upgrading and rejuvenating a 150-year-old building involved many challenges, but project has delivered a fantastic high-quality facility that is already being widely and enthusiastically enjoyed by the community and it will play a key role within the overall regeneration of Paisley Town Centre.
“We are also very proud that the project enabled the creation of eight work experience placements and four new jobs.”
The refurbishment of the building was carried out by construction firm CCG construction who have hailed the project as outstanding.
CCG Managing Director, David Wylie said: “The Scottish Property Awards is a prestigious body for the construction sector in Scotland so to win ESG refurbishment of the year is testament to the hard work of everyone that was involved.
“A special mention goes to our dedicated site team who, despite the fallout of the pandemic, worked tirelessly during a very complicated construction programme to deliver a truly an outstanding new building that will be enjoyed by the local community for many years to come.”
In addition to the investment in the Learning and Cultural Hub, Paisley is undergoing a regeneration programme that includes £45million to transform Paisley Museum into a world-class visitor destination expected to bring more than 125,000 visitors every year, a £20million refurbishment of Paisley Town Hall to place it as one of Scotland’s foremost entertainment venues, the £3million modernisation of Paisley Arts Centre, and an ongoing investment in culture and the arts as a means to transform the town for future generations.
For more information on the learning and cultural hub, visit www.oneren.org/culture/libraries or for Paisley’s regeneration, visit www.renfrewshire.gov.uk/paisley.