Aberdeen City Council planners are recommending the green light for ambitious plans to site a major office development on the edge of Rubislaw Quarry, the biggest man-made hole in Europe.
Previously it was put forward to become Scotland?s first commercial deep-water inland diving centre, then as a residential accommodation centre and a restaurant.
The massive water-filled quarry provided the stone that made Aberdeen the ?Granite City?. Over 231 years, six million tonnes of rock was extracted from the site before quarrying ceased in 1971, leaving a chasm almost 500 feet deep.
Development company Carterra Private Equities wants to build a five storey high office development adjacent to the northern edge of the quarry.
The proposed building is to be designed by Aberdeen-based architects Michael Gilmour Associates and will be clad in light grey aluminium curtain walling with clear glazing to maximise the views across the quarry.
The proposal is for a 10,840 square metre development, with about 9452m2 of office space and 358 parking spaces on three levels below the offices, which would be accessed from the Hill of Rubislaw.
Silver grey granite surfaces would be used in and around the entrance and reception to reflect the previous use of the quarry.
“The proposed shape of the building has been dictated by the shape of the quarry, creating a building that is an elongated curve sitting on the edge of the quarry.
?The simplicity of the contemporary design, the curved elevations and the quality of the external finishes result in a building of a high standard of design,? said Dr Margaret Bochel, the head of planning and sustainable development for the Aberdeen City Council.
The remainder of Rubislaw Quarry is designated as a local nature conservation site.
Sources: Scotsman, Aberdeen City Council