Letter from Scotland

Architect: Zaha Hadid Architects
Project: Museum of Transport, Glasgow

A defining moment in the regeneration of Glasgow’s River Clyde is currently emerging in the wave or ‘pleated’ form of the new Museum of Transport by Zaha Hadid Architects. Located where the River Kelvin flows into the Clyde, the building has been designed to ‘flow’ from the city to the river. This has been achieved by means of undulating outer pleats, enclosing the support services and black box exhibits, which allow the main central space to be column-free and open. Circulation runs through the main exhibition space, and includes various strategic openings that enable visitors to build up a gradual sense of the external city and seascape as they move from exhibit to exhibit. Both front and end elevations are expressed as an expansive clear glass façade with a large overhang to reduce solar exposure to the building interior and allow further expansive views up and down the Clyde.