The Royal incorporation of Architects in Scotland (RIAS) reports that the winner of its Doolan Award for 2025 is Union Terrace Gardens, Aberdeen by Stallen Brand.
RIAS writes:
A transformational architectural, landscape and public realm project that has been celebrated for its major contribution to Aberdeen’s historic centre. The project is the rejuvenation of the Category B-listed Union Terrace Gardens, a Victorian-era public garden and viaduct that forms the civic heart of Aberdeen. The sunken gardens are formed around a natural valley, later culverted and utilised by the railway, with an embankment and terrace formed along the west edge.The gardens are overlooked by important Aberdonian civic buildings, such as His Majesty’s Theatre, Aberdeen Art Gallery, and Aberdeen Central Library. In recent decades, the gardens have declined; the sunken nature of the gardens meant that as trees had become overgrown, the gardens turned dark, gloomy, and out of sight from the surrounding streets, leading to fears around safety. The steep nature of the site made it difficult for many to access, and the subterranean public toilets were closed and subjected to vandalism. The challenging site has seen several proposals to fix these problems over recent decades, but each being ultimately unable to be progressed for either lack of funding or political considerations around an extremely sensitive site.
A sympathetic, light-touch, conservation-led approach was developed by Stallan-Brand and LDA Design, which recognises and celebrates the cultural significance of the gardens. This collaborative relationship ensured all design moves complement and reinforce key wider urban design regeneration objectives.
The redevelopment of Union Terrace Gardens involved working with complex listed buildings, structures, and a protected landscape. Stallan-Brand developed a family of three buildings, ‘pavilions’, redolent of the trams that used to glide along Union Terrace. The pavilions perform an important role in reconnecting the gardens with the surrounding public realm and negotiating the significant changes in level from the adjacent streets to the gardens. A simple and restrained architectural approach was developed with a limited palette of high-quality materials. The pavilions are designed to act as giant lanterns, helping to imaginatively light gardens in the evening, a major factor in helping create a safer and more inviting space. The buildings support a variety of uses, including a new cafe, restaurant and wine bar, coworking space, and gallery space.
In harmony with the architectural interventions, other transformational improvements to the gardens include: a new city promenade that exploits the location’s topography, creating viewpoints that allow for visitors to survey the gardens and wider townscape; retention of the central lawn as a flexible space for large-scale gatherings and events and extensive and varied, biodiverse soft and hard landscaping. Seating is provided along new path networks, creating an informal amphitheatre, and accessible routes are provided with lift access to lower levels. A bespoke lighting feature assists in attracting visitors and increasing safety. Extensive civils works were also undertaken, with the Union Terrace viaduct and Listed WCs slabs being completely renewed, with pavements widened.
Now open to the public, Union Terrace Gardens is a landmark public space in harmony with its historic setting. Forgotten spaces have been repurposed, and contemporary architectural and landscape interventions enrich sensitive restoration, creating a cultural and inclusive destination that strengthens the connection between people and place.
