Topgolf, Glasgow

Location

Glasgow

Main contractor

Luddon Construction

Sub contractor

J & D Pierce

Architects

Cooper Cromar

Products

Stonepanel Stone Cladding

Walling Stone

Overview

Topgolf, Glasgow is a state-of-the-art golfing facility that has become a prominent addition to the Clyde Gateway regeneration programme. The £40m project, developed by Ashfield Land, aimed to create a venue that not only contributed to the local sporting industry, but also provided employment opportunities in the outskirts of Glasgow. The architectural design, managed by Cooper Cromar and Luddon Construction, features a 3-storey steel framed structure with concrete floors and a variety of decorative cladding materials on the external envelope.

One of the key materials used on the project was Stonepanel stone cladding, supplied by Taylor Maxwell. Manufactured by CUPA STONE, the Stonepanel stone cladding provides a natural stone appearance to the facade, offering cost and time saving benefits. Taylor Maxwell also supplied reconstituted walling stone to the project which was used to create walls alongside the stairs leading up to the entrance of the venue. Subcontractors J & D Pierce assisted Luddon Construction in installing the cladding and reconstituted walling stone used on the project.

Concept to completion

With over 70 Topgolf sites operating across six countries, developers Ashfield Land visited existing projects in the US to get a better understanding of the facilities and draw inspiration from the buildings’ designs and the materials used. The visit helped the developers to ensure the layout of the Glasgow branch optimised both space and functionality.

Once the initial design ideas were established, architects Cooper Cromar contacted Taylor Maxwell to provide material advice for the building’s external facade. With the architects desiring a natural material aesthetic, Stonepanel stone cladding was put forward as a suggestion due to providing the look and feel of natural stone walling, but at a lower cost and with quicker installation times. The cladding was chosen in ‘Orient Gold’, a brown and orange toned quartzite, which helped to achieve a striking contrast with the white and black cladding used on other sections of the facade.

Below the main elevation, four tiers of reconstituted walling stone were built into the design to sit either side of the main staircase to the entrance of the building. Selected for its durability and as a cost-effective alternative to natural stone, the reconstituted material is often quarried from the same naturally occurring resources as natural walling stone, resulting in a very similar texture and appearance. Both the Stonepanel stone cladding and the reconstituted walling stone were selected in harmonising colours, to create cohesion between the two features of the build.

During the design phase of the project, decisions were put in place that helped to reduce the construction programme by 16 weeks. One of these decisions included various contractors working in tandem with others to make construction as time efficient as possible. Additionally, the use of Stonepanel stone cladding on the front of the building’s facade significantly helped with time saving, as it can be installed on average 10 times faster than traditional walling and cut to size on site.

Completed in December 2022, Topgolf Glasgow now offers over 70 all weather golfing bays, alongside private event spaces and a bar and restaurant.

To find out more about Stonepanel stone cladding, click here.

To find out more about reconstituted walling stone, click here.