The Roundhouse & Rotunda

Glasgow is set to welcome a world-class new entertainment hub and events venue as Forrest Hotels unveil plans to transform the decaying North Rotunda.

The owners of the multi-award-winning Radisson Red hotel bought the building in June 2023 and plan to invest £15million to transform the old building over three levels into ‘The Roundhouse’ on the ground floor and ‘The Rotunda’, on the upper floors, while carefully restoring and enhancing the historic features of the original structure.

Forrest have taken inspiration from Nashville’s world-famous live music circuit to design a stunning new ground floor space, designed with live performance in mind – with two upper floors created for hosting weddings, conferences and events.

The versatile new venue with state-of-the-art bespoke sound and lighting systems will feature a new extension and external stairwell, allowing the building to meet modern building regulations and standards.

The stunning design preserves and showcases the original features, like the cast iron and glass cupola and original round open-plan floors.

The new incarnation will be made up of two distinct venues – The Roundhouse on the ground floor and The Rotunda on the two floors above.

Glasgow’s newest live music and entertainment venue will be created on the ground floor of the building. A new ground floor extension will accommodate The Roundhouse with a stunning bar set against the backdrop of the SEC, Hydro, Armadillo and Finnieston Crane.

The Rotunda first floor will be a lounge and pre-event space with an outside terrace, retaining the existing floor to ceiling windows and offering amazing views. The second floor is the heart of the venue, a large open space showcasing the full 360-degree windows and original cast iron cupola, with an almost eight-metre high roof at the centre. Capacity can be up to 500 for larger events or around 200 to 300 for seated, table-service events like conferences and weddings.

Our proposals will create 60 much needed new jobs for the city, with The Roundhouse and Rotunda intended to launch early in 2026 subject to planning consents and statutory approvals.

The Roundhouse & Rotunda

Glasgow is set to welcome a world-class new entertainment hub and events venue as Forrest Hotels unveil plans to transform the decaying North Rotunda.

The owners of the multi-award-winning Radisson Red hotel bought the building in June 2023 and plan to invest £15million to transform the old building over three levels into ‘The Roundhouse’ on the ground floor and ‘The Rotunda’, on the upper floors, while carefully restoring and enhancing the historic features of the original structure.

Forrest have taken inspiration from Nashville’s world-famous live music circuit to design a stunning new ground floor space, designed with live performance in mind – with two upper floors created for hosting weddings, conferences and events.

The versatile new venue with state-of-the-art bespoke sound and lighting systems will feature a new extension and external stairwell, allowing the building to meet modern building regulations and standards.

The stunning design preserves and showcases the original features, like the cast iron and glass cupola and original round open-plan floors.

The new incarnation will be made up of two distinct venues – The Roundhouse on the ground floor and The Rotunda on the two floors above.

Glasgow’s newest live music and entertainment venue will be created on the ground floor of the building. A new ground floor extension will accommodate The Roundhouse with a stunning bar set against the backdrop of the SEC, Hydro, Armadillo and Finnieston Crane.

The Rotunda first floor will be a lounge and pre-event space with an outside terrace, retaining the existing floor to ceiling windows and offering amazing views. The second floor is the heart of the venue, a large open space showcasing the full 360-degree windows and original cast iron cupola, with an almost eight-metre high roof at the centre. Capacity can be up to 500 for larger events or around 200 to 300 for seated, table-service events like conferences and weddings.

Our proposals will create 60 much needed new jobs for the city, with The Roundhouse and Rotunda intended to launch early in 2026 subject to planning consents and statutory approvals.

Forres Road, Nairn – Phase 2A Home Bargains


Phase 2A extension of the existing retail park at Balmakeith comprising the development of a 20,000 sq ft Homebargains unit and additional car parking. Detailed Planning Permission was issued in March 2019 with construction works completing in Spring 2020.

One Year Old

With twelve months having flown by the Radisson Red team are celebrating our one year anniversary.

Property Awards

The new 174 bedroom Radisson Red next to the SSE Hydro in Glasgow has been selected as a finalist in the Development of the Year (Commercial Buildings) category at the upcoming Scottish Property Awards 2019. A fantastic achievement for the entire development team and recognition of the high quality building design and specification of the hotel.

 

The Radisson Red

Forrest Hotels Limited, a subsidiary of Forrest Group, has submitted a detailed planning application to Glasgow City Council for a new 176-bedroom hotel on a prime development site overlooking the River Clyde at Finnieston Quay, Glasgow.

Named the Radisson Red, the new-build hotel represents a £30 million investment for the rapidly expanding Forrest Group.

The Radisson Red will be adjacent to the SECC, the Clyde Auditorium and the Hydro Arena and on the edge of the West End and the City Centre.

 The hotel will be run and managed by Radisson (Carlson Rezidor hotel group) but ownership remains in the hands of the Forrest Hotels.

The Radisson Red is the first new-build hotel of this brand in Europe. Radisson manage over 1370 hotels across the globe including hotels in the USA, Shanghai and Cape Town.

The ADF Architects designed Radisson Red hotel will have:

•             A building envelope that will appear to change colour reacting to the different natural daylight.

•             The Red Sky Bar built on the roof with arguably the best bar views in the city.

•             The Red Face Gym on the roof, again with superb views across the city.

•             176 rooms with a minimum size of 28msq compared with the industry standard size of 16-20msq.

•             A structure that will stand 10 storeys high.

•             On site Car Parking for 80 cars

 Should the application be granted, it is the intention to commence site operations in April 2016 with the grand opening of the Hotel scheduled for Autumn 2017.

For more information on Radisson Red please click here.

RELATED DEVELOPMENT: FINNIESTON QUAY, GLASGOW

Public Event

On 21st April 2015 Forrest Hotels held a public event as part of the Proposal of Application Notice process in advance of submission of a formal planning application. The exhibition took place in the SkyPark complex, just a short walk from the development site adjacent to the Rotunda on Finnieston Quay. The public exhibition was set up in such a way as to help everyone to understand what was being proposed and to encourage discussion and questions on an informal basis with the key development team members. Over the six hour period a total of 53 members of the public attended the exhibition and provided a number of views and comments on the design proposals. Forrest Hotels have reviewed these comments and amended the design to suit a number of the points raised.

Forrest Hotels will shortly be submitting a detailed planning application to Glasgow City Council.

Please find the public exhibition boards below.

RELATED DEVELOPMENT: FINNIESTON QUAY, GLASGOW

Finnieston Quay, Glasgow


8th December 2015

Glasgow City Council planning permission granted, CLICK HERE for more details.

8th September 2015

RELATED ARTICLE: The Radisson Red

16th June 2015

Forrest Hotels will shortly be submitting a detailed planning application to Glasgow City Council for a 176 bed 4 star hotel with parking facilities, bar, restaurant, Sky Bar, gym and event spaces. The ADF Architects designed development will complement the surrounding architecture and provide additional facilities adjacent to the SSE Hydro arena and SECC complex. Should planning  permission be granted, works are likely to commence on site early in 2016 with the hotel scheduled to open by September 2017. Forrest Hotels will be entering a management agreement with an international hotel operator. The chosen hotel brand will be the first newly constructed hotel of its type in Europe when completed.

RELATED ARTICLE: Public Event held for New Finnieston Quay Hotel Development

16th December 2013

Forrest have purchased a 1.4 acre site adjacent to the River Clyde and SECC complex in the centre of Glasgow (area shaded above in red).

Demolition and site clearance works have already been completed and plans are being prepared for an iconic development comprising a mixed-use scheme incorporating a hotel with adjacent office, leisure and retail uses.

Sainsbury’s Westfield Road, Edinburgh


Forrest Developments purchased this city centre site, which extends to approximately 6.5 acres, in the Spring of 2004. Following a lengthy planning application process, during which time the exsiting bonded warehouses on the site were demolished, detailed planning consent was granted for a 107,000 sq. ft. retail development in 2006. In March 2007 work commenced on site and the supermarket opened for trade on 6th December 2007.

It was Sainsbury’s original intention to take an 80,000 sq. ft. store, however during construction operations they decided to lease the whole development, making it their largest store in Scotland at the time.