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The Charing Cross Complex - now styled as Elmbank Gardens (but sometimes popularly referred to as the Charing Cross Tower), is a multiuse commercial complex in the Charing Cross area of Glasgow, Scotland. Best known for its signature 14-story tower which overlooks the M8 motorway and stands directly opposite the Mitchell Library, it was designed by Richard Seifert and constructed between 1969 and 1973. It is one of the tallest and most prominent high rise buildings on the western side of Glasgow city center. The surface buildings of the subterranean railway station which serves Charing Cross are also an integral part of the complex. Since 1995, the tower element has been used as a hotel, which is currently operated by the Premier Inn chain, whilst the remainder of the complex is home to offices (currently branded as The Venlaw) and a number of other leisure and entertainment businesses. ==History== The 1960s saw great change in Glasgow, following on from the Bruce Report with initiatives well under way to depopulate the overcrowded center, removing slum housing and the construction of a new system of high speed roads around the central area. The districts of Charing Cross and Anderston lay in the path of the Glasgow Inner Ring Road (now part of the M8) and consequently huge swathes of buildings were demolished to make way for its construction. The Richard Seifert Co-Partnership won the commission for much of the regeneration plan for the area, a grand scheme was planned which would stretch from the former Anderston Cross to the Charing Cross area.The original plans for the Elmbank complex would have made use of the infamous Charing Cross Podium which stretched across the motorway, but in the end only fragments of the Seifert scheme were built - likewise his nearby Anderston Centre was never fully realized either. The original tenant of the building was the YARD (Yarrow-Admiralty Research Department) - part of the local engineering company Yarrow Shipbuilders - who remained such until 1992 when Yarrows' takeover by GEC-Marconi (ultimately British Aerospace), and a complex series of mergers and acquisitions which resulted in consolidation of its activities in the city. The building was vacated, and stood empty for over 2 years until a new use was found. The building was sold in 1994 for conversion for use as a hotel which was initially operated by the YMCA,;〔(【引用サイトリンク】url=http://www.caterersearch.com/Articles/30/06/1994/7089/YMCA-takes-over-office-building.htm )〕 it was later sold to the Tower Hotels Group in 1995 and operated as The Charing Cross Tower Hotel. During the renovation, the building received a canopy on the roof, creating a covered "14th floor" to disguise the elevator penthouse. The hotel was later operated by Premier Lodge, and ultimately Premier Inn. A proposal to demolish the unused podium at the north west corner of the structure and replace it with a 19-story residential tower known as The Venlaw Tower (earlier styled as ''Elmbank Tower'') was proposed in 2004, but progress has stalled〔(【引用サイトリンク】url=http://www.skyscrapernews.com/news.php?ref=2856 )〕 owing to the financial climate of the period which saw several other flagship office projects in the area abandoned - most notably the Elphinstone Place skyscraper which would have been built immediately adjacent to Elmbank Gardens. The complex was externally refurbished between 2012 and 2013, the precast concrete panels being restored to their original brilliant white finish. 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Elmbank Gardens」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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