The Victoria, Phase 1

Completion of Phase One of The Victoria marks the start of the transformation of the former Victoria Infirmary Hospital site in Glasgow into a new residential neighbourhood. Delivered for Sanctuary Scotland, this initial phase provides 136 new homes across four new buildings and forms part of a wider masterplan that will deliver over 400 homes across the 3.75-hectare site, alongside new retail space and a significantly enhanced public realm.

Located beside Queen’s Park in Langside, the completion of Phase One establishes a new civic frontage along Battlefield Road and Grange Road, creating high-quality new-build homes for social rent and shared equity. The scheme carefully balances residential density with generous public space, integrating contemporary housing alongside the retained sandstone Nightingale pavilions, formerly hospital wards.

The architectural approach draws inspiration from the original 1883 hospital masterplan by Campbell, Douglas and Sellars, responding to the historic pavilion layout and the spaces between buildings. Central to the design is the creation of accessible public routes, open spaces, and clear urban structure, respecting and enhancing the site’s historic and natural character. This involved the careful removal of decades of unsympathetic alterations, reinstating original edges, vistas, and balconies to reveal a more legible and welcoming urban space.

Four new buildings are thoughtfully positioned to define subtle transitions between public and residential areas. The material palette reflects the character of the original hospital buildings and surrounding tenements, with tonally varied brickwork complemented by large-format metal panels that articulate massing and accentuate key corners. Balconies, terraces, colonnades, and lanterns animate the streetscape and reference the site’s historic architectural language.

Phase Two, currently on site, will see the sensitive repurposing of the Nightingale buildings and the completion of a new public route through the site to Queen’s Park. This will enable the delivery of the third and final phase adjacent to the Langside Battlefield Memorial, including the Category ‘B’ listed administration building, completing the long-term regeneration of this iconic Glasgow landmark.