The winner of a design competition for a new £15million cultural centre in Dumfries was unveiled this week.
Glasgow-based O’DonnellBrown Architects beat 69 other teams to win the contest to transform the Merrick building on the Crichton Estate into a heritage centre focussing on mental health.
They will work with White Arkitekter and Ekkist to develop it further in partnership with the trust and local people.
Michael Dougall, director at O’DonnellBrown, said: “We are looking forward to widening this collaboration with the involvement of The Crichton Trust and the people who work, visit, and study within the inspiring context of The Crichton Estate.”
The former laundry will contain an exhibition and archive facility detailing the history of the Crichton’s pioneering psychiatric hospital which was formed on the site in 1839.
In 1823, Dr James Crichton of Friar’s Carse died and left £100,000 with his wife Elizabeth to use for charitable purposes.
Elizabeth, and friend Rev Henry Duncan, attempted to set up a university on the grounds of the Crichton but those plans were scrapped.
Instead an Institution for Lunatics was opened and over the next 150 years, it grew to become an internationally recognised centre of excellence in mental health research and care.
The winning design for the project was unveiled by Royal Incorporation of Architects in Scotland (RIAS) Consultancy, which organised the design competition on behalf of The Crichton Trust.
Gwilym Gibbons, chief executive of the trust, said: “We now look forward to working with the winning team and engaging with stakeholders and the local community to shape the final design and in attracting investment from potential funders, donors and sponsors for this important and iconic new landmark at The Crichton.”
“Having overcome competition from every shade of the architectural spectrum, the team led by O’DonnellBrown have produced a conceptual design that does justice to The Crichton Trust’s brief and progressive approach, and will hopefully soon move forward to deliver something extraordinary for the people of the south of Scotland.”
