The three new pavilions at Union Terrace Gardens are to start being marketed for leasing

04 June 2021

The three new pavilions in Union Terrace Gardens designed to be cafes, restaurants or arts and cultural spaces which will be exciting new additions to the revamped gardens as well as the city centre are nearing completion later this year.

Marketing the leasing for the three buildings is starting from today by property agents FG Burnett as the work has a provisional completion date of winter 2021, with landscaping potentially finishing in 2022.

All three pavilions are accessible from Union Terrace and the Gardens, and the Burns Pavilion also has access to the Gardens via a lift. All are detached buildings of steel frame construction incorporating glazed curtain walling and sedum roof and are finished to high standard internally with terrazzo flooring with integrated underfloor heating along with an impressive 5 metre ceiling height.

The largest of the three is The Union Street Pavilion at a total of 747.03sq m (8,041sq ft) which is located beside the Edward VII statue and it is a three storey building with a passenger lift and toilets, storage, and staff facilities and plant room are situated within the basement. Access to the pavilion is provided from Union Terrace. The Union Street Pavilion, which is restaurant-sized, has access to the historic Victorian toilets which have been refurbished and repurposed creating a unique space.

The Burns Pavilion, in the middle of Union Terrace beside the Rabbie Burns statue, comprises of two storey building of 204.35sq m (2,200sq ft) with toilets and storage and access is provided from Union Terrace and from the garden level. The pavilion incorporates a 15-passenger lift providing accessible access to the gardens.

The smallest unit is The Rosemount Pavilion beside His Majesty’s Theatre of 68.75sq m (740sq ft) with dual access into the unit from both Union Terrace and the Gardens, and it also has an accessible WC and storage.

In recent months, landscaping work has been undertaken such as the planting of mature trees including elm-resistant species alongside the new accessible walkway route.

Aberdeen City Council city centre spokesperson Councillor Marie Boulton said: “I’m delighted to see the work is well underway on the three pavilions and they will make a fantastic addition to Union Terrace Gardens.

“Alongside the works for these buildings and now that the groundworks have finished, people will be able to see the exciting changes for the park which will improve access for wheelchair users as well as providing a beautiful green space.

“I’m looking forward to the changes in the coming months and seeing the final design take shape.”

The works happening in the gardens, which are being carried out by contractor Balfour Beatty, include:

A new accessible walkway route into the gardens from Union Street;Lift access from Union Terrace into the upper level of the gardens through a new entrance building on Union Terrace at the existing Burns Monument;Improved disabled parking facilities on Union Terrace directly adjacent to the new accessible walkway routes into the gardens;Landscaping and lighting, and the refurbishment of the Union Terrace arches;Retaining the central lawn as a flexible space for large scale gathering and events;A new entrance opposite His Majesty’s Theatre to accommodate smaller scale events;Reinstating the ‘grand staircase’ as a central part of the new accessible route into the gardens from Rosemount Viaduct;A net gain in trees.

Award-winning consultancy LDA Design engaged with the public and stakeholders in developing the new plan for the gardens, which won strong support before being approved by Aberdeen City Council.

The Union Terrace Gardens improvements are part of the City Centre Masterplan which is designed to invigorate the area with both public and private investment.