Glasgow plans for Soho House and the Love Loan building development

A landmark redevelopment of a city block beside City Chambers will be the Glasgow venue for Soho House with the private members club set to open in 2024. This will be the centrepoint of the Love Loan neighbourhood development in the city centre.

As well as restoring the buildings in the city centre block, the Chris Stewart Group have created a new lane running parallel to George Street. Funding up to £648,000 from the City Centre Strategy budget was allocated to this scheme by Glasgow City Council for public realm space. In addition to housing, restaurants, bars and shops, Love Loan includes a 245-bed Marriott hotel, 168 MYLocanda serviced apartments, Flight Club - a social darts venue - and the new private members club.

The development’s name is derived from the history of the area, as the original Love Loan in the 1800s, a narrow lane that ran diagonally from John Street to the top of north Frederick Street, was a hub for diverse trades such as chairmaking, coal dealing, and was the site of the Singer sewing machine company’s first manufacturing facility outside the USA.

The Glasgow planning applications for changes to a listed building has been approved and Soho House will be part of a collection of old and new buildings making up the Love Loan development: “Located just off George Square, the new neighbourhood of Love Loan is taking shape. Buildings have been restored and reimagined around a newly constructed lane and planned specifically with Glasgow’s renowned hospitality and social scene in mind.

“A beautifully designed hotel, stylish venues for eating and drinking, and contemporary, state-of-the-art serviced apartments and studios, as well as a private members club, are all moving in, with AC by Marriott and Flight Club just some of the brands opening new venues within the development.”

The glamorous Soho House chain of private members’ clubs courts the creative industries and was founded by Nick Jones, who is married to broadcaster Kirsty Young, and recently stepped down from his role as chief executive of parent company Membership Collective Group.

In March 2021, Jones told The Times that over the next three years, clubs would be opened in Glasgow, Manchester and Brighton. The Manchester and Brighton Beach clubs are already underway. “Glasgow is where it properly happens,” he said, “Britain is not just about London. We’re very excited to be opening in the north of England and Scotland.”

The footprint of the development includes a legacy of Glasgow City Council planning buildings, the HM Revenue & Customs tax office and the Register’s Office on Martha Street, the Parish Halls, an 80-year-old gap site and assorted small storage buildings opposite the Glasgow City Chambers in the city centre. Soho House will fit into a revamped building with access to part of the Parish Halls, near the junction of George Street and John Street, facing the side of City Chambers. It will sit alongside a new building nearing completion that will be the entrance to the AC by Marriott hotel.

The planning application explains what will be on each level of the building, with Soho Lounge, Winter Garden and Collector’s Hall Bar on the ground level, the Soho Kitchen restaurant on the second floor, the club and supporting accommodation on the third floor, and the Soho Terrace and rooftop bar on the fourth level.

Glasgow committee members will work with Soho House to shape the membership and activities for the club. Members include:

• Kaye Adams, Broadcaster
• Karen Dunbar, Comedian
• Kate Spiers, SHOTY Judge/Lifestyle Blogger
• Neil McCallum, Commissioning Editor BBC
• Geoff Ellis – CEO DF Concerts
• Barrington Reeves, Founder Too Gallus
• Allison Gardner, Chief Executive Glasgow Film Theatre
• Shereen Cutkelvin, Musician
• Sanjeev Kohli, Actor
• Julie Lin Macleod, Restauranteur
• Ian West, Dancer
• Usi Kusi, Mananger Peggy Gou
• Andrew Fleming-Brown (Mutley), SWG3
• Mark Hogarth, Creative Director Harris Tweed
• Heather Suttie, PR
• Jamie Genevieve, CEO Vieve Cosmetics
• Aarti Joshi, Broadcaster
• Harry Olorunda, Director Park Lane Market
• Matt Bates, Publisher Muswell Press
• Jess Tedds, Food/Lifestyle Blogger

Soho House has been actively building a community in Glasgow through events as part of its Cities Without Houses network, led locally by Poppy Murricane who has hosted events including a spectacular Burns Night celebration at The Engine Works in Mayhill, dinners in venues including Gaga Bar and Kitchen in Partick.

Elsewhere in the new development, Mactaggart & Mickel Group has completed a £4.25 million acquisition of a rental property scheme at Love Loan. The development includes 12 one to four-bedroom furnished apartments within the refurbished B-listed building at the corner of George Square. These residences will be offered for rent, with lettings managed by DJ Alexander.

Speaking of the new development, Andrew Mickel, Mactaggart & Mickel Group director, said: “We are excited to see this ambitious and transformative new development come to fruition at Love Loan.

“This prestigious new neighbourhood will create a buzz and energy, revitalising this area of the city centre.

“The restoration of many original design features and the reimagining of the spaces within 280 George Street by Hoskins Architects has resulted in 12 exceptional apartments bringing a new level of luxury modern living to Glasgow.”