Campaigners who oppose the controversial Marischal Square development in Aberdeen have expressed shock at new 3D images which interpret how the £107million complex on Broad Street could look.
A software firm has put together the film, posted to a social media site, which shows the planned hotel, office and retail scheme from various vantage points including Upperkirkgate and Gallowgate.
Muse Developments was granted planning permission for the revamp of the site of the former council headquarters St Nicholas House in October last year.
Ken Hutcheon, a member of Queen’s Cross and Harlaw Community Council, said the images shocked him.
The images have not been authorised by Muse or Aberdeen City Council, however.
A source close to the developer said it was a “very poor” representation of what the complex will look like.
Aberdeen Central MSP Kevin Stewart, who has been a vocal critic of the development, said: “These 3D images show how hideous these proposed buildings may look and highlight how the architectural treasures of Marischal College and Provost Skene’s House will masked by high rise boxes, which are as bad as or worse than St Nicholas House.
“In my opinion, the Labour-led council have taken a regressive step by allowing this horrendous development to proceed. I would urge them to abandon this plan and save Aberdonians from having to live with yet another eyesore on this site.”
Willie Young, Labour group secretary, said: “The development was granted planning permission by the council, however it is for the developer to construct the project.
“My understanding is that these images do not reflect the Muse development accurately. It has been done by a private individual using his own resources and has not come from the city council and has not come from Muse.”
A spokesman for Pinnacle Visualisation, the company which developed the software used to create the the impressions, said the video was based on public documents submitted as part of the Muse planning application.
He insisted that Pinnacle stood by the images in terms of the dimensions of the buildings and said it provided a good “visualisation” of the plans at present.