Bridgegate House Refurbishment, Irvine

The transformation of Bridgegate House involved a complete facelift for this key property.

The project has radically altered the look of this building and created a more contemporary feel to this area of Irvine's shopping centre.

The project complements the redevelopment of the Birdgegate public realm.

Work started on the refurbishment of Bridgegate house in Irvine in July 2012. Phase 1 was completed in May 2013, with phase 2 completed in the winter 2013.

Extensive work to both the interior and exterior of the building has completely transformed this prominent building to provide modern office accommodation including a new customer centre.

Ian Springford Architects created the design which has brought complete change to the exterior of Bridgegate House. The new design provides a new glazed look for the fascia of Bridgegate House, replacing the previous frontage with a cleaner, brighter and more modern look. See more images on Ian Springford Architects site.

Along with refurbished shop fronts, one of the most significant elements of the new-look Bridgegate House is the new North Ayrshire Council customer centre. This is located at the High Street entrance to the building and is now the main port of call for local people contacting the Council.

The total project investment was £8.5 million. North Ayrshire Council led on this project and contributing the majority of the cost of this major overhaul, including the interior fit-out, with Irvine Bay providing £800,000 towards the external works.


In June 2014 Bridgegate House won the commercial category at the RIBA J Schueco Excellence Awards in London. The refurbishment was praised for being ‘simple and unpretentious’.

The project

A planning application was submitted in November 2010 and planning permission given. Submissions from six short-listed companies for the main works were received in February 2012.

Graham Construction were appointed to carry out both interior and exterior refurbishment works.

The work was carried out in two phases to ensure a continuity of access for local residents. The first phase was completed in May 2013 and the second in winter 2013.

For further information contact: Lawrence Cree (Project Manager)

Listening to your views

A successful 'pop-up-shop' provided a place for over 500 people to share their views on the plans. The shop ran for two days in October 2011 at unit 2b, The Bridgegate (formerly the Stationary Box).