Vacant Aberdeen city centre office building plans for ambitious renovation unveiled

A vacant Aberdeen city centre office building could be given a striking makeover with developers launching ambitious plans to create a new retail space.

Atholl House has remained empty for nearly a decade, and sits above the railway station's northern platforms, with its brutalist architecture considered an eyesore by some.

Now, Cater Group has revealed details of how it could transform the building with an artist's impression of how the rebranded building could look.

READ MORE: Police rush to two-vehicle crash on Aberdeenshire road as three hospitalised

READ MORE: RGU men’s football team embark on madcap Movember challenges in £10k fundraising effort

"The Metropolitan" would contain space for commercial units within a nearly 14,000 sq ft space, opening the door for potential shops or eateries.

Developers praised its location in the city centre and close links to key transport hubs, with both the rail and bus stations a stone's throw away from the Guild Street site.

Atholl House was first built back in the 1970s during Aberdeen's oil and gas boom, and it became the home for civil servants into the latter decades.

The building was previously earmarked for demolition in 2018, but it remains standing today and has most recently been used to display Nuart Festival artworks on its exterior.

On more than one occasion, plans to turn the block into homes have emerged, while separate plans had considered transforming the site into student flats, a hotel, and even a public square.

Cater Group told Aberdeen Live that the planning process is still in its early stages, with the website stating work is expected to commence in 2025.