Scaffolding has been erected around Glasgow's North Rotunda building, marking the beginning of its transformation into a Nashville-inspired entertainment venue.

JR Scaffold has constructed a bespoke scaffolding system to facilitate restoration work by John Fulton Plumbing & Roofing on behalf of The Forrest Group, the building's owners.

The Forrest Group is investing £15 million to convert the North Rotunda into a world-class venue featuring a live performance area, beer garden, restaurant, and event spaces. The building, vacant since September, requires extensive restoration to revive its architectural features.

JR Scaffold's design includes a fully boarded perimeter scaffold with a loading bay for material transport, beamed lifting points for heavy stone, and a roof saddle scaffold for accessing the glass cupola. Edge protection has been installed on the roof to allow for slate restoration.


Inside the Rotunda, a bespoke crash deck scaffold has been erected beneath the cupola to ensure worker safety. A tent-like structure has also been built beside the building to provide a weatherproof area for painting the new cupola before its installation.

The scaffolding is expected to remain in place for six months, with some sections being erected and dismantled throughout the project.

John Jack, Contracts Director at JR Scaffold, said: "There is no doubt that North Rotunda is one of Glasgow's most iconic buildings, therefore we wanted this scaffold to be aesthetically pleasing while meeting our high safety standards – it's sure to catch the eye of passersby on their way to the Scottish Event Campus (SEC) which comprises the SEC Centre, SEC Armadillo and OVO Hydro. We're really pleased with the bespoke scaffolding we have created to meet the needs of the team at John Fulton Plumbing & Roofing as they undertake work to restore this circular building. They are long-standing partners of ours and we're delighted to have the opportunity to work alongside them on this unique piece of architecture in Glasgow."