Greenock Regeneration 2026
The Anchor in the Square
Urban transformations happen in stages, but standing in Clyde Square this week, it feels as though two eras are colliding in real time.
At the centre of it all sits the Men of the Clyde sculpture.
Unveiled in 1975 designed by Naomi Hunt and sculpted by Malcolm Robertson the figures leaning back, straining together to pull a massive ship’s propeller, have held this ground for over fifty years. They stand as a quiet tribute to the generations of workers who built Greenock’s maritime heritage.
Now, they sit right in the eye of a new storm.
All around the plinth, the physical fabric of the mid-20th century town centre is coming down. The eastern wing of the Oak Mall is being peeled back, the footprint of Hector McNeil House is clear, and heavy plant continues to break up concrete, asphalt, and aggregate.
Where shoppers once walked through enclosed corridors, there is now dust, exposed gable ends, and open sky. Yet right in the middle of the rubble and site fencing, the sculpture remains unmoved.
The buildings around them may be shifting, but for now, the Men of the Clyde continue to pull against the tide of change.
Walking through the site today, it’s clear how quickly our mental map of the town centre will have to adapt. What felt fixed and familiar for fifty years is giving way to open sky and new perspectives.
As the site shifts day by day, I’ll be back out with the camera to keep capturing this transition as it unfolds.
Thanks for following along with the project more updates from around the town centre soon.
