PLANS have been drawn up to make Glasgow’s iconic Hielanman’s Umbrella a more attractive space.

Glasgow City Council commissioned a design team to come up with ways to “lighten the space” under the railway bridge on Argyle Street and “make it more appealing to a wide variety of visitors”.

Proposals have now been submitted for planning approval.

They include new hand-painted ‘Central Station’ signage on the prominent east and west facades, using a style that featured in the 1950s.

Words either side of the ‘Central Station’ lettering will either be the Gaelic for umbrella or ‘Scotland’s Railway’ branding.

There will also be changes to shopfronts including a new red, blue, green colour scheme; improved lighting; and series of neon artworks between shop units.

The design team, led by architects Dress for the Weather, state that their ideas aim to create a “real shift in the atmosphere” within the Hielanman’s Umbrella space.

They explain: “The proposed enhancements consist of a series of interventions that will change the aesthetic and atmosphere of the space through changes to the surfaces, signs, colours and lighting.”

Hielanman’s Umbrella supports the concourse, rail lines and platforms of Glasgow Central Station.

The name is Scots and comes from Highlandman’s Umbrella, a term that referred to the large number of Gaels who used to gather underneath the bridge, which was at its height in the 1920s and 1930s.