Alicydon Limited bought the 1840s structure from Apex Hotels earlier this year after hotel proposals were dropped by the previous owners.

Formerly the base of Dundee Port Authority, the building has largely lain empty since 2008.

Alicydon is now keen to keep some of the building’s historical features in the transformation, with those unable to be retained gifted to local historical societies.

As well as keeping the main entrance and vestibule area, some of the original walls will be kept along with the internal staircase, which Historic Environment Scotland has said is the most important feature of the building.

And outside the building, remnants of the granite Calcutta Lane and its railway tracks will be retained and reused as a design feature.

In its design statement, the developers said: “Our approach to the design of this project is based on the architectural and historical context in which the building was designed, the history of the city of Dundee, its industry, its cultural development, its waterfront and harbourside, and the architectural legacy this historical era has left.

“Our design approach is not nostalgic or regressive, it is firmly rooted in our belief that we can learn from our past, if we understand it.”

Images courtesy of JM Architects