Is this the ugliest new building in Scotland?

The historic and much-loved Plaza Ballroom, where generations of dancers flocked during its heyday from the 1920s to 1960s, was transformed into 77 flats by Southplace Homes last year. The Plaza Ballroom at Eglinton Toll opened in 1922. It was famous for its multicoloured lights, sprung floor and central fountain. The dancehall was one of several in Glasgow and was hugely popular among dancers because style-wise it was ahead of its time. It was a city institution for decades and entertained generations of Glaswegians, many of whom met on its crowded dancefloor. New Order played one of their first live shows there in 1981. The Plaza lay empty for a decade before Southplace won planning permission in 2005 for 77 flats. It was finally demolished in September 2006, with the developer incorporating some of the original red sandstone facade into the new Plaza scheme. The flats in the new seven-storey development went on sale in September 2007. The scheme is named Worst New Building in the January 2009 carbuncle awards by Prospect architectural magazine.

But the scheme in the South Side has now picked up a less than flattering carbuncle award from architecture experts.

Judges of the gong said it incorporated the original single storey sandstone façade into an "ugly block of flats" overwhelmed by a new building that lacked "any form of style or design quality".

Gordon Young, editor of Prospect magazine and www.architecturescotland.co.uk, which organises the competition said: "What were these people thinking?

"They have ended up with a building that looks ridiculous. More balls-up than ballroom."

The demolition of the ballroom prompted anger from residents who wanted to save it when the scheme was first unveiled in 2005.

The developers refused to comment on the award or defend the multimillion pound building.

But outside the £250,000 flats on Victoria Road at Eglinton Toll, the public gave their verdict on the property's controversial Worst New Building' title.

And they all agreed with the Carbuncle Awards judges with some branding it one of the ugliest buildings they had seen' and another describing it as a blot on the landscape.

Elsewhere in the awards, Lanarkshire finally escaped its curse which has plagued Cumbernauld, Airdrie and Coatbridge on consecutive years.

After fierce competition from Motherwell and New Cumnock, in Ayrshire, the title of the most dismal place in Scotland went to Glenrothes, which took the Plook-on-the-Plinth award.

The Fife New Town, was singled out for its depressed and investment-starved town centre.

Mr Young said: "A primary criteria of the Carbuncles is that the towns shortlisted must have real potential, which local leaders for one reason or another are failing to exploit.

"We are not interested in criticising deprived areas which are dismal through no fault of their own. We believe the truly depressing places are the ones that are being stifled."

Glasgow Harbour was included in the Carbuncle shortlist, prompting the city architect Alan Dunlop to resign from the board of Prospect magazine.

But it was beaten by Donald Trump's scheme to build a £1billion golf resort, hotel complex and housing estate on an unspoilt patch of the Aberdeenshire coastline which won the Worst Planning Decision award.

Mr Young said: "Glasgow Harbour, Leith Docks - and now this beautiful stretch of coastline - have all been surrendered by public bodies to developers; a trend which is having a negative effect on the built environment.

"What is the point of planning principles and designating areas, like the location of Trump's development, as a Site of Special Scientific Interest if the rules are ripped up every time somebody gets their cheque book out?" YOUR VIEWS . . . BRIAN KELLY, 59, self employed, Maryhill: It looks like it has been built upside down. The dance hall was brilliant but this is absolutely dreadful - it looks like there's a car park on the roof. GERRY THOMSON, 38, furniture designer, Govanhill: I'm amazed there were architects involved in the design. It's one of the most uninspiring I've seen in a long time. JACQUELINE ALLAN, 43, bookmaker, Crosshill: The old dance hall was quite nice. But this is awful, a blot on the landscape. If they had done it one colour rather than three it would be better. ELAINE GALLAGHER, 48, bar worker, Govanhill: It's not a very attractive building, but I suppose it's what people build these days. I really don't like the windows, they're too small. LYN MacINTYRE, 20, drama student, Islay: You can kind of see what they were trying to do but I don't understand why they did it in three different colours. MASOUD FAEZ, 35, taxi driver, Pollokshaws: I really don't like it. It has to be one of the ugliest buildings around here. I've seen inside and that's dreadful too.