McLaughlin & Harvey has announced the commencement of deconstruction works of Granton Waterfront's gasholder bell in Edinburgh, Scotland.

The bell’s dismantling will move forward the restoration works on the frame’s original 76m x 46m structure.

The UK-based construction company started work in January this year on behalf of the City of Edinburgh Council.

The council intends to open up the land to create a new multipurpose public space as part of its larger £1.3bn ($1.65m) regeneration project at Granton Waterfront, to establish a new sustainable coastal town.

The project, which seeks to transform land at the gasholder bell into a new city park, is using £16.4m from the Levelling Up Fund provided by the UK government.

Furthermore, the Scottish Government contributed an additional £1.2m to construct the public park.

Edinburgh Council leader Cammy Day said: “It marked a historic moment [removal of the bell] as this iconic structure will be transformed now to move on with the times to serve a completely different purpose for the local community to enjoy arts, sports and culture for future generations to come.

“Now the bell has gone the contractor can get on with the exciting work to transform the frame back to its original glory which will be seen for miles around.”

The restored gasholder space will feature multisensory play zones, an outdoor space for sports and other events, outdoor trails and tracks for exercise, a dedicated space for public art, and a relaxation area.

According to McLaughlin & Harvey's civil Engineering director Seamus Devlin, the deconstruction of the bell will be complete "this week" and wall removal work will begin in the coming weeks.