Exhibition: Building Scotland 1945-1985

A photographic exhibition exploring Scotland's recent past through its twentieth century architecture is free to view throughout August at Glasgow City Heritage Trust. There are some unlikely additions to the roster which have been selected for the important points they make about Scotland's history between 1945 and 1985. Typographical House, Glasgow's derelict 1950s office-block at Clyde Street is one of the more surprising entries which is highlighted for its rarity as a small-scale office building, and its social history links, once serving as home to the Graphical, Paper and Media Union. Other structures such as Sillitto House in Edinburgh and the M8 Bailleston Interchange pull off the same feat; the commonplace propelling us to renewed appreciation of the local built environment and to reflect on what the architecture says about the people who inhabit it.

Docomomo Scotland, active campaigners for the conservation of Scotland's twentieth century architecture produced the exhibition for Glasgow City Heritage Trust. Docomomo Scotland is the local branch of Docomomo International, the committee for the documentation and conservation of buildings designed in the Modern Movement. Their organisation's website is well worth a gander for links to news items about the event and to related websites including this self-made Google map of 60 key Scottish monuments. From the website, you can also access this year's annual edition of MoMo World Scotland, an excellent, newsy introduction to modernist architecture in Scotland.

Building Scotland: 1945-1985 runs until September 2nd at the Heritage Trust's offices in Bell Street - directions here. Some of the examples of the structures on display can be browsed via the BBC's news website here.

Cosmogenesis: 1,2,3 for the GFT!

With work in progress to add a third screen to the Glasgow Film Theatre on Rose Street, we thought we'd take the opportunity to take a closer look at the history of Glasgow's much loved, art-house cinema.

The GFT began life in May 1939 as The Cosmo and was the first art-house cinema to be opened outside London. Architect W.J. Anderson II of John McKissick & Son designed the building as a homage to the Curzon in Mayfair, the longest established art-house cinema in the UK.

The brown-brick, windowless facade and towered entrance are inspired by European modernist architecture of the time, notably that of the Dutch designer Willem Dudok best known for the brick Hilversum City Hall near Amsterdam. In the book Architecture of Glasgow held by GSA Library, the authors describe the building as set on a plinth of black Swedish granite and clad in Ayrshire brick with a cream faience trim. Unbeknown to many, Gillespie Kidd & Coia replaced the lighted glass canopy in the mid-1960s and rebuilt the offices which back onto Renfrew Street.

The Cosmo was reincarnated as the Glasgow Film Theatre in 1974. Since then, it has been remodelled to include two screens and Cafe Cosmo which will sadly cease to exist when the new 60-seat cinema is built on top of the existing bar. The cafe with its dimly-lit ambience has been a popular meeting place for conversation between film enthusiasts. Alasdair Gray may be making a thinly-veiled allusion to Cafe Cosmo in Lanark's opening line in his description of The Elite Cafe, "entered by a staircase from the foyer of a cinema." The eponymous hero who spends his time walking and visiting libraries and cinemas, may in Gray's imagination, have been a frequent visitor - especially given the artist's proximity to the cinema as a student of GSA in the 1950s. There are plans to develop a new cafe to the rear of the revamped cinema in addition to an office, kiosk and canopy and it will be exciting to see whether this feature retains its verve!

Today the GFT continues to contribute to the cultural and artistic scene in Glasgow with the £1.6 million development surely enhancing this position. The 1930s design marks it out from the run-of-the-mill entertainment multiplexes which welcome droves of sugar-frenzied cinema-goers through the doors to indulge in the guilty pleasures of the latest multi-million grossing blockbuster. Always the serious older sibling, the GFT is unique for the crowds it attracts to watch its cult screenings, something to which the success of the Glasgow Film Festival is testimony.

Cineworld may have the distinction of being the world's tallest cinema, but given its designated 'Carbunkle' status, it's the art-deco charm of the GFT that more stylishly represents Glasgow's continuing obsession with the pictures!

Brutally Honest - Scottish Brutalism Site from University of Strathclyde

The threat of demolition looming large over increasing numbers of Brutalist buildings has inadvertently thrust the style back into the public conscience. Down the road at University of Strathclyde, planners are still refusing to rule out demolition of its famous architecture building while in England, Preston Council's bid to block Preston Bus Station being granted listed heritage status rumbles on.

Brutalist architecture has courted controversy since its inception in 1950s Britain. Simultaneously held up as an affordable solution for public buildings and cheap housing and as an urban decay problem, the buildings have, over the decades, weathered the critics little better than the elements. As more beleaguered buildings are condemned to demolition, efforts are being stepped up to conserve the architecture style's heritage.

Enter research student Ross Brown who has launched the website scotbrut.co.uk to accompany the Scottish Brutalism project at the University of Strathclyde. The site is modestly being billed as a work in progress, downplaying the extremely useful and well-researched content on offer. The aim is to illustrate the quality and variety of the architecture style around Glasgow and the west region of Scotland through the continuous mapping, documenting and archiving of prime examples. There are a number of high-quality images of the Strathclyde campus and the Charing Cross area, as well as an article by Brown on Glasgow School of Art's former Newbery Tower. Our top tip would be to check the links to other sites, which lists Robert Proctor and Ambrose Gillick's project-blog on Roman Catholic Architecture in Britain, and the illustrated online database of Gillespie, Kidd & Coia images. The fact that many of these sites have direct relevance to the Brutalist style, is in itself, evidence of growing popular interest.

To be alerted to new posts from the scotbrut.co.uk website, follow @scotbrut on Twitter, or join the mailing list.

Kernels of History - Glasgow's Odeon Cinema

With demolition imminent at Glasgow's Odeon Cinema on Renfield Street, a posting by the Urban Exploration Forums gives us snapshots of this one-time great institution. 

Once the busiest picture-house in the city, the Odeon was designed by architects Frank T. Verity & Samuel Beverly in the early 1930s. It was originally built as a single 2800-seater cinema and opened as the Paramount Theatre in 1934. The building was promptly snapped up by the Odeon chain and flourished as a popular music venue - the Beatles and the Rolling Stones both famously played here in its halcyon days! The cinema was divided into smaller screens in 1969-70, by which time the neon lights lighting-up the uber-cool curved entrance and bare brick walls were also gone. The history books may critique Odeon for stripping the building of its glamorous 30s interiors to bring it in line with the company's corporate image yet, thanks to the building's Grade B listed status, the Art Deco facade and entrance-hall should be retained. 

In the days before Cineworld's domination, the Odeon, for many, was the main place to queue around the block, waiting for the doors to open on the latest picture. Those doors may have closed to the public in 2006, the building due to be transformed into another office block, but the photographs will ensure its legacy is always shown.
http://www.urbexforums.com/showthread.php/14800-Odeon-Cinema-Renfield-St-Glasgow-24-3-11-%28Permission-Visit

Architecture on UCL Lunch Hour Lectures

University College London's (UCL) 'Lunch Hour Lectures' are worth keeping an eye on for topics on architecture. The lectures take place at the university each day between 1pm and 2pm, are streamed live online, and can be watched from 2 weeks after the event on the website or via UCL's YouTube channel. The lectures can also be downloaded from iTunes U. 

The content covers the entire scope of research areas in UCL and is exceptionally varied as a result. There is the odd architectural gem to be discovered however, such as 'The Metaphysics of Concrete' from February 2012 which looks at the Western world's growing consumption of concrete as building material and questions of design to which such consumption inevitably give rise. 

The link to this particular lecture is given below. We'll continue to blog about others of interest to GSA students in future.

http://www.ucl.ac.uk/lhl/streamed/

http://www.ucl.ac.uk/lhl/Spring2012/09_21022012

Churches in the modern world

A current exhibition (http://www.thelighthouse.co.uk//visit/exhibition/churches-in-the-modern-world1) at the Lighthouse in Glasgow presents case study buildings which illustrate how some post-war church architects and their clients in the UK moved away from tradition and conservatism to modernity. It explores the wider context of religious, social and urban change, and is one of the outcomes of an Arts and Humanities Research Council supported project led by Dr Robert Proctor of the Mackintosh School of Architecture. On 26 September at 6pm there will be a seminar at the Lighthouse with three speakers, including Bob Proctor, Dominic Wilson talking about F X Velarde, and Diane Watters on Scottish church architecture.

Oral histories of theatre design

The British Library's massive oral history website, 'Sounds', includes some interesting recordings of architects and others involved in theatre design discussing their experiences and work. Architects featured include Peter Moro, Denys Lasdun, Jane Drew, and Paul Rudolph. To locate these recordings, go to the British Library Sounds website at http://sounds.bl.uk/Search then type 'Theatre Design' in the search box, and use the drop-down category 'Arts, Literature and Performance'.

Peter Womersley

Historic Scotland has produced a free online booklet looking at the career of Peter Womersley (1923-1993), known for his small but varied architectural output in central and southern Scotland. Key buildings are described and illustrated, and there is a short bibliography. 

Bertrand Goldberg and Marina City

We've just added a new book, 'Bertrand Goldberg, architecture of invention' to library stock. It's the catalogue of the exhibition currently at the Art Institute of Chicago, which itself is accompanied by a website showcasing some little-known material. Anyone wanting to find out more about Goldberg's Marina City development might also be interested in a 'A city within a city'; an original brochure about the complex that we hold in our store.

Where did you get to on Doors Open Day?

Some images from a visit to the 23rd floor community flat in the soon-to-be demolished Red Road flats in Glasgow as part of this year's Doors Open celebrations.

Power to the People

Historic Scotland recently held a conference to celebrate the achievements of Scottish architects and engineers in pioneering the generation of hydroelectricity in the UK. An associated free book can be downloaded from the Historic Scotland website which traces the development of the industry and assesses the contribution of a number of distinguished pre- and post-war architects. A gazetteer provides an overview of the existing infrastructure in Scotland.

Post-war Edinburgh

A partnership between Edinburgh City Council and Historic Scotland has resulted in a free online book which celebrates the city's post-war architectural development. The well-illustrated publication includes a useful map and gazetteer, and can be downloaded as a pdf.

Cedric Price

To accompany the launch of the exhibition on architect/engineer Cedric Price at the Lighthouse in Glasgow, Architecture and Design Scotland have recorded and made available online a panel discussion on Price which took place at the exhibition's launch. A second discussion takes place at the Lighthouse tonight, 19 May, and will feature a presentation by Price scholar Professor Stanley Mathews.

T C Boyle on Frank Lloyd Wright

If you're looking for a different perspective on Frank Lloyd Wright, we've bought a copy of T C Boyle's book 'The women', a semi-fictional account of FLW's disastrous relationships with three successive women, narrated from the perspective of a Japanese apprentice. It's a less-than-flattering portrait of FLW, and architecture is very much at the margins of the story, but as with all Boyle's books, it's a beautifully written tale. Perhaps appropriately, it's on the GSA Library fiction shelves under 'BOY'.

Zonnestraal Sanatorium

Following on from yesterday's rather bleak posting about Glasgow's Egyptian Halls, here's a more positive story of successful architectural preservation. The Zonnestraal ('sunbeam') Sanatorium near Hilversum, Holland (Jan Duiker, 1926-1931) has been lovingly restored by the founders of the DOCOMOMO movement. In this article for the New York Review of Books, Martin Filler charts the sanatorium's history and outlines the renovation work.

500 up!

As this is my 500th blog posting, I'd like to thank all readers and particularly Penny Anderson and Duncan Chappell for their many contributions. I've just returned from a long-planned trip to Chicago, so I'm indulging myself with an image of one of the city's more recent skyscrapers. It's the elegant and streamlined 1389-foot Trump Tower by Skidmore, Owings and Merrill, pictured here with the landmark 1929 Carbon & Carbide Building. Strangely, the Trump Tower has received relatively little coverage in the architectural journals. For anyone familiar with Glasgow, Chicago is a fascinating destination because of its social, economic and physical similarities, albeit on a much vaster scale.

St Andrew House, Glasgow

Another piece of Glasgow's 1960s high-rise history is currently being significantly altered by a refurbishment. St Andrew House in Sauchiehall Street was built in 1964 by Arthur Swift & Partners, best-known for their monumental Victoria Shopping Centre in Nottingham. Described by the Glasgow architectural guidebook 'Glasgow at a glance' as a 'powerful landmark', St Andrew House's exposed aggregate cladding panels are currently being replaced. The image shown here is from the SCRAN database and shows the building under construction.

Underground journeys

The V&A Museum in London in partnership with the RIBA Trust has been hosting an exhibition of original architectural drawings by Charles Holden. In case you can't make it to the exhibition, which closes on 11 February, a rather nice little guide providing background information on Holden's designs for London Transport can be downloaded from the architecture.com website.

Images from GSA Archives and Collections

GSA's Archives and Collections have been busy adding further images from the collections to their Flickr site, some of which will be of particular interest to architects. They include 20 images of Charles Rennie Mackintosh's Art Lover's House competition entry, published in 1902 by Alexander Koch; various Beaux-Arts drawings by Eugene Bourdon; and photographic highlights from the post-war Gillespie, Kidd & Coia archive.

Scaled and Polished

Glasgow's 1930s Dental Hospital, on Renfrew Street close to the School of Art, is rather a forgotten building, particularly as its 1970s extension on Sauchiehall Street now provides the main public entrance. The original block was built 1927-1931 by Wylie, Wright & Wylie, and its cast iron panels with their Art Deco zigzags have just been repainted from a dull grey to a much better steely blue. If you like the inter-war style it's definitely worth a detour, as the building is now looking its best for many years.