Basic Site Details

Name: Victoria Buildings
City or county: Glasgow
Country: Scotland
Parish:  
Status: B listed
Grid ref:
Notes: VICTORIA BUILDINGS - About twenty months ago there existed betwixt Renfield Street and Nile Street, opposite the west division of Regent Street, a vacant space upwards of half an acre in extent. Mr. Archibald Orr Ewing, of the Levenbank Printworks, has now entirely covered that large area with a noble pile of buildings, which, besides adding much to tile value of that locality, form a link of no inconsiderable importance between the sumptuous mansions of the West End Park, and the public buildings in the heart of the city.

The edifice consists of warehouses, counting-rooms, public offices, and shops. When a building is devoted to one particular purpose, - a warehouse, church, theatre, or bank— it is comparatively an easy task for the architect to make his design in accordance with the character which ought to appertain to these different structures; but it is a more difficult task to deal with a large mass of building which is to be applied to various uses, so as to produce a good general effect, yet not out of harmony with these. This difficulty, we think, has in this instance been successfully overcome. The style which has been adopted is a combination of Scotch and Flemish Gothic. The mass is not much broken up, but the sky-line ia varied and picturesque. The principal frontage, facing Regent Street, which is 241 feet in length, is divided by a slight break in the centre, and the two principal entrance doors are in the middle of these compartments. The doors lead to handsome staircases, lighted by oriel windows, from which access is obtained to the different floors of the buildings. The clustering of the windows, the boldly-projecting corbelled parapet, with its characteristic rope moulding underneath, the effective treatment of the dormers in alternation with the bold Flemish chimney-shafts at the spring of roofs, and the massive railing and pedestals in front of areas to Regent-street, show that the breadth and simplicity which characterise the mass have not been lost sight of in detail. We may state that the building is 241 feet long, by 92 feet deep ; that there are upwards of 420 windows, independent of roof lights, and that it occupies the entire division of the street, being quite detached on all the four sides. The architect of this most important work is Mr. J. A. Bell, of Edinburgh. [Building News 17 February 1860 p121]

Building Type Classification

The building is classified under the following categories:
 ClassificationOriginal classification?Notes
Item 1 of 1Office  

Street Addresses

The following street addresses are associated with this building:
 AddressMain entrance?Notes
Item 1 of 364-70, Renfield StreetYes 
Item 2 of 325, West Nile StreetYes 
Item 3 of 32-4, West Regent StreetYes 

Events

The following date-based events are associated with this building:
 FromToEvent typeNotes
Item 1 of 118581860  

People

Design and Construction

The following individuals or organisations have carried out design/construction work. Where architects or practices worked together, matching letters appear beside their names in the Partnership Group column.
 NameRolePartnership GroupFromToNotes
Item 1 of 1Jonathan Anderson Bell  18581860 

Clients

The following individuals or organisations have commissioned work on this building/design:
 NameNotes
Item 1 of 1Orr Ewing, Archibald (Sir) - baronet, of Ballikinrain 

References

Bibliographic References

The following books contain references to this building:
 Author(s)DateTitlePartPublisherNotes
Item 1 of 1RSA1861    

Periodical References

The following periodicals contain references to this building:
 Periodical NameDateEditionPublisherNotes
Item 1 of 1Building News17 February 1860  p121

Archive References

The following archives hold material relating to this building:
 SourceArchive nameSource catalogue no.Notes
Item 1 of 1Historic Environment ScotlandListed Buildings Register33269