Basic Site Details

Name: University of Glasgow, main quadrangles
Town, district or village: Gilmorehill
City or county: Glasgow
Country: Scotland
Parish:  
Status: A listed
Grid ref:
Notes: New university buildings commissioned following purchase of High Street site of original ones by a subsidiary of the North British Railway Company (see also the previous unexecuted scheme for buildings on the Woodlands site, produced under similar circumstances). The appointment of George Gilbert Scott without recourse to a competition was highly controversial.

Main block, also quadrangle, Bute Hall, Hunterian Museum and Library.


Bute Hall Memorial Window:
Building News 18 January 1901 Page 86
'A stained-glass window, erected to the memory of the late Principal Caird in the Bute Hall of Glasgow University, was unveiled on Friday. The window was designed by Mr. Dearle, of Messrs. Morris and Co., Surrey. There are four lights, the upper and the lower portions being separated by the gallery of the hall. In the upper part there are figures of four philosophers and four theologians whose works the late Principal delighted to interpret, and in the lower part are allegorical figures of the four faculties_Arts, Medicine, Law, and Divinity; while in the tracery of the window is a small figure symbolical of the Creation of Light. The prevailing colours of the ground-work, which has been kept relatively light and is foliated in design, are white, pale green, and blue. Upon this ground the figures appear in varied colours'...

Alternative Names

The following alternative names are associated with this building/design:
 NameCurrent name?Notes
Item 1 of 2Gilbert Scott Building including West Range  
Item 2 of 2University of Glasgow Gilmorehill Campus Buildings A5 to A17  

Building Type Classification

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

Street Addresses

The following street addresses are associated with this building:
 AddressMain entrance?Notes
Item 1 of 21, GilmorehillYes 
Item 2 of 2University AvenueYes 

Events

The following date-based events are associated with this building:
 FromToEvent typeNotes
Item 1 of 131860s  Design by J T Rochead
Item 2 of 131863  Site purchased for £65,000
Item 3 of 13September 1864  G G Scott commissioned
Item 4 of 134 April 1867  First stone laid
Item 5 of 13July 1867  Date of drawings of scheme by Smith & Wharrie (may just have been a survey of the site) - though Scott had already been appointed by this date
Item 6 of 13May 1868October 1868 Masons' strike caused delay in construction
Item 7 of 138 October 1868 Foundation stoneLaid by Prince & Princess of Wales
Item 8 of 131869 Design exhibitedScott's design
Item 9 of 137 November 1870 OpenedOpened, but work continued
Item 10 of 1318711872 Original scheme completed
Item 11 of 1318781884 Bute Hall and Randolph Hall completed posthumously to G G Scott's designs
Item 12 of 131891 Design exhibitedCompletion of tower - John Oldrid Scott
Item 13 of 131951  Development plan - not executed

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 11John Thomas Rochead  1860s Unexecuted design: circumstances in which it was produced unknown, perhaps in protest at exclusion of Scottish architects from the project
Item 2 of 11(Sir) George Gilbert Scott A18641872Original scheme, inspired by John Baird II's unexecuted 1840s scheme for the university rebuilding
Item 3 of 11James Smith B1867 'Proposed new college buildings' - though Scott had already been appointed by this date.
Item 4 of 11Smith & Wharrie B1867 'Proposed new college buildings' (or perhaps just a survey of the site?)- though Scott had already been appointed by this date.
Item 5 of 11Thomas Smith Wharrie B1867 'Proposed new college buildings' - though Scott had already been appointed by this date.
Item 6 of 11William Conradi ABefore 1867Before 1876As resident clerk of works for George Gilbert Scott
Item 7 of 11Edwin Morgan C18781884As clerk of works - executed the late G G Scott's designs (signed just before his death) for Bute Hall and Randolph Hall with J Oldrid Scott
Item 8 of 11John Oldrid Scott C18781884Executed the late G G Scott's designs (signed just before his death) for Bute Hall and Randolph Hall with Edwin Morgan
Item 9 of 11John Oldrid Scott D18871891Completion of spire to a modification of the late G G Scott's design; consultation on new buildings
Item 10 of 11John Oldrid Scott E1896 Mural memorials to Lord Sandford and Professor Veitch
Item 11 of 11(Sir) Frank Charles Mears  1951 Development plan - not executed

Related Buildings, Structures and Designs

Child Structures

This structure or site has the following component or child structures (click on an item to view details):
 Building NameNotes
Item 1 of 3Glasgow University, Memorial Tablet Bute HallA memorial tablet, including a medallion portrait of the late Sir William Ramsay KCB FRS is to be erected in the University of Glasgow, of which he was a graduate and teacher. The University Court has arranged that the memorial, which is designed by Sir John J. Burnet, shall lie placed in a conspicuous position at the entrance to the Bute Hall. [Building News 4 July 1917 Page 17]
Item 2 of 3University of Glasgow, New Medical Buildings 
Item 3 of 3University of Glasgow, War Memorial Chapel and Arts BuildingBuilt in previous open space in western court of university buildings - completing G G Scott's quadrangle. Sculptor Archibald Dawson assisted by Andrew Wilson; stained glass of chapel's four west windows by Douglas Strachan; faculty stained glass in north wall by Gordon Webster (1954)

References

Bibliographic References

The following books contain references to this building:
 Author(s)DateTitlePartPublisherNotes
Item 1 of 15Billings, R W1845The baronial and ecclesiastical antiquities of Scotland4VEdinburgh 
Item 2 of 15Brown, A L, Moss, M1996The University of Glasgow: 1451-1996  p32-56
Item 3 of 15Gomme, Andor and Walker, David1987Architecture of GlasgowSecond revised ednLondon: Lund Humphries1st ed (1968), pp46-47, 169-170, 177, 249
Item 4 of 15Grant, David The Office of Works and the Renovation of the Scottish Universities, 1808-89   
Item 5 of 15Grant, David2005Removal of the University of Glasgow to Woodlands Hill 1845-49 and Gilmorehill, 1853-83v.135Proceedings of the Society of Antiquaries, pp213-258 
Item 6 of 15Graves, Algernon1905The Royal Academy of Arts: a complete dictionary of exhibitors and their works…1905-6London: Graves and Bell1869, no 977 Goerge Gilbert Scott); 1891, no 1755 (completition of tower by John Ordrid Scott)
Item 7 of 15Macaulay, James2009Sir George Gilbert Scott and the University of Glasgow (Eds) Jones, D and McKinistry, S 'Essays in Scots and English Architectural Historypp71-81
Item 8 of 15McKinstry, Sam and Ding, Ying Yong2015'Hybridised' financial control in the Victorian construction Industry: George Gilbert Scott's rebuilding of Glasgow U In 'Accounting History' 
Item 9 of 15Ross, A and Hume, J1975A New and Splendid Edifice: the architecture of the University of Glasgow  pp15-18
Item 10 of 15RSA1871   935 (Rochead design)
Item 11 of 15Service, Alastair1975Edwardian Architecture and its Origins  p211
Item 12 of 15Thomson, Allen1870Introductory Addresses delivered at the Opening of the University of Glasgowi-xxvi  
Item 13 of 15Urquhart, G2000Along Great Western Road  pp64-69
Item 14 of 15Weir, D H, Veitch, J and Cowan, J B1871Memorials of the Old College of Glasgow   
Item 15 of 15Williamson, Riches, Higgs1990Glasgow (The Buildings of Scotland)  pp335,339,343; plates 47-8

Periodical References

The following periodicals contain references to this building:
 Periodical NameDateEditionPublisherNotes
Item 1 of 5Architect21 October 1887  Spire
Item 2 of 5Building News10 August 1883  Bute Hall
Item 3 of 5Building News6 July 1888  Spire
Item 4 of 5Building News18 January 1901  p86
Item 5 of 5Proceedings of the Glasgow Architectural Society   Criticisms of Scott's scheme

Archive References

The following archives hold material relating to this building:
 SourceArchive nameSource catalogue no.Notes
Item 1 of 12Glasgow Planning Department (?)Glasgow Town Clerk's Department Drawings  
Item 2 of 12Glasgow University ArchivesArchval material relating to the building of the UniversityGB 0248, GUA BUL/6/4/1-30Drawings for Bute Hall etc.
Item 3 of 12Glasgow University ArchivesArchval material relating to the building of the UniversityGB 0248 GUA BUL/6/1/1-320Main building (including Smith & Wharrie scheme?)
Item 4 of 12Glasgow University ArchivesArchval material relating to the building of the UniversityBUL/6/5/1-20West wing and chapel
Item 5 of 12Historic Environment ScotlandListed Buildings Register32913[Main block - quadrangles, Bute Hall, Randolph Hall, Hunterian Museum, Library]

New list description 2011 covers the Gilbert scott Building including West Range, Memorial Chapel and Lion & Unicorn Staircase
Item 6 of 12Historic Environment ScotlandListed Buildings Register32926Professor's Square and Principal's residence
Item 7 of 12National Monuments Record of Scotland/NMRS, RCAHMSNMRS Photographic Archive D T-C 485
Item 8 of 12RIBA Archive, Victoria & Albert MuseumRIBA Drawings CollectionPA1739/ScGGJ, ScJ[3]/1, DR72/3Scott & Scott design and working drawings for Bute Hall
Item 9 of 12RIBA Archive, Victoria & Albert MuseumRIBA Drawings CollectionPA1738/ScGGJ[23]/1, 2, 4, 5Randolph Memorial Hall and contract drawings for completing tower and spire, 1878
Item 10 of 12RIBA Archive, Victoria & Albert MuseumRIBA Drawings CollectionPA1708/ScGGS{454]/1-24DR10/3/1-2, DR72/1/1-7. Working drawings for fore hall to great hall; design for Great Hall.
Item 11 of 12RIBA Archive, Victoria & Albert MuseumRIBA Drawings CollectionScJO/1-3Scott Family collection, John Oldrid Scott Account Books 1873-1916
Item 12 of 12Strathclyde Regional ArchivesGlasgow Dean of Guild 1/399 (spire)