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Buildings

Basic Site Details

Glasgow Municipal Buildings
Glasgow
Scotland
98 entrants in first competition; 110 entrants in second. First competition assessed by Charles Barry; second by Charles Barry and John Carrick.

Cost specified for second competition: £250,000.

Cost of William Young building: £552,028.

Cost of pre-1910 decorative scheme for Lord Provost\'s room: £1,000.

Information about 1921 scheme from Presentation Folder in DMW archive per John Watson Junior.

Panel at end of Banqueting Hall by Alexander Roche, RSA (Building News 31 May 1901, p728, with illustration)

Alternative Names

The following alternative names are associated with this building/design:

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NameCurrent NameNotes
City ChambersNo

Building Type Classification

The building is classified under the following categories:

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ClassificationOriginal ClassificationNotes
Municipal buildingNot Known

Street Addresses

The following street addresses are associated with this building:

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AddressCurrent AddressNotes
Glasgow Municipal Buildings George SquareYes
20-40 Cochrane StreetNo
20 John StreetNo
233-235 George StreetNo

Events

The following date-based events are associated with this building:

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Event TypeFromToNotes
18791880Outline plans for first competition
18801881Competition designs.
Design exhibited18811894Exhibited at RA (Young designs)
Design exhibited1882Peebles\' design
Foundation stone1883/10/06
1888/08/22Inauguration
1889/10/10First council meeting
1895a1911bInternal alterations
18991902Large mural decorative scheme
19131923Design for extension executed but never completed
Alterations and additions19131923Extension by Watson, Salmond & Gray
1913cCompetition for extension
1915Mural scheme completed
1921Scheme for enlargement of council chamber with giant Corinthian portico on George Square, to match Banqueting Hall on George Street and to complement Burnet's war memorial; canvas mock-up proposed by council which Watson declined to agree to; unexecuted
Proposed1964/04/03Corporation planning expansion of municipal buildings in George Square area - properties on adjacent streets are being acquired and will be demolished to permit rebuilding of office accommodation

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.

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PersonPartnership GroupRoleFromToNotes
David McBean (or David MacBean)18791880Outline plans for first competition
(Sir) John James BurnetE1880First competition and second competition designs - as junior partner
Arthur ClyneI18801881Competition design, not successful
Coe & RobinsonB18801881Second premiated design in first competition (£500 premium), and design for second competition shortlisted in final ten but unplaced
Edward Francis Channing ClarkeJJ1880Competition design entered under the pseudnym 'Let Glasgow Flourish - forever'. Third premiated design in first competition (£250 premium)
Francis ('Frank') Stirrat18801881Competition design for second competition, under pseudonym 'Peradventure', strongly influenced by the work of James Sellars, with the tower adapted from that of Cuthbert Brodrick's Leeds Town Hall - shortlisted in final ten, but unplaced
George Corson1880First competition: design placed first (£750 premium) but competition result abandoned. Competition won in George\'s name.
George Shaw Aitken18801881Competition designs for second competition - placed in second tier of final ten
Henry Edward CoeB18801881Second premiated design in first competition (£500 premium), and design for second competition shortlisted in final ten but unplaced
James Lindsay1880Competition design
James Salmon & SonA18801st competition design
James Salmon (senior)A1880First competition design
John Bridgeford PirieI18801881Competition design, not successful
John Burnet (senior)E1880First competition and second competition designs - with John James as junior partner
John LeemingC18801881Competition design for second competition - reached second stage but unplaced in final selection

Clients

The following individuals or organisations have commissioned work on this building/design:

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NameNotes
Glasgow Corporation

Related Buildings, Structures and Designs

References

Bibliographic References

The following books contain references to this building:

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AuthorYearTitlePartPublisherNotes
Calder, Alan2003James MacLaren: Arts and Crafts PioneerDonington: Shaun Tyasp39 (MacLaren design) referring to British Architect and Builder reports
Graves, Algernon1905The Royal Academy of Arts: a complete dictionary of exhibitors and their works…1905-6London: Graves and Bell1882, no 1140 (Peebles); 188881, nos 1134, 1145, 1204, 1216; 1888, no 1729; 18894, no 1532 (Young)
Harper, Roger H1983Victorian Architectural Competitions: An Index to British and Irish Architectural Competitions…London: Mansell Publishing
In Memoriam1892For Pirie & Clyne design
RSA1881914 - competition design by John Armstrong
RSA1903430 (Leiper work in banqueting hall)
RSA1882938 - competition design by George Washington Browne; 918 (C & L Ower design)
Royal Glasgow Institute of the Fine Arts1914129 (Watson & Salmond)
Royal Glasgow Institute of the Fine Arts191399 (Watson & Salmond)
Royal Glasgow Institute of the Fine Arts1916645 (Watson & Salmond)
Stevenson, D M, et al.1914Municipal Glasgow: its evolution and enterprisesGlasgow: Corporation of the City of Glasgow
Walker, David W1995Glasgow Municipal Buildings Competition 1880-1882Unpublished MA dissertation, University of St Andrews; copy in NMRSAlso contains copies of related documents
Williamson, Riches, Higgs1990Glasgow (The Buildings of Scotland)p160 (Walton work)
Young, William1890Glasgow Municipal Buildings

Periodical References

The following periodicals contain references to this building:

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Periodical NameDateEditionPublisherNotes
Builder1880EXXXVIIIpp262, 364, 520 & 555
Builder1880LXXXIXpp30, 290, 315 & 361i
Builder1881EXLpp57, 291 & 698
Builder1881LXLIpp105 & 192
Builder1882EXLIIp57
Builder1882LXLIIIpp59, 94, 128, 191, 224, 235, 289, 320, 353, 409 & 620
Builder1883EXLIVp290
Builder1915/06/25CVIIIpp587, 589 (illustration of Watson & Salmond extension)
Builder1921/06/17CXXp771
Builder1924ECXXVIp981
Building News1882/09/15*Young
Building News1882/10/06*Design published (Hall & Taylor)
Building News1890/10/03*Two photos as completed
Building News1913/05/09*Extension
British Architect1880/09/10*Corson's design

Archive References

The following archives hold material relating to this building:

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SourceNameCat NumberItem NameNotes
Edinburgh University LibraryAnderson Collection (Plans and drawings)Drawings by George Washington Browne for competition.
Mitchell LibraryGlasgow City ArchivesContract drawings
National Monuments Record of Scotland/NMRS, RCAHMSJ B Pirie CollectionThird blue box - sketch drawings nos 29 & 30 and framed plan (Pirie's designs)
RIBA Archive, Victoria & Albert MuseumRIBA Nomination PapersWilliam Armour Arbuckle: L v23 no1828; John Alfred Taylor Houston: L v2 no155 (microfilm reel 29) & F no1794 (microfilm reel 14); William Holmes Howie: L v18 no1350; Henry Denison Walton: L v21 no1653; William Young: F v10 p75 (microfiche 108/E2)
Historic Environment ScotlandListed Buildings Register32591Main building at 80 George Square
Courtesy of Mr SpringfordInformation sent via \'Contact Us\' on websiteSent March 2016
National Monuments Record of Scotland/NMRS, RCAHMSBuildings of Scotland Research Notes (for published volumes)159
Historic Environment ScotlandListed Buildings Register326751913-29 extension