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Buildings

Basic Site Details

Alhambra Theatre
Glasgow
Demolished
Scotland
Built on the site of the old Waterloo Rooms at the junction of Wellington and Waterloo Streets, and opened in December 1910. \" A conspicuous building, surmounted by two towers.\"

Builder: George Leslie Allen, of The Allen Construction Company, West Regent Street. Allen was a trained structural engineer and had a hand in the design of the structure.

The Alhambra Theatre is to be reconstructed and enlarged. Messrs Burnet Son and Dick of St Vincent-street have prepared plans. [Builder 15 July 1927, p112?]

Building Type Classification

The building is classified under the following categories:

Class classic

ClassificationOriginal ClassificationNotes
TheatreNot Known

Street Addresses

The following street addresses are associated with this building:

Str Add classic

AddressCurrent AddressNotes
Waterloo StreetYes
43 Wellington StreetYes

Events

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

event classic

Event TypeFromToNotes
19091910
1909/11Prospectus issued
Opened1910/11/19
19141915Further work
19201922Further work
Addition19271928Western addition
Reconstruction1963Internal reconstruction including the Starlight Room.

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.

design classic

PersonPartnership GroupRoleFromToNotes
(Sir) John James BurnetA19091910
John Burnet & SonA19091910
Norman Aitken DickA19091910
William Ferguson (junior) (or William Moncrieff Ferguson, or Willie Ferguson)A19091910As assistant to John James Burnet
William John BlainA1909As chief assistant to John James Burnet
(Sir) John James BurnetB19141915Further work
John Burnet & SonB19141915Further work
(Sir) John James BurnetC19201922Further work
John Burnet, Son & PartnersC19201921Further work
Norman Aitken DickC19201922Further work
Thomas Harold HughesC19201921Further work
Burnet, Son & DickC19211922Further work
(Sir) John James BurnetHArchitect19271928Western addition
Burnet, Son & DickHArchitectural practice19271928Western addition
Norman Aitken DickHArchitect19271928Western addition

Clients

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

client classic

NameNotes
Glasgow Alhambra LtdAlfred Butt, impressario; Ernest Polden, printer; John P Kinghorn, iron broker; John Rowan, stockbroker; John Fisher, warehouse merchant; James Ferguson, shopbuilder and 800 others.
Howard & Wyndham LtdClient for 1963 alterations.

Related Buildings, Structures and Designs

References

Bibliographic References

The following books contain references to this building:

bio ref classic

AuthorYearTitlePartPublisherNotes
Peter, Bruce1999Scotland's Splendid Theatres: Architecture and Social History from the Reformation to the Present DayEdinburgh: Polygon (an imprint of Edinburgh University Press Ltd)p126
Smith, Graeme2008The Theatre Royal: entertaining a NationGlasgow Publications
Smith, Graeme2011Alhambra, GlasgowBurnet's drawings illustrated p20. 1927-28 addition p61

Periodical References

The following periodicals contain references to this building:

period ref classic

Periodical NameDateEditionPublisherNotes
RIBA Journal1938/07/18*London: Royal Institute of British Architects
Building Industries1910/03/16*
Building News1910/12/23opening

Archive References

The following archives hold material relating to this building:

arc ref classic

SourceNameCat NumberItem NameNotes
RIBA Archive, Victoria & Albert MuseumRIBA Nomination PapersWilliam John Blain: L v16 no1128; William Moncrieff Ferguson Junior: L v24 no1914
National Monuments Record of Scotland/NMRS, RCAHMSWeddell and Thomson Archive Summary Material (Handlists, Job lists etc)Handlist -4 sheets drawings (roll 34)
Courtesy of Graeme SmithInformation via website (from Graeme Smith) Sent February 2009