Station, a stunning creation of glass and wrought iron, the departure point for the thousands of industrial workers seeking respite from the hard slog of factory life by going “doon the watter” to the Clyde Riviera. The Industrial Revolution brought immense wealth to
Glasgow. It also brought smog. For those who could afford it, a move to the West End, where the prevailing winds blew the pollution away, was essential. The University of Glasgow, which relocated from its original site near the cathedral to Gilmorehill in 1870, is a lovely place to wander round, with atmospheric cloisters and quads and an excellent view out over Kelvingrove Park, where the newly refurbished Kelvingrove Museum is situated. Here
you’ll find Salvador Dalí’s Christ of St John of the Cross,
as well as Glasgow Boys, Scottish Colourists and an eclectic collection of exhibits from armoury to stuffed aardvarks, housed in a baroque Victorian building which is one of the most-visited attractions in Britain, outside London. Once you’ve had your fill of culture, there’s the calm of the Botanic gardens with the restored Kibble Palace Glasshouse, or the vibrant ambiance of Byres Road. By the 1980s, almost all the famous shipyards, including John Brown’s where the QE2 was built, were closed. Derelict
warehouses and empty docks, their cranes frozen on the skyline, formed a haunting portrait of industrial decline. Thankfully, it was short-lived. A massive rejuvenation programme began with the Glasgow’s Miles Better campaign and the 1988 Garden Festival saw the Clyde reborn. Fashionable waterfront developments occupy the filled-in docks, a walkway runs along the old railway lines from the city centre west to Finnieston, where footbridges connect the north and south of the river. The Science Centre is here, along with the ultra-modern ‘Armadillo’ (Scottish Exhibition and Conference Centre). 1999 saw Glasgow named City of Architecture and
Design. One of its most illustrious buildings, tucked away behind Sauchihall Street, is Charles Rennie Mackintosh’s School of Art, which celebrated its centenary in 2009. It’s an iconic structure, deceptively simple and intriguingly complex, a stunningly effective example of Mackintosh’s ambition to create clean lines and practical, naturally-lit space. Fans of his work are spoiled for choice in Glasgow, with notable examples such as the Martyrs’ School, Scotland Street School Museum, Queen’s Cro ss Church, The Willow Tearooms, the Mackintosh House at the Hunterian, and the Hill House in nearby Helensburgh.
BRITAIN 79
Above: Named after George III, George Square is Glasgow’s principal square and was laid out in the 1780s. Today it is home to Glasgow City Chambers and the Sir Walter Scott monument
PHOTOS: PICTURES COLOUR LIBRARY/
WWW.SEEGLASGOW.COM/SCOTTISH VIEWPOINT
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