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Gems of Glasgow: A-listed buildings with stories to tell

31 March 2017

David Hayman has been exploring some of Glasgow’s finest buildings in his new BBC Two Scotland programme ‘Greek’ Thomson – Glasgow’s Master Builder.

But the city has a few more Category A gems up its sleeve than just Thomson’s.

Here are a few of them...

A home for world class art

During his life, William Burrell developed one of the most remarkable art collections in the world. He donated it all – over 9,000 objects – to the city of Glasgow in 1944.

The building which houses the Burrell Collection in Glasgow was granted Category A listed status in 2013. Historic Scotland, who made the award, said it reflected the building’s importance as an example of 1970s architecture.

Caring for the WW1 wounded

During World War One, the owners of Pollok House, the Stirling Maxwells, moved out to allow it to be turned into an auxillary hospitals for wounded soldiers. This grand house was built in 1752 as a home for the Maxwell family.

In 1966 it was given to the people of Glasgow by Mrs Anne Maxwell MacDonald and was awarded Category A status in the same year.

Troops and stars

The Britannia Panopticon Music Hall on Glasgow’s Trongate is the world’s oldest surviving music hall and was awarded Category A status in 1977.

The theatre was built in 1857 and world famous acts, like Stan Laurel and Harry Lauder, performed on its stage. During World War One the hall ed the war effort, with the performers using some surprising methods to encourage men to enlist...

Cone on (or off?)

You don’t need walls and a roof to be recognised: a variety of man-made structures count as buildings in this context. In 1970, the statue of the Duke of Wellington on Queen Street received Category A status.

It is perhaps now best known as the statue with a traffic cone on its head. The who, what and why of this tradition have been lost in the mists of time, but council plans to end the practice back in 2013 were not received well by the public.

Alexander ‘Greek’ Thomson

Alexander Thomson is considered one of Scotland’s greatest architects, and his work deg churches, houses and flats left an enormous impact on Victorian Glasgow.

He was influenced by Greek classical architecture and became known as ‘Greek’ Thomson.

The programme goes in search of the man who transformed industrial Glasgow, visiting some of his most exotic and exciting creations.

Thomson has left a legacy that includes Category A buildings – recognised as being of national and international importance by Historic Environment Scotland.

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