New Life for Last Tenement

JOHN GILBERT ARCHITECTS have been appointed by the Glasgow Building Preservation Trust (GBPT) to propose new uses for the last remaining tenement in the Gorbals

20/02/08

The dilapidated former British Linen Bank, close to the Citizens Theatre on Gorbals Street, was designed by Glasgow architect James Salmond II and built in 1899.

The building has been empty for many years and now stands alone against a backdrop of (soon to be demolished) post-war tower blocks.

John Gilbert Architects will conduct an options appraisal to recommend potential uses of the building and assess the level of refurbishment required. The project is part of plans for an overall regeneration of the Laurieston area which includes demolition of the two nearby tower blocks and creation of new housing, shops, offices and community buildings.

John Gilbert said: "We want to achieve a balance between preserving the original building and bringing this magnificent building back into reuse as a place that meets the needs of the existing community."

James Salmon II, nicknamed "Wee Trout", studied with Charles Rennie Mackintosh, worked with William Leiper and teamed with James Gaff Gillespie, the founder of Gillespie, Kidd & Coia. Salmond built the British Linen Bank on Gorbals Street before embarking on his most famous building - the Hatrack on St Vincent Street.