Tour: The Pyramid at Anderston

Posted May 21st 2024

Friday 21 June 2024 | 18:30-20:00 | The Pyramid at Anderston, 759 Argyle Street, Glasgow G3 8DS

Step Inside the Pyramid: Where Community and History Meet

Have you ever wondered about the unique pyramid-shaped building in the heart of Glasgow? Now’s your chance to uncover its secrets! Join us for an exclusive tour inside this architectural marvel.

Back in the 1950s, the Church of Scotland promoted constructing less hierarchical church buildings, leading to an open-plan Modern design with Brutalist traits. This vision was brought to life by the architectural firm Honeyman, Jack & Robertson, resulting in the stunning Anderson Parish Church, now known as The Pyramid at Anderston.

Completed in 1968 as part of Anderston’s redevelopment, this distinctive structure houses twenty-two rooms used as meeting and workspaces, along with three spacious community halls, including the beautiful Sanctuary space with its distinctive shape and coloured stained glasses. From 1968 to 2019, the building operated as the Anderston Kelvingrove Parish Church. In 2018, a new chapter began with the formation of The Pyramid at Anderston Trust, a community membership organisation. A year later, with a grant from the Scottish Land Fund, the Trust purchased the building, ensuring it remained a vital community hub.

In June 2020, the Trust secured a £1.1 million award from the National Lottery Community Fund, kickstarting essential renovations. GCHT also provided a grant of £90,000 to work on the iconic reinforced concrete bell tower, some of the deep concrete fascia bands, and to an area of roof that corresponds to the main entrance foyer.

Join us for a one-hour tour to discover the history, architecture, and vibrant community spirit of The Pyramid. Refreshments will be served afterward in the beautiful and atmospheric Sanctuary space.

Step inside and be part of The Pyramid’s ongoing story!

£16 per person, booking essential.

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Each year, our events help over 2000 people to understand and appreciate Glasgow's irreplaceable built heritage. Can you help us to reach more people?

We are hugely grateful for the support of our Friends whose subscriptions help cover the costs of these events, thereby ensuring accessible pricing for everyone in Glasgow in these challenging times.

The easiest way to support the Trust’s work is to join our Friends scheme. Our tiered loyalty scheme means you can choose the level that’s right for you.

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CPD: Conservation Works at GoMA

Posted May 1st 2024

A photograph of the Glasgow Gallery of Modern Art

Thursday, 16th May | 1:00-2.00pm | Online via Zoom and In-Person at GCHT’s office on 54 Bell Street, Glasgow, G1 1LQ

The Gallery of Modern Art is housed in one of Glasgow’s most distinctive buildings. Category A-Listed, it was originally built in 1778 and remains one of the city’s most important Georgian-era buildings.

In this CPD, Scott Abercrombie of John Gilbert Architects will be discussing the recent works the practice has undertaken to repair and conserve the built fabric, as well as its history and significance as a building.

Attendees will get to learn about the high-level stone repair and leadwork that John Gilbert are currently overseeing, and how they have coordinated this in conjunction with such a public-facing building.

This event will be held both in-person at our office on 54 Bell Street, Glasgow (with light lunch provided) and streamed online via Zoom. Please pick the appropriate ticket option for you below.

£10 per person / £5 for students

In-Person Ticket

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Online Ticket

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All sessions are recognised by the Institute of Historic Building Conservation (IHBC) as being capable of contributing to the obligatory CPD requirements of Full Members (see www.ihbc.org.uk)

Become a Friend of Glasgow City Heritage Trust

Glasgow City Heritage Trust is an independent charity and your support is crucial to ensure that our charitable work promoting the understanding, appreciation and conservation of Glasgow’s historic buildings for the benefit of the city’s communities and its visitors continues now, and in the future.

The easiest way to support the Trust’s work is to join our loyalty scheme. Our tiered loyalty scheme means you can choose the level that’s right for you.

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Workshop: Weave a Bird Feeder

Posted April 24th 2024

Wednesday 15 May 2024 | 6:30-8:30pm | The Wash House Garden, G31 4XA

Join us for a meditative outdoor weaving class. You’ll learn how to weave a fat ball bird feeder, using willow basketry methods dating back thousands of years. This is a perfect introduction to basketry.

Max Johnson is a longtime forager, community and market gardener and crafter. For Max, basketry is about connecting to our ancestral roots by weaving beauty out of what natural resources we have around us. Max is largely self-taught and believes basketry should be mindful, meditative, creative and fun. Max is a member of the Scottish Basketmakers Circle.

Suitable for beginners, no weaving experience necessary. All tools and materials are provided. Please note this event will be outdoors (although under a canopy), so please dress appropriately for the weather!

Cancelled CPD: Scaffolding Tour of 19 Mirrlees Drive

Posted April 19th 2024

Thursday, 2nd May | 1:00-3:00pm | On site at 19 Mirrlees Drive, Glasgow, G12 0SH

Join GCHT and the National Trust for Scotland (NTS) for a unique CPD opportunity at the Trust’s recently acquired property on Mirrlees Drive.

Designed by the architect John A Campbell in 1906, the Category B-Listed townhouse is a former residence which is now being restored by NTS.

In this CPD, you’ll get a chance to see in-situ the works NTS is doing to conserve and protect the building, including re-slating the roof, fixing the lead flashings, valleys and ridges, and stonemasonry repairs to the chimneys. There will also be an opportunity to look at the inside of the house to help understand the effect of the failures NTS are working to repair.

PPE is required (high vis jacket, site boots and hard hat), please email events@glasgowheritage.org.uk to let us know if you aren’t able to bring your own.

£10 per person / £5 for students

Ticket

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All sessions are recognised by the Institute of Historic Building Conservation (IHBC) as being capable of contributing to the obligatory CPD requirements of Full Members (see www.ihbc.org.uk)

Become a Friend of Glasgow City Heritage Trust

The easiest way to support the Trust’s work is to join our loyalty scheme. Our tiered loyalty scheme means you can choose the level that’s right for you.

Click to find out all the benefits of membership

SOLD OUT Live Podcast Recording: In Conversation with After the Garden Festival

Posted April 2nd 2024

A floating tap sculpture during After the Garden Festival, the South Rotunda is in the background.

Tuesday 30 April | 18:30-20:45 | South Rotunda, 100 Govan Road, Glasgow, G51 1AY

Join us for an exclusive live recording for Series 3 of ‘If Glasgow’s Walls Could Talk’, our podcast which explores relationships between the city’s historic buildings and places and its communities. Since the launch of series 1 in October 2021 we’ve published 20 episodes and had over 16, 500 downloads. Listen to Series 1 and 2 here!

The 1988 Garden Festival changed how the world saw Glasgow, and how it saw itself. It lives on only in people’s memories as the buildings, objects and artworks from this temporary event are gone forever – or are they?

Join Urban Prehistorian Kenny Brophy, Project Leader Lex Lamb, and Holder of the Official Garden Festival Umbrella Gordon Barr for a conversation with GCHT Director, Niall Murphy and journalist Fay Young, to learn how they have used crowdsourcing to build an ever-growing digital record of the hundreds of pavilions, sculptures and attractions that made up the Garden Festival, as well as the experiences of those who made it happen.

Items with Garden Festival stories to tell were discovered across the UK and further afield, from the large (the Coca-cola Roller Coaster, now in Suffolk) to the small (a Garden Festival tea-towel, now in Papua New Guinea). But in addition to relic artefacts and traces in the landscape, the team identified something else: the absence of a proper record of this pivotal event, while memories fade and documents are lost.

Hear how the 1988 Festival was put together, taken apart and spread around the world, and how with the help of hundreds of individual submissions and leads After the Garden Festival are striving to preserve the legacy of a summer where Glasgow shone.

The recording is taking place in the South Rotunda, which is now offices for Malin Group, a marine engineering company, but was the base for a Nardini’s during the Festival. Guests will also be taken on a short tour of the building and be given the chance to learn a bit more about its history over some refreshments.

To donate directly to the project please visit: https://www.glasgowgardenfestival.org

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The easiest way to support the Trust’s work is to join our loyalty scheme. Our tiered loyalty scheme means you can choose the level that’s right for you.

Click to find out all the benefits of membership

* SOLD OUT * Walking Tour – Moments of Beauty in Glasgow: Buchanan Street

Posted April 2nd 2024

Looking down Buchanan Street towards St Enoch's on a sunny day. The street is very busy.

Wednesday 22 May 2024 | 6:30-8:30pm | Meet at Glasgow Royal Concert Hall Steps

We’re delighted to be taking part in Glasgow’s first ever Walking & Wheeling Festival!

Join GCHT Director, Niall Murphy, for a walk down Buchanan Street taking in its many ‘Moments of Beauty’. The walk will start at the Glasgow Royal Concert Hall Steps before heading down the street to St Enoch Square, taking a meander through Nelson Mandela Place and Royal Exchange Square en route.

Free but booking is essential. Please note booking is managed by the Walking & Wheeling Festival on Eventbrite and can be done here.

EXHIBITION: Eastern Ground

Posted March 8th 2024

We’re thrilled to announce that this spring we will be hosting the Eastern Ground exhibition at our offices on Bell Street. Partly funded by Glasgow City Heritage Trust, the Eastern Ground project saw the creation of six stunning handmade garments which celebrate the heritage and people of the East End. Designed by bespoke tailor Alis le May, each costume was inspired by one of the area’s historic buildings.

Following on from the original exhibition, held at Strangefield in Dalmarnock, we are delighted to now present a selection of the garments on display at our city centre offices.

Alis explains, “I want people to take fresh look at the area – to appreciate its people, its buildings, the memories they inspire, and even the flowers and plants which grow there…These buildings are not just architectural landmarks; they are repositories of community memories and shared histories”.

The exhibition will also include work by master dyer Julia Billings from her Mapping East End Colour project. This explored the dye potential of the East End, with samples dyed using flora collected from within a mile of Julia’s studio in Bridgeton.

Exhibition dates and times:

Monday 25th March 2024 – Friday 3rd May 2024

Exhibition open daily Monday to Friday 10am – 4pm, except for Easter when it will be closed from Friday 29th March to Monday 1st April, reopening Tuesday 2nd April.

The exhibition will also be open on two weekends:

Saturday 6th and Sunday 7th April 10am – 4pm

Saturday 13th and Sunday 14th April 10am – 4pm

Location:

Glasgow City Heritage Trust, 54 Bell St, Glasgow, G1 1LQ

How to get here:

By Train: The closest train station is High Street (0.2 miles), or Queen Street (0.5 miles) | More information via Scotrail

By Subway: The nearest Subway station is St Enoch (0.6 miles) | More information via Glasgow Subway

There is limited on-street metered parking on Bell Street and surrounding area. The nearest multi-storey car park is Q-Park at Candleriggs

Free entry

Become a Friend of Glasgow City Heritage Trust

The easiest way to support the Trust’s work is to join our loyalty scheme. Our tiered loyalty scheme means you can choose the level that’s right for you.

Click to find out all the benefits of membership

CPD: Analysing Building Materials with the Scottish Lime Centre

Posted February 29th 2024

Tuesday 19th March | 12:30 – 2:00pm | Online via Zoom and In-Person at GCHT’s office on 54 Bell Street, Glasgow, G1 1LQ

The importance of materials analysis in conservation is well established, and understanding the composition and microstructure of materials, like stone and mortar, allows us to make informed decisions around the sympathetic repair and restoration of our built heritage, whilst also avoiding unnecessary damage arising from the use of incompatible materials.

This CPD will cover sampling methodology and introduce the types of analysis used and what they can tell us, including petrography, XRD and wet chemistry, as well as highlighting how analysis informs repair specifications.

The session will be lead by Dr Katie Strang, a geologist and materials analyst, and Mitchell Fotheringham, a building surveyor. They both work for the Scottish Lime Centre, which aims to promote and encourage the appropriate repair of traditional buildings, and to conserve and develop the associated building traditions, crafts and skills through training and education.

This event will be held both in-person at our office on 54 Bell Street, Glasgow (with light lunch provided) and streamed online via Zoom. Please pick the appropriate ticket option for you below.

£10 per person / £5 for students

In-Person Ticket

Clear

Online Ticket

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All sessions are recognised by the Institute of Historic Building Conservation (IHBC) as being capable of contributing to the obligatory CPD requirements of Full Members (see www.ihbc.org.uk)

Become a Friend of Glasgow City Heritage Trust

The easiest way to support the Trust’s work is to join our loyalty scheme. Our tiered loyalty scheme means you can choose the level that’s right for you.

Click to find out all the benefits of membership

SOLD OUT CPD: Traditional Roofs and Leadwork

Posted February 22nd 2024

A photo of a man in high-vis and a hard hat cleaning lead on a historic roof

Tuesday 12th March | 10am – 11am | On site at John Fulton Plumbers, 123 Harmony Row, Glasgow, G51 3NB

This CPD offers the opportunity to visit John Fulton Plumbers to learn about the restoration and conservation of traditional roofs, and the specification of lead for historic buildings.

The session will focus on how to recognise the repair and maintenance needs of historic roofs, the material qualities of lead, and its pivotal role in detailing and protecting traditional buildings.

John Fulton Plumbers Ltd are leadwork and roofing specialists, who work across Scotland. The company has been a member of the Lead Contractors Association (LCA) since 1984 and won the industry recognised Murdoch Award on three occasions.

Spaces are limited to 11 people, booking essential.

£10 per person / £5 for students

Ticket

Clear

All sessions are recognised by the Institute of Historic Building Conservation (IHBC) as being capable of contributing to the obligatory CPD requirements of Full Members (see www.ihbc.org.uk)

Become a Friend of Glasgow City Heritage Trust

The easiest way to support the Trust’s work is to join our loyalty scheme. Our tiered loyalty scheme means you can choose the level that’s right for you.

Click to find out all the benefits of membership

SOLD OUT Moments of Beauty in Glasgow: A Walking Tour

Posted February 16th 2024

Sunday 24 March 2024 | 11am – 1pm | Meet at 54 Bell Street, G1 1LQ

If you enjoy our Director Niall Murphy’s ‘Moments Of Beauty in Glasgow’ on X (Twitter), come and join him on a walking tour exploring some of the highlights, both big and small!

Starting from Bell Street, the walk will head into Glasgow Cross via the High Street then on into the Merchant City via Albion Street. The tour will take in Wilson Street, Glassford Street, Ingram Street, Virginia Street, Miller Street, and Royal Exchange Square before finishing at the Lighthouse.

Niall will cover the lost realm of the Tobacco Lords, the high jinks of the Hellfire club, the devastation caused by the collapse of the City of Glasgow Bank, the works of the Glasgow City Improvement Trust, Glasgow’s interwar ‘Avenue of the Americas’ and the County Buildings, Robert Adam’s Trades House, a Post-modern courtyard, Sir JJ Burnet’s baroque banking hall, a precocious facade, the site of Charles Rennie Mackintosh’s Ingram Street tea rooms, the link between Paris’s Arc du Triomphe and the Equestrian Statue of the Duke of Wellington, Glasgow’s links to slavery, and, the symbology of the Lighthouse.

£15, booking is essential

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