Heritage

The main aims, set out in the draft Glasgow City Plan 2, are to:

• continue to protect and enhance the City’s rich and varied historic built environment;
• raise civic pride in and responsibility for the City’s architectural heritage;
• ensure that conservation continues to play a vital role in the economic regeneration of the City; and;
• reinforce and promote Glasgow’s image and position as a City of international standing.

The City Plan provides a framework, both at the strategic and the local level, for the maintenance of Glasgow’s rich architectural heritage, as well as providing the context within which new developments can be fostered and delivered.

Key Facts

Listed Buildings

The principal elements of the City’s architectural heritage, with its main emphasis on the Victorian era, are reflected in those buildings which are ‘listed’. There are 1,824 listed items throughout the City.  These range from a whole Victorian terrace to a single lamp-post or post box. Consent is required for the demolition of a listed building or for any alterations which would affect its character. In some cases, grants may be available from the Glasgow City Heritage Trust or from Historic Scotland for restoration work on listed buildings.

As part of a more proactive approach to the promotion and protection of Glasgow’s built heritage, the Council has undertaken a condition survey of all listed buildings. The purpose of the survey is to establish the degree to which the City’s built heritage requires investment and to identify those buildings most at risk. The survey was undertaken during summer 2004 and included a visual inspection, and assessments of condition (degree of risk), levels of occupancy and use.  An Action Plan has been devised to address the issues raised.  The first re-survey is being carried out during summer 2009.

Principal actions include the need to:

• generate increased funding and investment for Glasgow’s historic environment in partnership with Government;
• help owners and occupiers understand how to best maintain their properties;
• focus investment where the need is greatest;
• continue the City’s successful efforts in promoting the re-use of historic buildings as a means of securing the future of Glasgow’s historic environment; and
• extend the use of statutory powers in specific cases, where this is appropriate.

Conservation Areas

The City has 22 conservation areas extending over 1,471 hectares.  These range from the City Centre to the countryside setting of Pollok Park and each has its own distinctive character and challenges.  The newest conservation area (designated in May 2008) is the Govan Conservation Area.

Urban Design

In Urban Design terms, Glasgow aims to deliver a sustainable, vibrant city of the highest design quality, which will enhance and promote the City’s image and contribute to its continued economic regeneration.

This broad aim will be pursued through the delivery of twelve objectives and supporting actions, which include developing the three City enhancement initiatives of Public Art, Lighting, and Dressing the City. These initiatives have had tangible economic benefits to date and are helping to transform and enhance the City’s image, thereby assisting efforts to attract investment, supporting Glasgow’s expanding tourism sector and contributing to urban regeneration.

Public Art

In recent years, there has been a resurgence of interest in Public Art ranging from free standing sculptural pieces, to work that is integrated with the design of a building or public space.

Public art is inextricably linked to Glasgow’s built heritage, where there is a rich tradition of sculptural decoration of buildings, stained glasswork and free-standing monuments in civic parks and squares.  Public art can contribute to the creation of a ‘sense of place’, stimulating the imagination and inviting public reaction and interaction. It adds visual richness to buildings and public spaces and contributes to an enhanced City image.

The Council actively promotes the integration of public art in the publicly visible or accessible parts of new development and refurbishment projects.  Glasgow can boast a diverse range of artwork including sculpture, stained glass, decorative metalwork, ceramics, murals, and landscape design. The scale of projects ranges from major pieces in prestigious developments, such as Prince’s Square and the Italian Centre, to more modest pieces such as the ‘Chookie Burdies’ on Garnethill’s lamp posts.

Lighting

The use of lighting to enhance the architectural features of buildings, statues and monuments greatly improves the appearance of the City at night, and is an attractive promotional asset. Glasgow’s Lighting Strategy, Glasgow, City of Light, seeks to re-appraise the overall visual coherence of the city’s lighting, including individual buildings and landmarks, statutory street lighting, amenity, and festive lighting.  It also seeks to present opportunities to enhance further the quality of the environment after dark in support of the wider planning and urban design aims for the city and to complement regeneration initiatives. 

Further details can be found on the Council’s website at:

www.glasgow.gov.uk/en/Business/Planning_Development/Heritage_design/indexnew

To complement the Council’s efforts, private developers are encouraged to incorporate lighting in their projects through the development process.

In implementing the Lighting Strategy the Council is aware of its responsibilities to minimise energy consumption, avoid light pollution and ensure that the strategy is sustainable over the longer term. 

All capital projects are designed with appropriate lighting levels, minimise waste light, ensure maintenance access and use energy efficient equipment. Lighting installations are generally switched off by 3am at the weekends to save energy and reduce reflected light that can contribute to sky glow.

Dressing the City

The Dressing the City Initiative was developed in 1990 to bring colour and vitality to the city's streets by way of colourful banners, and has been an annual summer feature ever since. The banners are a means of informing the public and visitors to the City of events and campaigns taking place, whilst creating a visual impact in the streetscape. Banner campaigns in the past have included City of Architecture & Design 1999, the Queen's Jubilee 2002, and more recently the promotion of the Commonwealth Games Bid in 2014.

There are large banner displays in George Square and at key visitor attractions such as the Gallery of Modern Art, the Kelvingrove Art Gallery, and the Burrell Gallery. There are also banner displays on columns in various strategic locations throughout the City.  Small banners are also used on lampposts along major arterial routes into the City.

Projects

Listed Buildings Conditions Survey

The second condition survey of all listed buildings in Glasgow will commence in the summer of 2009.  The first survey was carried out in 2004.  The survey will establish the degree to which the City’s built heritage requires investment and to identify those buildings most at risk.

Conservation Area Appraisals

The Council is currently preparing conservation appraisals for each conservation area as a means of ensuring their special character is conserved. 12 appraisals have been completed for the Carmunnock, Crosshill, Dennistoun, Govan, Hazelwood, Millbrae, Parkhead Cross, St Vincent Crescent, Scotstoun, Snuff Mill, Strathbungo and Walmer Crescent Conservation Areas and these can be viewed on the Council’s website at: Conservation Area Appraisals

Draft appraisals are being updated for Glasgow West and Central Conservation Areas and a further ten are in preparation, including two new areas (Broomhill and Bridgeton) which are being considered for conservation area status.

Public Art

The Council can advise developers on public art and is producing a Corporate Public Art Strategy, which provides a framework for delivering and monitoring public art in the City. The Strategy’s aim is to maximise the quality, experience and understanding of the City’s public domain, in both the built and natural environment, through the integration of art, design and cultural expertise. The Strategy will be informed by existing policy, plans and strategies including government advice (national and local art frameworks), the Council’s City Plan and complementary strategies within the Council.  All of these emphasise the importance of improving the lives of people, not only through better services, but also through improvements to the physical environments in which they live and work.

It is important that Glasgow acts as the leader in initiating the creation and development of public art through its capital work projects. The Strategy will set out appropriate delivery mechanisms and support the development of a strategic and coherent approach to public art. This will cover all issues ranging from commissioning and procurement to management and maintenance. One of the main objectives of the Public Art Strategy will be to establish mechanisms which can encourage private investment by securing partnerships and drawing private/public money into a Public Art Fund.

Lighting

Capital Projects

To date some 55 capital projects have been implemented with a further 3 in progress. These projects are mainly in City Council ownership and include important City Landmarks and the popular seasonal Winter Lighting programme. Recently completed landmark projects include the City Chambers at John Street and the refurbishment of lighting at Cranhill Water Tower. Work is ongoing to replace the lighting at Glasgow Cathedral and plans are underway for St Andrew’s Suspension Bridge at Glasgow Green. In 2008/09 the winter lighting programme was extended to include the trees along Sauchiehall Street.

Lighting Strategy Local Project Fund

A further 42 projects have received financial assistance through the Lighting Strategy’s Local Project Fund. Recent projects include St Andrew’s in the Square, Glasgow School of Art and the award winning Castlemilk Stables. Proposals are being prepared for the Briggait as part of its refurbishment.

White Street Lighting

Glasgow’s aspiration is to introduce white street lighting throughout the city through its Lighting Network Renewal programme. White lighting has been introduced on many of the city’s main arterial roads and is being introduced to the lanes in the city centre. White lighting considered to be crucial in terms of Community Safety and the creation of an inclusive environment.  All new developments are now required to incorporate white street lighting to the standard specified by the Council.

Radiance Lighting Festival

The second Radiance Lighting Festival was held over 3 nights at the end of November 2007 in the Merchant City area. The festival comprised an eclectic mix of lighting art projects including the stunning light projection on Glasgow Cathedral by French artist Xavier de Richemont.

Dressing the City

Current campaigns programmed for 2009 include the Magners Comedy Festival, the Inspired Exhibition at the Mitchell Library, the Dr. Who Exhibition at the Kelvingrove Art Gallery, and Glasgow's already successful branding campaign Glasgow: Scotland with Style.

Useful Links

Heritage and Design