St. Vincent Street Church
A rare opportunity to enjoy the last surviving intact church by Alexander “Greek” Thomson, built for the United Presbyterian Church on the corner of St. Vincent Street and Pitt Street. With the site sloping steeply from top to bottom, Thomson had the opportunity to stack the worshipping space above a large basement hall: temple and tower rising high above a podium built of cyclopean masonry. The style defies conventional architectural analysis: the exterior is extraordinary, not least for its tall, tapering clock tower, once described as “a long-drawn-out policeman’s helmet with a kind of sugar castor at the top.” The interior is no less dramatic, the richly-coloured galleried space lit by frameless windows and the woodwork a warm, honey-hued pine decorated with Thomson’s trademark mahogany frets. The church was transferred to the city in 1964 and is in need of a new use that celebrates its architectural glory and introduces it to a wider audience. Opening the building as part of Doors Open Day is part of this dialogue. Come and marvel at the architect’s inventiveness and give us your ideas for its future!
ADDRESS & CONTACT INFO
St Vincent Street Church, Glasgow, UK, G2 5RL
St Vincent Street Church, Glasgow G2 7AJ, UK
G2 7AJ
1857-9
Alexander
VISIT DETAILS
TOUR DATES & TIMES
Sunday 22nd September: 1 : 30 PM, 2 : 30 PM, 3 : 30 PM, 4 : 30 PM
BUILDING OPENING HOURS
Open from 1:00 pm on Sunday 22nd with clock tower tours on the half-hour from 1.30 pm.
BOOKING DETAILS
OTHER INFORMATION
TRAVEL
Nearest Train and/or Subway: Charing Cross
Parking Available: no
Additional Parking Details: Clock tower tours for adults only with sensible footwear recommended.
Parking Available: no
Additional Parking Details: Clock tower tours for adults only with sensible footwear recommended.
ACCESSIBILITY
Physical Access: Limited Access
Further Accessibility Details: Entry is at the lowest level of the church off St. Vincent Lane, with stepped access to all upper levels. There are no lifts, and staircases are in some places steep and narrow. Clock tower tours will be limited in number (on the half hour starting at 1.30 p.m.) and require a head for heights! Open 13:00- 17:00 on Sunday 22nd. There are tours of the clock tower at 13:30, 14:30, 15:30, 4:30.
Facilities: Seating
Additional Restricitions on Access: Clock tower tours for adults only with sensible footwear recommended.
Further Accessibility Details: Entry is at the lowest level of the church off St. Vincent Lane, with stepped access to all upper levels. There are no lifts, and staircases are in some places steep and narrow. Clock tower tours will be limited in number (on the half hour starting at 1.30 p.m.) and require a head for heights! Open 13:00- 17:00 on Sunday 22nd. There are tours of the clock tower at 13:30, 14:30, 15:30, 4:30.
Facilities: Seating
Additional Restricitions on Access: Clock tower tours for adults only with sensible footwear recommended.
ORGANISATION
Organised by: Fiona Sinclair and Mandy Fallens
Architects with a passion for the work of Alexander Thomson, representing private and local authority practice (allied with the Glasgow Institute of Architects, organisers of the triennial Alexander Thomson Scholarship competition).
Tel: 0141 357 3553
Email: firemaster27@btconnect.com
Website:
Architects with a passion for the work of Alexander Thomson, representing private and local authority practice (allied with the Glasgow Institute of Architects, organisers of the triennial Alexander Thomson Scholarship competition).
Tel: 0141 357 3553
Email: firemaster27@btconnect.com
Website:
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Come and visit a busy, thriving community center in the city center of Glasgow. We run events for everyone in the community, providing a place for conversation, fun, friendship and support. This includes dance, wellness classes, community meals, art club and much more! You will be shown around the center by members of staff who will describe what happens on a weekly basis - there may be something that appeals to you! They will also reveal some history and our plans for the future.