ART DECO, the epitome of style for a time in the 1920s and 30s, evoked luxury and modernity, so it was a perfect fit for cinemas and dancehalls.
Incorporating influences such as Cubism and the 1922 discovery of Tutankhamun’s tomb, it often included geometric shapes and used ‘new’ materials like reinforced concrete, chrome, aluminium, and plated glass.
Buildings such as Govan’s ‘super cinema’ the Lyceum, which opened in 1938, the now B-listed Ascot cinema in Anniesland and Dennistoun Palais de Dance all offered an accessible touch of glamour for the average Glaswegian despite the struggling economy.
Marks & Spencer’s on Sauchiehall Street, which opened in 1935 Pic: Glasgow City Archives
Citydepartment stores like the late 1930s Marks & Spencer or former C&A, both on Sauchiehall Street, have typical Art Deco features and many smaller shops, cafes and businesses adapted their frontages to keep up with the times. The Virtual Mitchell website includes many examples, now sadly gone. One notable survival is the 1935 Rogano on Exchange Place (restored in 1984) which was modelled on the chic Prunier restaurant in Paris.
Perhaps the peak of the Art Deco movement in Glasgow (arguably Scotland too), was the 1938 Empire Exhibition at Bellahouston Park, with the sleek and distinctive ‘Tower of Empire’ as its centre piece. Designed by Thomas Tait, it included three observation decks reached by two lifts, from which visitors could admire views of exhibition’s gleaming white showcase pavilions, lake and fountains.
Cover of The Glasgow Herald’s Empire Exhibition Guide, 1938 Pic: Glasgow City Archives
Prior to the 1930s, Glasgow had been shaped largely by industry, pollution and cramped housing conditions, and so the shiny, new streamlined designs on display wowed the crowds.
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Always intended to be temporary Tait’s Tower was taken down (it’s rumoured it would have been too noticeable for German bombers in WW2). However, the Palace of Art by architect Launcelot Ross still exists today as a sports centre and community facility. Its name suggests it was originally planned to store the corporation’s art collection.
Palace of Art, Bellahouston, c.1950 Pic: Glasgow City Archives
Visitors to the Empire Exhibition needed a fitting place to stay, and so the striking Beresford Hotel opened in 1938. It had 198 bedrooms and rooftop kennels for guests’ dogs. Designed and owned by architect William Beresford Inglis, it was Glasgow’s first skyscraper. Today it is still one of the most recognisable buildings on Sauchiehall Street.
In a city rightly celebrated for its architecture, Glasgow’s Art Deco buildings haven’t always been so appreciated.
The optimism and appeal of Art Deco didn’t last after WW2, as it fell out of fashion, yet there are some wonderful examples still standing today.
Beresford Hotel illustration for opening,1938 Pic: Glasgow City Archives
Our collection of architectural plans and photographs here at Glasgow City Archives are also a legacy of Art Deco’s impact on Glasgow.
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