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Alexander's Mill, Duke Street Cotton Mill,
Duke Street Thread Mill
The Great Eastern Hotel on
Duke Street is one of Glasgow's best known
landmarks and is of historic significance
to the city.
It was previously known as Alexander's
Mill and was built originally as a cotton
spinning mill. Conversion to hostel for
homeless working me in 1907 Neil C Duff.
In many ways the Duke Street building is
the most important as it was designed by
renowned Glasgow Architect Charles
Wilson and J Alexander. The construction
of the building is recognised for its pioneering
use of concrete and has the oldest known
in-situ corrugated iron within its structure.
The mill's fireproof construction has an
outer rubble skin, beneath which there is
a cast-iron frame supporting brick vaults
in the lower three floors, and mass concrete
vaults supported by corrugated-iron arches
in the upper floors, over which there is
a piended roof supported on light wrought-iron
roof trusses.
The conversion involved the removal of
all textile machinery and the installation
of communal facilities at the ground and
basement levels, and wooden cubicles on
the upper floors. In subsequent decades,
the hotel eventually evolved into a hostel
for homeless people, and was finally closed
amid some controversy in 2001. The building
was used subsequently as a temporary venue
for an exhibition dedicated to its former
occupants, who had been found accomodation
in alternative schemes for homeless people
in the city.
The future of the building itself remained
uncertain, prompting a photographic survey
by RCAHMS.
Although there was a desire to convert the
building to an alternative use, doubt prevailed
over the integrity of the mill's structure,
which incorporated in its upper floors a
very early example of the use of mass concrete
combined with corrugated iron. There were
fears that, in the event of a structural
failure, it might be prone to progressive
collapse, and that demolition might therefore
be the only solution. At the time of survey,
the fate of the building had not yet been
resolved.
Information from RCAHMS.
Milnbank
Housing Association acquired the building
in 1995. In recent times it had been used
as a hotel and, latterly, as a hostel for
homeless men.
Links:
Gallery
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Photo: The Great Eastern 2004
Photo by: hiddenglasgow
March 2004
The privately owned Great Eastern Hotel in the East
End of Glasgow, with its large and imposing Victorian
façade, accommodated over 300 men in cubicle
type provision in the 1980’s, many of whom, for
one reason or another, were unable to gain access to
decent or appropriate accommodation. In 1994, the Great
Eastern Hotel became the focus of a partnership reprovisioning
strategy.
The hostel was brought into social ownership and management
by two housing associations — Loretto Housing
Association as management and development agency and
Milnbank Housing Association, as landlord. Given its
long-standing reputation the hostel was named 400 Duke
Street, but interestingly it has continued be called
‘the Great Eastern’11. A variety of statutory
and voluntary agencies and housing associations have
played a role in the closure process.
These included Scottish Homes and the local authority,
both of which allocated funding; housing associations
and the local authority in letting houses, and social
work, health and voluntary agencies by providing support
and health services, including access to residential
care for older residents. It was initially assumed that
the closure of the Great Eastern would take effect in
1998, with good quality, small-scale integrated replacement
housing units developed by Loretto to meet the needs
of 60 vulnerable residents.
Photo: The Great Eastern Door 2004
Photo by: hiddenglasgow
March 2004
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