Coplawhill Works falling down

[Fossil]

the heat did it



even the guttering would have came up nice. and like gap said would look great in the new transport museum.

Fossil

[crusty_bint]

Gary, Emma and I were discussing tat very idea earlier! Having a central repository not just for unusual architectural salvage like the switchgears u speak of, but also for the stone that is wasted when buildings are demolished. I've been looking out for some decent lengths of red sandstone to repair my garden wall (which is deteriorating because of the reaminder of the fence which was once there is still embedded and rusting), how many tenements could do with the same sort of repair? How many other repairs require new stone? With the expense of stone these days (and the fact that nearly all the quarries Glasgow is built from are long closed) would it not be prudent to keep a stock of the various types of sandstone used in Glasgows historic and listed buildings instead of consigning it to hardcore for roads?

[Socceroo]

I worked in the main Tramway in the early nineties doing some work with the Main Contractor who was then my employer. We were undertaking some additional refurb work after it had opened as a venue.

We had a good look about the unoccupied parts of the building including the horse sheds. The building even back then (1990 i think) was absolutely shot. The floors were rotting - even the concrete ones and the roof was on the way down. A very dangerous place. We commented that it would be a costly and awkward refurb to undertake.

The building was so bad that i often looked at it as i drove past, i often thought it was a candidate to go up in smoke.

Today at 4.00p.m. when i was diverted down Albert Drive, it was really no surprise that the building had finally succumbed to it's total lack of maintenance.

It is very fortunate that no one was killed.

I do not have any particular attachment to the building, i believe that a building should be refurbished if it has a functional re-use or aesthetic beauty, but not for the sake of it or indeed if it costs a lot more tax payers money than the likely benefit that a refurb would realise for the community.

This building is not particularly beautiful, nor does it have a particularly easily adaptable layout to make it flexible for a number of uses, the location is not the best, although the area has "improved" over the last 5 years or so.

However, someone should be held to account that this building has been allowed to deteriorate to the point of self destruction.

A completely negligent situation. Who owns the site. The Council? Or did they cop out as usual by passing it to some Trust for a feasibility study until it falls down.

What chance have we got, when Glasgow City Councils own property in the Trongate / High Street has bushes growing out of the cills and cornices. The Brigait Market also has bushes growing out of it's copes which have been coated in masonry paint instead of being covered with lead which is the normal detail.

Glasgow needs to put in place a much firmer owner maintenance policy.

[Socceroo]

..........would it not be prudent to keep a stock of the various types of sandstone used in Glasgows historic and listed buildings instead of consigning it to hardcore for roads?

A lot of the stone from demolition is kept by the Demolition Contractor, or they sell it onto other Demolition Contractor's who have yard's which specialise in stone reclamation.

Demolition works are usually priced on the basis that any salvagable materials belong to the Demolition Contractor, and this is reflected in their price.

If the stone is too small or not deemed suitable or cost effective to reuse then it is crushed for deep fill sites or temporary works platforms on building sites.

Locharbriggs are producing a lot of good Scottish Sandstone which is making a regular reappearance in Glasgow recently, although some of the buildings that are getting built with it are a bit bland as Architects generally are not familiar with detailing features into it.

[glasgowken]

Historical significance surely has a large part to play as well, not just aesthetic beauty, & ease of adaptation to other uses. As for location, do we really want every attraction of this sort stuck in the city centre, or west end ?
These sort of mundane looking, but historically important buildings, often have trouble finding other uses, but it can be done with some imagination, and interest from those who are responsible for them. Sadly, that always seems to be lacking, especially if they don't appreciate, or simply aren't interested in, the historical significance.

I would appeal to the council, rebuild the facade, and refurbish the unused part of Coplawhill (even if it has to be the Scottish Ballet using it ), and why not add a wee museum & memorial to the HLI, and all the other Corporation employees who died in both world wars, let the council show it has some redeeming features when it comes to historical buildings.
They still waffle on about Glasgow having the most Victorian buildings, while leaving many to fall apart, or helping to plough them into the ground, year after year.

[mr moto]

sadly we seem to be making the same mistakes we made throughout the 60,s and 70,s . i was shocked to hear in a radio interview a while back about the scottish parliament building, some design guru saying that people today do not understand modern architecture because they are ,and i quote ...design illiterate WHAT ARROGANCE!! . this old building while certainly no great beauty ,was far more attractive than the glass and steel box that will no doubt replace it . architect,s and planners do seem to be a law unto themselves, each one more and more desperate to be seen to be more and more individual and daring in their design,s and use of material,s regardless of whether they really work or not ,and that is just what ruined so many parts of glasgow in the not so distant past. just take a look around you in glasgow ,glass and steel boxes right next to an ornately decorated victorian or older building, they seem to actively enjoy building something that is the exact opposite of it,s neighbouring structure, with the result being that glasgow is now a hotch potch of old and new, ugly and beautiful, ie a bloody mess !!!

sorry for such a long rant but, glasgow is just being ruined by thoughtless planners and ( award winning design genius, architects }

[crusty_bint]

A building being difficult to adapt to another use is no jutification for its destruction! I realise Scottish Balet require a large open space thats easily adaptable for thie performances but as CC pointed out the Tramway is more than successful and as Saron pointed out facade retention is ALWAYS an option! As has been stated, the building isn't particularly meritous but what is special about it is its relationship to the neghbouring St Ninians Church - a relationship which the Scottish Ballet HQ proposal neglects to consider.

I've been trying to find an image of the Polloshaws Rd aspect of the proposal but it seems to have been (rather unrprisingly in light of the opposition to it) removed from the internet and replaced with a small and not very clear plan and internal view:





Here's the thumbnail tho...


in this view the gates to the Hidden Gardens are just to the left, st Ninians to the right.

The thumbnail still exists tho

[crusty_bint]

And here's the proposal (soon to be under construction) for the site of Wylies...



...make what you will...

[glasgowken]

A building being difficult to adapt to another use is no jutification for its destruction! I realise Scottish Balet require a large open space thats easily adaptable for thie performances but as CC pointed out the Tramway is more than successful and as Saron pointed out facade retention is ALWAYS an option! As has been stated, the building isn't particularly meritous but what is special about it is its relationship to the neghbouring St Ninians Church - a relationship which the Scottish Ballet HQ proposal neglects to consider.

I've been trying to find an image of the Polloshaws Rd aspect of the proposal but it seems to have been (rather unrprisingly in light of the opposition to it) removed from the internet and replaced with a small and not very clear plan and internal view:





Here's the thumbnail tho...


in this view the gates to the Hidden Gardens are just to the left, st Ninians to the right.

The thumbnail still exists tho

Hideous, words fall me, so i'll try and save my blood pressure tonight.
Why are they so determined to build on this site ? It's not as if building plots are hard to come by down there.

You get an overwhelming feeling of doom seeing all this. The feeling that arrogant elitist morons (such as the architect mentioned above) are in total control over what gets demolished, and what gets built, in OUR city, it's all inevitable, and the public don't matter in the slightest.
How can it ever change ?

Any news or photos, from today.

[Flash_Andy]

Popped round to take some pictures, no change from last night

Lots of equipment


Nice wallpaper


GCT still there!

[Socceroo]

Cash is King and in Glasgow for certain Projects there does not seem to be a lot of it around.

Lord McFarlane had to do some serious fund raising to get the cash together for Kelvingrove. Projects like the GCA and Tramway had several funding partners.

So even if the Council started now to put together a proposal for the Coplawhill Works it would take the usual 5 - 7 years of meetings feasability studies and design before the Project would see a brick laid.

I got diverted down Albert Drive again today and the traffic outside the Tramway came to a halt. I looked up at the outside of the Tramway. It is an absolute disgrace. Paint peeling, fungus growing weeds and bushes springing up.

Does Glasgow really need another Transport Museum just now? Or would the money not be better spent in consolidating and improving the current Museum buildings and exhibits.

Some money could then perhaps be spent of Projects such as Coplawhill and the Public realm around the Tramway.

I think Coplawhill Works are gone. I do not see it now as viable to rebuild and refurbish. A great pity i agree, but a fact. The building has been neglected to the point of self destruction. If buildings which are, in my opinion, more aeshtetically pleasing such as Wylies Garage can be wiped off the face of the earth without much dissent then what chance do the Coplawhill Works have?

None.

[Flash_Andy]

Paint peeling, fungus growing weeds and bushes springing up

If you look at my last picture of the GCT logo, it looks like Heather is growing out of the stonework.

Go figure that one out, I'm stumped?????

[Flash_Andy]

And here's the proposal (soon to be under construction) for the site of Wylies...



...make what you will...

Those dumb architects can't get the right location, that's where the NTL building is at the moment???

Wylies location was at that portocabin on the right!

[glasgowken]

GCC is trying to recreate the Hanging Gardens of Babylon, that's why they leave it to nature to take care of their many crumbling, & overgrown, buildings

I always thought the current transport museum should take over the rest of the Kelvin Hall, and the cash spent improving the building to help preserve the exhibits, maintaining the humidity, etc. But that's another arguement, there was quite a lengthy thread on here a while back.

Apart from Coplawhill, there are still 3 (largely) complete GCT tram depots left in the city, but none of them are likely to survive.


Govan Depot - built 1914, now a car pound, future uncertain, the roof is in poor condition.

Parkhead Depot - built 1922, still a depot, but the last I heard was due to be demolished for housing.

Possilpark Depot - built 1900, now empty, it's future very uncertain, probably demolition.


So, in a few years the only evidence of the once huge Glasgow Corporation tram fleet, one of the largest in the world, the 2nd largest fleet in the UK, and the envy of many a city worldwide, may be photos, film, & the exhibits in the Transport Museum. Surely keeping this one building, the first built, isn't too much for a city which prides itself as having the most Victorian buildings.
Although, as you say, it probably is finished. It's a shameful situation.

[james73]

JESUS FUCKING CHRIST

I am totally gutted at seeing that.
The Glasgow way, neglect a listed building until it falls down Bastards.

Yep - the Glasgow Way indeed.