Was told that you could actually get a tour around inside Glasgow City Chambers and that they were something worth seeing. I actually used to work around the back of this building in George Street and have always admired it. Was intrigued to see inside. Let's go have a look ...
The City Chambers is the grandest building in Glasgow. The sight of it towering over George Square is the very definition of Glasgow City Centre.
But the town council was not always here. They used to be based around the tollbooth that I featured when I did the Argyle Street post. They moved from there in 1814 and moved around from Glasgow Green to Wilson Street to Ingram Street until it was decided to move to their present location. The foundation stone was laid in 1883. 600,000 spectators watched the procession for the laying of the stone by the Lord Provost.
Queen Victoria performed the inauguration in 1888 with the first council meeting being in October 1889. This was at the height of the Victorian Era and the British Empire. Glasgow was seen as the "Second City" of the Empire and as such needed a grand civic building. And boy have we got one!!
Just walking around the outside you can see the number of sculptures across it's surface.
Here is just some of the detail over the public entrance from George Square.
But before we go inside just wanted to post up this photo of the official measures for feet and yards as defined by the Standards Department Board of Trade 1882.
Well as long as it is 62 degrees Fahrenheit!! Not sure how useful that is in Glasgow with the way the temperature changes. Think it was 62 for about 12 seconds last Tuesday!! :)
This is on the front of the building next to the corner with Cochrane Street.
The first thing you see as you come through the door is a mosaic of the Glasgow coat of arms. I've spoken about this crest and it's relationship to St. Mungo in a previous post. Obviously this crest appears very often within the Glasgow city chambers!
The next thing you will notice is the roof of the entrance hall. It is a series of vaulted domes with splendid granite pillars. Each of the domes covered with beautiful mosaics. It is said that there are 1.5 million tiles in these mosaics, each tile laid be hand.
The first thing you see as you come through the door is a mosaic of the Glasgow coat of arms. I've spoken about this crest and it's relationship to St. Mungo in a previous post. Obviously this crest appears very often within the Glasgow city chambers!
The next thing you will notice is the roof of the entrance hall. It is a series of vaulted domes with splendid granite pillars. Each of the domes covered with beautiful mosaics. It is said that there are 1.5 million tiles in these mosaics, each tile laid be hand.
You have now been in the building about 15 seconds and already know that this place is somewhere very, very special.
Take some time to wander about in the entrance hall as there are so many details such as the beautiful statue pictured above.
One thing that really took my notice was this lamp with a wreath of poppies underneath.
This is one of the spectacular staircases. This one is made of Carrara marble. I believe it was said that this was the biggest marble staircase in Europe.
The staircase in the other wing is also spectacular. It is made of freestone rather than marble. It also has this fantastic marble lion just below the Lord Provost's office. There to protect the Lord Provost?
One thing that really took my notice was this lamp with a wreath of poppies underneath.It says on the plaque "Lamp of Remembrance. This was erected by the ex-service nurses of Glasgow in memory of those who died in the wars. 1914-1918. 1939-1945." On the wreath it says "In remembrance of the nurses of the past from nurses of the present"
Very touching memorial.
All that is pictured above is just in the entrance hall. But you can get a tour right inside the building.
There are two tours a day of the City Chambers, one at 10.30am and another at 2.30pm.
They are free.
There were about a dozen people on the tour I was on today. Two of us were from Glasgow. The tour guide said that even that was unusual because they get so few Glaswegians coming on the tour.
All that is pictured above is just in the entrance hall. But you can get a tour right inside the building.
There are two tours a day of the City Chambers, one at 10.30am and another at 2.30pm.
They are free.
There were about a dozen people on the tour I was on today. Two of us were from Glasgow. The tour guide said that even that was unusual because they get so few Glaswegians coming on the tour.
The tour guide was excellent!! So welcoming and knowledgeable. You can tell when someone loves what they are talking about and the pride in this amazing building was very clear.
I hope by the end of this post to convince at least a few more of you to go on this tour if you haven't been here before. Here are just a few images from inside...
I hope by the end of this post to convince at least a few more of you to go on this tour if you haven't been here before. Here are just a few images from inside...
This is one of the spectacular staircases. This one is made of Carrara marble. I believe it was said that this was the biggest marble staircase in Europe.I liked this photo as it is so like the Escher picture of the stairs! But hope is also portrays how splendid these stairs are.
The staircase in the other wing is also spectacular. It is made of freestone rather than marble. It also has this fantastic marble lion just below the Lord Provost's office. There to protect the Lord Provost?The guide said that it was said to be lucky to give his nose a wee rub on the way by. Hey, it can't hurt!! :)
Next room I want to show you is the Council Chamber itself. Ever wondered where the council sits...
Well they sit here. And you can get to sit here as well. Really makes it feel so special to think you are sitting where Glasgow Council has sat since 1889.
And ever fancied yourself as Lord Provost of Glasgow??
Well this is the Lord Provost's chair for Council meetings. You can have a wee seat here yourself on the tour as well.Though don't let the power go to your head!! :)
And once again her is the Glasgow Crest in the window behing the Lord Provost's chair.
From the next rooms you get an new perspective and great view on George Square. Strange to see it from this angle.
But left most of the rest of the posted photos for the best room of all...
It is hard to take a photograph that gives you a sense of scale and beauty of this room. You find yourself saying "wow!!" as you walk in. Really takes your breath away.
Well they sit here. And you can get to sit here as well. Really makes it feel so special to think you are sitting where Glasgow Council has sat since 1889.
And ever fancied yourself as Lord Provost of Glasgow??
Well this is the Lord Provost's chair for Council meetings. You can have a wee seat here yourself on the tour as well.Though don't let the power go to your head!! :)
And once again her is the Glasgow Crest in the window behing the Lord Provost's chair.
From the next rooms you get an new perspective and great view on George Square. Strange to see it from this angle.
But left most of the rest of the posted photos for the best room of all...
It is hard to take a photograph that gives you a sense of scale and beauty of this room. You find yourself saying "wow!!" as you walk in. Really takes your breath away.
This is the Banqueting Room.
It is 33.5 metres long, 14.6 metres wide and 15.8 metres high. (110ft by 47ft by 52ft) But that still doesn't really give you a sense of the scale.
Here is some more detail of the roof in the banqueting hall.
You also get to go up into the Minstrels' Gallery. This is pretty high and gives you a terrific view down across the room.
Also lets you get a close up view of the chandeliers. Though seemingly they are "electroliers" as they are powered by electricity. They were built in 1885 and are still working today.
This is a view from the Minstrels' Gallery looking down across the impressive Venetian glass windows.
It worth going on the tour just to see this room alone.
One last image. There is an impressive gallery of portraits of many of the Lord Provost's on the top floor. A Lord Provost serves in office for four years and then after that traditionally choses an artist to create his portrait. Just looking through these portraits is a history lesson all on it's own. So many distinguished names that have done so much for Glasgow. The one pictured above does stand out and will be recognisable to many reading this blog. It is of Pat Lally who was in local government politics from 1966 till 1999 and was Lord Provost from 1995 to 1999.
Do you recognise the artist?
Is is by famous Glaswegian artist Peter Howson who's Famine work is currently on show at St. Mungo's and I featured in one of the very early posts at the Cathedral.
That was a quick set of images from inside this spectacular building. I didn't go into a long lecture on all the history or post up all the rooms you get to see because best to hear and see them for yourself. If you have been here then please leave a comment below and if you haven't then get yourself there and then leave a comment below. Every Glaswegian should visit this building at least once.
I'm going to go back and drag along anyone I can.
If you wan't to come with me then send me an email. Could make this the first Glasgow "The Day" organised outing!! :)
Be well, be happy!!
Here is some more detail of the roof in the banqueting hall.
You also get to go up into the Minstrels' Gallery. This is pretty high and gives you a terrific view down across the room.
Also lets you get a close up view of the chandeliers. Though seemingly they are "electroliers" as they are powered by electricity. They were built in 1885 and are still working today.
This is a view from the Minstrels' Gallery looking down across the impressive Venetian glass windows.
It worth going on the tour just to see this room alone.
One last image. There is an impressive gallery of portraits of many of the Lord Provost's on the top floor. A Lord Provost serves in office for four years and then after that traditionally choses an artist to create his portrait. Just looking through these portraits is a history lesson all on it's own. So many distinguished names that have done so much for Glasgow. The one pictured above does stand out and will be recognisable to many reading this blog. It is of Pat Lally who was in local government politics from 1966 till 1999 and was Lord Provost from 1995 to 1999.
Do you recognise the artist?
Is is by famous Glaswegian artist Peter Howson who's Famine work is currently on show at St. Mungo's and I featured in one of the very early posts at the Cathedral.
That was a quick set of images from inside this spectacular building. I didn't go into a long lecture on all the history or post up all the rooms you get to see because best to hear and see them for yourself. If you have been here then please leave a comment below and if you haven't then get yourself there and then leave a comment below. Every Glaswegian should visit this building at least once.
I'm going to go back and drag along anyone I can.
If you wan't to come with me then send me an email. Could make this the first Glasgow "The Day" organised outing!! :)
Be well, be happy!!
My dad's been telling me to go there for years - it's one of those things, it's always there, it's not going anywhere - so I'll get round to it at some point. Next thing you know I'll have lived most of my life and not seen it. Blog has made me want to really go and check it out for myself... definitely interested in coming along.
ReplyDeleteDid you ask about the bricks?
ReplyDeleteGreat pictures that bring back a lot of memories! Used to play in a brass band there every single year for an awards ceremony in the Boys Brigade but not been back for about 10 years.
ReplyDeleteAlso, my gran used to work as a cleaner in the chambers a long time back and every time I see the marble stairs and the immaculate presentation of the building I always think of her - thanks for the memories!
I remember going there on a school visit when I was about 9 or 10. We met Jim Watt (the boxer) in the foyer and got his autograph. The thing that sticks in my mind is the gold leaf that adorned (I think) the Banqueting Hall ceiling... being that age we were (mis-)led to believe that it was solid gold... obviously we chose not to hear the 'leaf' part of 'gold leaf'. Truely stunning building.
ReplyDeleteYea my gran used to work there too ... I've only been in there once when I was part of the banner party for Glasgow and West of Scotland Air Cadets when the wing received its new colours at the Cathedral then marched back to the City Chaambers for some tea and biccies in the banquet hall. A tour is probably overdue.
ReplyDeleteThank you for all the comments!! Also shows how much this building is a central part of many of the ceremonies in the city. It is a working building not just some kind of museum. Makes it all the more remarkable how beautifully presented it is. And Eoan I didn't ask about the bricks. But you need to tell us now!!
ReplyDelete