Amazing history of Glasgow building which was once the BBC headquarters

The building played a significant role in Glasgow’s history, long before it became the Corporation’s headquarters in Scotland in 1938.

There had been an earlier North Park House.  This was the country house of the Hamilton family, who had purchased the North Park Estate in 1799.

John Hamilton was a West India merchant and had been Provost of the City three times between 1800 and 1811. The introduction of the Great Western Turnpike Road led to the selling of much of North Park estate for housing, for those families who wished to escape the areas around Glasgow Green and move to the great terraces in the West End.

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In the 1860s the original North Park House was demolished. and it was replaced by Alexander “Greek” Thomson terraced housing in what is now 35-51 Hamilton Drive.

North Glasgow House. Pic: Glasgow City Archives (Image: Glasgow City Archives)

The Bell Brothers (John and Mathew) had established the successful Glasgow Pottery in the early 19th century and by the 1850s it was the largest pottery in Scotland, trading in North America. They needed a permanent home for their large art collection and in 1870 they applied to Hillhead Burgh to build the second North Park House, just a small distance from the original.

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The house was designed in 1869 by Rochead and completed in 1871 by John Honeyman.  It included various picture galleries. It was the intention of John Bell to leave the house and its collections to Glasgow Council, but he died intestate in 1880 and the collection was sold.

Mrs Isabella Elder purchased the building and in 1884 a college for women was established, with 240 female students. Its many galleries and music rooms were adapted to the role of lecture theatres, classrooms and libraries. A Medical School was inaugurated there in 1890 with classes beginning at once with thirteen students.  A year later the course included  attendance at the Royal Infirmary.

Between 1890 and 1895 John Keppie and Charles Rennie Mackintosh designed a new building for the medical school. By 1907 there were 631 women students, including about 60 medical students. In 1892 Queen Margaret College became part of the University of Glasgow and all teaching was transferred to Gilmorehill in 1935.

There was a suggestion that Glasgow Corporation should acquire the building for use as a reference, lending and reading library for the North Kelvin District. The Corporation was once again to miss out.  Before the city librarian could make a report, the BBC - who were looking for new premises in Glasgow - moved quickly and acquired the property.

In October 1936 work started to convert QM College into the BBC’s headquarters in Scotland. Its official opening was in November 1938. In the 1960s the site was extended to the east taking in the former Hillhead Bowling Club and Kelvinside Nursery in the 1960s. In 2007 the BBC relocated to a new building at Pacific Quay.

All structures except North Park House, Miller's 1930s additions to it and the Anatomical Department were demolished by 2010. The north-east section of the building – originally the dissecting room – and the pitched roof and gable of the former museum at the south-east were also demolished.