The story of Glasgow's built heritage that's been left to rot

New multi-million pound developments are taking shape from the River Clyde to Sauchiehall Street, Merchant City to Anderston.

Among the new and the many old architectural treasures are many disused former commercial buildings that have been left to rot.

The number of abandoned buildings exposed to the wind and rain in a state of decay looks to citizens to be on the increase.

Today in our Glasgow Times Investigates series we take a look at some of the city centre premises that have been left vacant and derelict for decades with no current plan to restore or develop them.

It has reached the stage where dozens more are due to be added to the Buildings At Risk Register.

While a considerable number are saved, many have been considered so dangerous they had to be demolished, often with new developments then taking shape on the land.

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In Hope Street, the Lion Chambers has been a landmark since 1907 when it was one of the tallest in the city.

With its Art Nouveau style and distinctive white frontage, it is one of the most unique buildings in the city centre.

It was built to house lawyers' offices and artists' studios on the upper floors.

Completed between 1904 and 1907 it was one of the earliest examples of a reinforced concrete building in the UK.

Despite various development proposals and also demolition plans over the last 30 years, there are no current planning applications and the tower remains vacant.

The At Risk register lists it as “critical”.

There are understood to be multiple owners.

The most recent transaction for the building with the Land Register is to a company Westcairn for a sum of £1.

In the new International Financial Services District in the southwest of the city centre new glass and steel blocks are taking shape.

Yards from the latest addition to the city, the offices of banking giant JP Morgan is another of Glasgow’s heritage buildings.

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At 71 -75 Robertson Street built in 1901 for Robert Buchanan & Co carting contractors, the Campbell Building is one of the remaining features of the city’s past, fast becoming an island in a sea of new developments.

The A-listed five-storey red sandstone structure has seen the above ground floors vacant for several years.

An inspection last year found it has deteriorated with damp and decay noted.

Damage to the inside of the building is also visible, some windows are in poor condition and vegetation has taken root among the stone.

The At Risk Register moved the condition of the building to “poor” and the risk status to “moderate”.

The building is listed as being owned jointly by three individuals. Parmajit Kaur, Amitoj Randhawa and Navjot Randhawa at an address in Glasgow and last recorded purchase was in 2017 for £800,000.

The area around the 123-year-old former office building has been subject to much development with several demolitions, some controversial, and new-build office and hotel developments.

It is understood there are plans for redevelopment but at very early stages.

Trongate is undergoing a transformation with major works at Candleriggs but alongside it many properties have been left in disrepair.

The old C&A/TJ Hughes block is one and some buildings beside it.

Across the road is 170 Trongate on the corner with Hutcheson Street is a four-storey warehouse surrounded by one of the biggest new projects in the city centre.

Its condition is listed as “very poor” and the risk as “high”.

Ownership of the block is still listed as Selfridges who bought the buildings and land west of Candleriggs decades ago for a new store but didn’t build it.

Until recently the land has been unused but the Candleriggs Square development is moving at pace but the old corner building still sits perilously on its edge.

At Oswald Street, close to Broomielaw on the southern approach to the city center another long-term derelict building has been empty for at least a decade or more.

Number 11, a five-storey former bonded warehouse has deteriorated to the extent the risk level has been raised from low to high.

It has been noted “the masonry continues to decay at an accelerated rate”.

The front entrance has been fenced off but the windows on the upper floors are broken or missing and are exposing the interior to the elements.

In 2013 there was an application to convert the building into a hotel with an extension to the upper floors.

Nothing happened and in 2022 an application for full demolition to build a new hotel was submitted.

Simon Stronach Deputy Head of Planning, Consents and Advice Service: Historic Buildings at Historic Environment Scotland, said: “Lion Chambers, 175 Robertson Street and 170 Trongate are all listed buildings, which means that they are of special architectural or historic interest.

“They are important parts of Glasgow’s built heritage and the city’s story.”