58-524: The Anderston Centre (originally styled as the Anderston Cross Commercial Centre , but now officially branded as Cadogan Square ) is a mixed-use commercial and residential complex, and former bus station located in the Anderston area of Glasgow , Scotland. Completed in 1972 and designed by Richard Seifert (best known for London's famous Centre Point and NatWest Tower ), it is one of
116-568: A slum . The Bruce proposals had called for the construction of a system of inner urban motorway - which would emerge as the Glasgow Inner Ring Road and the Clydeside Expressway . The new Anderston would have its population and slums cleared, and then trisected by these roads into three zones, a Residential Zone on the western side of the motorway, consisting of high-rise deck access public housing blocks, an Industrial Zone on
174-561: A cycle path in 2013, where it now terminates just to the north west corner of the complex. This section of the site was eventually filled by the Glasgow Marriott and Hilton hotels which were built in 1981 and 1992, respectively. The location of a bus terminal at Anderston had been predicated as part of the Bruce Report proposals which called for the city centre's numerous bus stations to be consolidated down to just two at either corner of
232-411: A dockland area, and were collectively known as Blythswood Court . The eastern end of the complex consisted of an unconnected S-shaped, 9-storey office block (initially known as McIver House , later 1 Cadogan Square), which would frame the operating area of the bus station, exiting onto Douglas Street and Blythswood Street. Seifert's scheme was never implemented in its entirety - conceptual drawings of
290-404: A haven for prostitutes and vandals, and the development's once-fashionable bare concrete Brutalist style of architecture aged badly over time, with the half derelict shopping plaza standing as a monument to the failures and mistakes of Glasgow's grand regeneration scheme of the 1960s, and generally became viewed as an eyesore. Contemporary architectural critics of the period blame the location of
348-426: A large part of Anderston. Although Anderston's housing problems were no worse than many other areas of Glasgow, Anderston was made an area for priority treatment as the need to improve Glasgow's road network had led to the plans for building a motorway through the city. The route of this motorway was to go through Anderston Cross, the traditional heart of the community, and the plan for the comprehensive development of
406-516: A street a few hundred metres to the east of the Anderston Footbridge. The former Albany Hotel was demolished leaving the pedestrian bridge, connecting it to the adjacent Anderston Centre, terminating in mid air over Bishop Lane at the end of Waterloo Street. The hotel was controversially razed in preparation for a new complex called Bothwell Plaza. The hotel development received planning permission in 2009 but remained unbuilt until 2016, when it
464-570: Is a Gaelic language nursery, primary and secondary school located in Berkeley Street. The area is home to football team Anderston Athletic who play in the Glasgow Colleges FA - Division 2. [REDACTED] Media related to Anderston at Wikimedia Commons M8 Bridge to Nowhere Bridge to Nowhere is a nickname used to refer to various unfinished structures around the M8 motorway in
522-596: Is the site of the Kingston Bridge which carries the M8 motorway over the River Clyde. Ownership of the village changed in 1735 when it was taken over by John Orr. In those days Anderston had bleachfields down by the river and Main Street consisted of weavers' cottages along both sides. As business and trade increased so did the size of Anderston. Finnieston , a nearby village was established in 1768 by Matthew Orr, named for
580-779: The Royal Bank of Scotland and the Criminal Injuries Compensation Board . It is rented to Barclays Stockbrokers , the University of Glasgow , and serviced-office company Regus . In 2022, Barclays completed the move of its Glasgow operations out of Tay House to its new purpose built campus in the Buchanan Wharf development in Tradeston , south of the River Clyde , thus leaving the building redundant. In August 2023,
638-471: The Scottish Ensemble staged a one-off concert entitled 20th Century Perspectives , in one of the complex's derelict office spaces, in a celebration of Scotland's modernist architecture and 20th Century classical music. Anderston Anderston ( Scots : Anderstoun , Scottish Gaelic : Baile Aindrea ) is an area of Glasgow , Scotland. It is on the north bank of the River Clyde and forms
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#1733086307769696-516: The 1960s. By the following decade, the new Anderston bore little resemblance to the old area. The high density housing and streets full of tenements had been swept away, and most of the residents had been rehoused in places such as Knightswood , Easterhouse , Cumbernauld , Drumchapel and East Kilbride . In 1951, the population had stood at 31,902; by 1971, it had dropped to 9,265 as a result of redevelopment. There were two major fires in Anderston in
754-575: The 1960s. The first occurred in March 1960 on Cheapside Street when a whisky bond caught fire and exploded. The explosion occurred over an hour after the initial fire and caused part of the building to collapse on top of three fire engines and trapped firemen beneath rubble. Fourteen firemen and five salvage corps workers were killed. The second fire occurred in November 1968 in a factory on James Watt Street. The fire trapped twenty-two workers who could not get through
812-503: The 1990s, the megastructure has undergone major redevelopment with some elements demolished and replaced, and others comprehensively refurbished. Following the Bruce Report in 1946, Anderston was declared a Comprehensive Development Area (CDA) by Glasgow Corporation , owing to the area having been badly scarred by the city's industrial decline . Much of the housing in the area had become overcrowded, insanitary and had deteriorated into
870-593: The Anderston Centre were saved in favour of refurbishment, after they transferred to the Glasgow West Housing Association. As of 2010 the blocks were being externally reclad to match the design of private developments going up adjacent. In 2011, work began on demolishing much of the original 1960s housing estate to the east of the motorway, including the Shaftesbury tower, and restoring portions of
928-472: The Cranstonhill reservoir was built which supplied the village with a direct source of water from the River Clyde. The town was made a Burgh of Barony in 1824 when Anderston's population stood at around 10,000, The first Town Council was elected, with Henry Houldsworth being chosen as the first Provost of Anderston. The council also included three Bailies, eleven councillors and a Treasurer. The Burgh motto
986-467: The Davaar housing tower of the complex with a view to removing the remaining two at a later stage; this decision was later reversed when a development company removed the southern section of the shopping and commercial centre in 2004 and replaced it with the 20-storey Argyle Building private housing development and Cuprum office block. In 2008, Glasgow Housing Association begun a plan to refurbish and reclad
1044-739: The Delftfield Pottery (established 1748), the Anderston Brewery (1760s) and the Verreville Glassworks (1776). The area's first church, the Anderston Relief Church in Heddle Place, was erected in 1770. The area of Anderston now known as Cranstonhill was known in ancient times as Drumother Hill . It became corrupted to Drumover Hill, the reason for this being a myth that it was the place where vagabonds were escorted to, to
1102-513: The Rev. John Finnie, the Orr family tutor and Finnieston weavers were allowed to become members of Anderston's weavers society from 1774. From its origins as a weavers' village, the area became an industrial centre with the growth of Glasgow's cotton industry and other industries including glassmaking and pottery. By 1794, the population of the village of Anderston was around 3,900. In the countryside surrounding
1160-465: The Scottish Lowlands. There was also a large Irish immigrant population moving to the area and by 1831 about a quarter of Anderston's population were Irish. The rapid development of industry in the area also led to a demand for working class housing, and most of the Anderston area was built in the late 19th century, comprising the solid stone tenement buildings which are synonymous with Glasgow. This
1218-423: The adjacent land on Bath Street, were developed in the early 1990s by Malcolm Potier 's Tanap Investments. Tay House (300 Bath Street), a salmon pink 160,000-square-foot (15,000-square-metre) office building, was completed in 1992 and a section of the building was built atop the podium. It was later owned by Handelsbanken , MEPC , and now by commercial property company Regional REIT . Former tenants include
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#17330863077691276-443: The area was approved in 1961. The new Anderston would therefore be divided into three zones; a Commercial Zone devoted to office space and commerce on the eastern fringe of the city centre, and bordered on the west by the new ring road, a Residential Zone consisting of new housing estates to the immediate east and an Industrial Zone to the south east. The work on the road network and the demolition of housing progressed throughout
1334-548: The bad housing and overcrowding of the inner city areas which existed in most of the major cities in Britain. The Bruce Report of 1945 led to the concept of 'Comprehensive Development' which meant the total demolition of areas of sub standard housing and slums in the city, so that new, planned communities could be built on the cleared ground. In total, 20 Comprehensive Development Areas were designated in Glasgow, with one of them comprising
1392-479: The blocks, this process was completed in 2011 (after which the properties were transferred to Glasgow West Housing Association), the towers now having distinctive blue LED lighting which automatically comes on during hours of darkness, re-establishing them on the central Glasgow skyline. Tentative plans exist to remove the remains of the commercial centre, leaving a landscaped area between the three tower blocks, but these have yet to come to fruition. In September 2014,
1450-407: The central area - the other station being Buchanan Bus Station - opening a few years later in 1977. The services from Anderston largely served the city's southern suburbs and surrounding towns, and were intended to make use of the southern flank of the Glasgow Inner Ring Road which was never completed in its intended form. By the end of the 1980s, it had been decided to consolidate all services at
1508-407: The centre of Glasgow, Scotland . They were built in the 1960s as part of the Glasgow Inner Ring Road project but left incomplete for several years. One "bridge", at Charing Cross, was completed in the 1990s as an office block. The Anderston Footbridge, a pedestrian bridge south of St Patrick's church, was finally completed in 2013 as part of a walking and cycling route. A third "Bridge to Nowhere"
1566-484: The complex as a factor in its failure as a shopping destination, critically being "a few hundred yards too far to the west" to encourage shoppers on Argyle Street beyond the psychological barrier of Central Station and Hielanman's Umbrella . In addition, the opening of the St Enoch Centre in 1989 further consolidated Glasgow's core shopping district in its existing area, leaving the Anderston complex redundant. By
1624-412: The complex dating from the mid-1960s show a second phase immediately to the west of the first, which had an extended shopping plaza and three additional housing towers. This second phase was never built - the visible evidence of its incompleteness being the unfinished Anderston pedestrian bridge (the infamous ' Bridge to Nowhere ') which terminated 100 metres away in midair before its eventual completion as
1682-461: The complex existed to the north and west - the first being to the (now demolished) Albany Hotel on Waterloo Street, the second being the infamous M8 Bridge to Nowhere which was never extended far enough to reach the main deck of the shopping plaza, instead terminating in mid-air some 100 metres away. The three towers were named after the famous Clyde steamers SS St Columba , SS Dalriada and SS Davaar , in reference to Anderston's maritime history as
1740-522: The construction of a number of new office developments, and most notably - high rise student accommodation towers. The Anderston Footbridge, 600 metres (650 yards) south of the Charing Cross Podium, was originally planned as the main pedestrian connection between the new housing estates on the western side of the motorway to the Anderston Centre but similar to what happened at Charing Cross,
1798-575: The construction of two large mixed use commercial complexes in the area: which became the Anderston Centre , and the Charing Cross Complex - part of the latter would be built on the podium structure. In the end, the Charing Cross scheme was pruned back in ambition, leaving the podium unused for over two decades, attracting notoriety at a time when the entire M8 construction project was the subject of very divided public opinion. The podium, and
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1856-465: The construction, as well as connecting the bridge with a second one over the Clydeside Expressway . This should increase pedestrian and cycle access to central Glasgow on a route between Kelvingrove Park and the city centre. Sustrans won the funding in September 2011 – work to finally complete the bridge began in 2012 and was completed by July 2013. Glasgow gained a third "Bridge to Nowhere" in 2008 on
1914-471: The docks on the River Clyde meant that Anderston also became an ideal place for the establishment of whisky bonds , grain stores and timber yards. This period also saw the establishment of the famous Cranstonhill (established 1865) and Bilsland Bakeries (1882). Thomas Lipton opened his first shop in Stobcross Street in 1871. The increase of industry in the area brought a large number of people from
1972-602: The earliest examples of the " megastructure " style of urban renewal scheme fashionable in the 1950s and 1960s - the other notable example in Scotland being the infamous Cumbernauld Town Centre development. The complex is a notable landmark on the western edge of Glasgow city centre, and is highly visible from the adjacent Kingston Bridge . The complex was voted at Position No. 54 in the Prospect magazine's 100 best modern Scottish buildings . After falling into partial dereliction in
2030-414: The evening. However, with the exponential growth of Glasgow's flourishing new financial district, by the turn of the 21st century, Anderston's fortunes seemed to be improving. New ultra-modern office developments, international hotels and new residential buildings have sprung up, which have improved the look and reputation of the area markedly. After original plans to demolish them, the three tower blocks of
2088-479: The existing buildings with a megastructure which would combine shops, housing, offices and a bus station, which would effectively replace Anderston Cross - the original heart of the area which was literally wiped off the map to make way for the ring road. Seifert's other commission for the area was the Elmbank Gardens office tower built 0.5 km to the north in neighbouring Charing Cross , which also survives to
2146-442: The first half of the 20th century, even though it had been a part of Glasgow since 1846, Anderston remained in many respects like a large village within a city. There was a strong sense of local identity (which still survives to this day), with the area being well-served and self-contained in regard to shops, cinemas and places of employment. Like many other similar areas of Glasgow, relatives and friends tended to live locally (often in
2204-504: The inner ring road was being prepared for tender in the mid-1960s the designer, Scott Wilson & Partners, advised Glasgow Corporation to include the development as part of the motorway construction contract. The Corporation ignored this advice, hoping that a developer would take on the project, along with its cost. The original masterplan for the area was devised by the London architectural firm R. Seifert Company and Partnership , which entailed
2262-606: The mid-1990s, efforts began to regenerate the complex. Controlled access to the centre's car park and service undercroft was brought into deal with the notorious prostitution problem. The former bus station was built over by the Europa House office building in 1999, and a further office block known as the Cerium Building replaced the northern half of the shopping complex in the early 2000s - this block being occupied by Morgan Stanley . In 2002, plans were put forward to demolishing
2320-534: The name came from a wooden cross or ‘stob’ which marked the spot. Stobcross House was demolished in 1875 to make way for Queen's Dock. Anderston was originally an unproductive section of the Stobcross Estate which was feued out for weavers' cottages in 1725 by James Anderson of Stobcross House. It was named Anderson Town in his honour, later becoming Anderston . The fledgling village of Anderston began close to Gushet Farm, which became Anderston Cross and today
2378-562: The new development was scaled back in size – meaning that the bridge terminated in mid-air above the vacant land, which was eventually built upon in 1981 when a Holiday Inn hotel (nowadays the Glasgow Marriott) was constructed on the site. As a highly visible structure, it assumed the title of 'Bridge to Nowhere' from the Charing Cross Podium after that was built on and lost its bridge-like appearance. A proposal by charity Sustrans , under their national Connect2 programme, aimed to finish
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2436-455: The newsagent John Menzies , who also eventually closed as a result of difficult trading conditions. The original studios of the local radio station Radio Clyde had been located within the complex from its foundation, until it moved to its current site in Clydebank in 1983. Largely unpoliced, the centre's covered service roads and access walkways became a notorious red-light district, becoming
2494-464: The original street plan including Argyle Street. The development, by Sanctuary Scotland , received multiple awards and also features a statue of Charles Rennie Mackintosh (designed by Andy Scott ) as its centrepiece. Anderston Primary School (1973), a non-denominational state school, is located on Port Street in Anderston. St Patrick's Roman Catholic Primary School (1962) is situated on Perth Street in Anderston. Glasgow Gaelic School (1999)
2552-574: The owner of the building - London and Scottish Property Investments (L&SPI) - announced the Charing Cross Masterplan in conjunction with Glasgow City Council. The plans entail the partial demolition of Tay House, including the podium structure as part of plans to create a raised garden over the M8 "trench", thus recreating a public space joining the city centre to the West End. The plans also entail
2610-578: The present day as a hotel. The core of the complex was based on a multi-level system constructed from pre-cast concrete, connected via sloping walkways and unique open-air escalators , housing a semi-enclosed shopping mall and office space, and a distinctive octagonal shaped leisure complex - which housed a snooker club. These elements were accessed by a travelator from the bus station at the Argyle Street level. The three 19-storey tower blocks housed office space and shops on their lower five levels, with
2668-567: The present day district of Anderston stands was once known as the Bishop's Forest. These lands, situated to the west of medieval Glasgow, were granted to the Bishop of Glasgow by King James II of Scotland in 1450. The lands of Stobcross, which occupied part of this area, were the property of the Anderson family from the mid-16th century, and here they built their mansion, Stobcross House. Tradition has it that
2726-457: The renamed Buchanan Bus Station , and by September 1993, Anderston was closed completely, dealing the final fatal blow to the shopping area of the complex, which was completely abandoned by the middle of the 1990s following the loss of what was essentially the anchor tenant . Other key tenants had previously been Ailsa Superstore which changed to Presto Superstore, the electrical goods chain Comet and
2784-519: The same building), and everyone knew everyone else in the area, to a large extent. But this situation would change in the post-war era. Several buildings in Anderston on Finnieston Street, Hill Street, Hydepark Street and Lancefield Street were destroyed during air raids in May 1941. After the Second World War , there was a determination by national and local government that something had to be done about
2842-523: The site, and had marked the eastern boundary of the Stobcross lands. The Royalty Stones stood on the site from around 1782 until they were removed during the comprehensive development which took place in the area in the 1960s and 1970s. By the late 18th century, Anderston was a thriving community, with its population employed mostly in weaving and related industries such as bleaching, dyeing and printing. Other industries were also thriving by this period, such as
2900-466: The south western edge of the city centre . Established as a village of handloom weavers in the early 18th century, Anderston was an independent burgh of barony from 1824 until it was incorporated into the City of Glasgow in 1846. The district is served by Anderston railway station . It is bordered by Charing Cross to the north, Blythswood Hill to the east and Finnieston to the west. The land on which
2958-472: The tune of the "Rogues' March", when they were drummed out of town. Alexander Peden prophesied in the 17th century that this hill would one day be the site of the 'Cross of Glasgow.' At that time, the hill stood in open countryside a few miles from the Burgh of Glasgow. In the early 19th century, Henry Houldsworth, a cotton mill owner, established a spinning mill on Cheapside Street which was steam powered. In 1809,
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#17330863077693016-407: The upper fourteen floors consisting of public housing for Glasgow Corporation. The undercroft of the structure housed a split level car park, and a system of internal roads for service purposes along the former Cazdow Street. Such was the original intended scale of the complex, it had its own dedicated fire station on the north side, adjacent to Waterloo Street. Two high level pedestrian exits from
3074-414: The village there were many country estates such as Hydepark and Lancefield. These would later be commemorated in the street names of Anderston as the area expanded and became urbanised in the 19th century. The eastern boundary of Anderston was for many years marked by Royalty Stones number 208 and 209, on the north and south sides of the present Argyle Street. The Blythswood Burn had originally flowed through
3132-529: The westernmost extreme bordering with Stobcross and Finnieston , and a Commercial Zone on the eastern side bordering the city centre with Blythswood Hill . Richard Seifert won the commission for the flagship development of the Commercial Zone - which was one of the practice's largest outside London. The plan would be to effectively create a superblock out of the area bounded by Argyle Street, Blythswood Street, Newton Street, and Waterloo Street, and replace
3190-457: The windows which were barred. Many of the tenement blocks in the area were demolished in the 1970s to make way for the M8 motorway and Kingston Bridge and Anderston Cross was replaced by the Anderston Centre . The idea was not a success, and by the 1980s the centre's many covered underpasses and service roads had become a notorious red light district , with prostitution a major activity in both Anderston and neighbouring Blythswood Hill in
3248-517: Was also the period when many of Anderston's churches were built to serve the growing community. These included St Mark's Lancefield (1850), St Patrick's RC Church (1850) Anderston Parish Church (1865). By the close of the 19th century shipping and associated industries had taken over the area and spread to fill the parkland beside the Clyde and the area was densely populated and characterised by back-street workshops and closely packed tenements. Throughout
3306-399: Was created in 2008 following the demolition of a hotel a few blocks away from the M8 but its remains were finally removed in 2017. The structure officially called the Charing Cross Podium was always intended to have a development of some sort on the top level. However, the incomplete structure looked like a bridge and was often referred to as the 'Bridge to Nowhere'. When the western flank of
3364-583: Was the Latin Alter Alterius Auxilio Veget , which roughly translates as 'the one flourishes by the help of the other.' However, Anderston's status as an independent Burgh would not last long. In 1846 it was incorporated into the City of Glasgow. The last Provost of Anderston was Henry Houldsworth's son, John. During the rest of the 19th century, the area continued to grow and new industries developed, such as shipbuilding, iron-founding, tool manufacturing and engineering. The close proximity to
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