Glasgow is known worldwide for its rich Victorian architecture that we see across the city everyday. But so many buildings that were once a part of Glaswegians daily life are now missing from the cities skyline. Whether through natural, planned, or disastrous processes, we’ve lost a lot of the iconic buildings that once defined Glasgow. Here’s a list of five of the buildings in Glasgow that are no longer with us. St Enoch station hotel was constructed behind the St Enoch railway terminal and was a beautiful, elaborate example of Glasgow’s victorian architecture. The hotel was a work of art in and of itself and was a huge part of Glasgow’s City Centre up until 1976, when it was demolished and later replaced by St Enoch shopping centre. The Red Road Flats were an infamous feature of Glasgow’s skyline. They were built in the 1960s and were initially welcomed as a solution to Glasgows overcrowded slums before they gained their sinister reputation. By the 70s the towers had gained a reputation for anti-social crime, ranging from youths throwing objects from the roofs to frequent house breaking. The Red Road Flats steadily declined, becoming a hotspot for serious crimes like theft and assault, and faced serious issues in the face of suicides from tower residents. At the time of their construction, the towers were the tallest residential blocks in Europe, and by 2015 they became the flattest towers in Europe when they were demolished, as repairs began to outcost the money that was made in rent. The towers were often used as locations by photographers and film makers - making numerous appearances in the STV police drama Taggart, and featuring in the 2006 film, Red Road, which won a BAFTA and the Prix de Jury (third prize) at the Cannes film festival. Glasgow School of Art isn’t quite lost yet, despite the Mackintosh building suffering two fires over the last ten years. Designed by Glasgow’s own Charles Rennie Mackintosh, the iconic building has been left a husk following the last fire in 2018, and remains in the process of being fully rebuilt and refurbished. The Apollo, formerly known as Green’s Playhouse Cinema, occupied the site of Cineworld on Renfrew Street. It was one of Glasgow’s busiest music venues in the 70s and 80s and hosted the likes of Johnny Cash, The Ramones, and Blondie. The venue was demolished in the mid-1980s. The art-deco Tower of Empire, also named Tait Tower after its architect, Thomas S. Tait, was Scotland’s tallest building when it was built for the 1938 Empire Exhibition held at Bellahouston Park. It had three observation decks and could be seen from more than 100 miles away, But it was demolished within a year.
