Listed Building

The only legal part of the listing under the Planning (Listing Buildings and Conservation Areas) (Scotland) Act 1997 is the address/name of site. Addresses and building names may have changed since the date of listing – see 'About Listed Buildings' below for more information. The further details below the 'Address/Name of Site' are provided for information purposes only.

Address/Name of Site

UNIVERSITY OF GLASGOW, GILMOREHILL CAMPUS BUILDING D9, 42 BUTE GARDENS, LILYBANK HOUSELB32853

Status: Designated

Documents

There are no additional online documents for this record.

Summary

Category
A
Date Added
15/12/1970
Supplementary Information Updated
04/06/2019
Local Authority
Glasgow
Planning Authority
Glasgow
Burgh
Glasgow
NGR
NS 56796 66913
Coordinates
256796, 666913

Description

Lilybank House is a symmetrical, three-bay, two-storey classical villa of polished ashlar in the style of David Hamilton, built around 1850 and altered by two of Scotland's premier architectural firms, A & G Thomson (1863-65) and Honeyman, Keppie & Mackintosh (1894-95; 1900 and 1908).

The main villa has a slightly advance central bay with arched windows to the ground floor. There is a cill band at the 1st floor and a corniced parapet above, panelled to the centre. The rear elevation is four-bay, two-storey and basement, with advanced outer bays. The tall floriate incised chimneycans were added by Thomson (1863-65).

The south wing addition (by Alexander & George Thomson) is single storey and basement. Steps (with die parapet walls) lead up to a large tetrastyle Greek Ionic portico. It has a roll-moulded plinth forming a cill band and pedestal. There are two wide bays to the left of entrance, each with narrow windows. The south elevation has a pedimented advanced gable with a tripartite, mullioned window. The west wall has one window in the outer bay. The rear elevation is pedimented with a raised gable, breaking forward, with a tripartite window and smaller windows in the flanking bays. The chimney stacks are axial, with independent flues, linked at the top, and with tall floriate incised chimneycans.

The north wing addition (remodelled by Honeyman, Keppie & Mackintosh) is lower in height and also has three bays, with the outer right bay set forward. It is stylistically in keeping with the mid-19th century villa, with round arched windows to the ground floor and a corniced parapet. There is an arched entrance in bay to the left with a glazed fanlight. The north elevation is three-bay with an advancing central bay. There are blind arched niches in the ground floor outer bays. The tall wallhead chimney stacks are linked by the parapet. There is a further corniced wallhead stack to the rear.

The interior was seen in 1988. The main villa is top lit, with a corniced entrance hall with anta pilastered, etched glass door. The south wing entrance hall has elaborate plasterwork with Greek detailing including a carved pillar screen and cornicing. Stencil decorations were discovered in the south wing during refurbishment in 2005.

The roofs are grey slate. Rainwater goods are cast iron.

.

Statement of Special Interest

Lilybank House is of outstanding interest as a unique example of a building altered by two of Scotland's premier architectural firms, A & G Thomson and Honeyman, Keppie & Mackintosh (John Honeyman and Keppie prior to 1901). The building exhibits fine work by both practices in two phases of extension to the north and south of the original house, which itself is an excellent example of a former residential villa.

Lilybank was built for Robert Allen, a Glasgow merchant, in around 1850. The 1st Edition Ordnance Survey Town Plan (surveyed, 1858) shows a rectangular-plan house with two parallel wings extending from the northeast, probably forming a small service court. From 1857 the house was leased by John Blackie Jr (1805-73) of the publishing firm, Blackie & Son. Blackie bought the house in 1864. William Ewart Gladstone, then Chancellor of the Exchequer, and Prince Alfred, Duke of Edinburgh were entertained at the house during Blackie's period of office as Lord Provost of Glasgow (1863 to 1866).

By 1878 the house was occupied by insurance broker John Burns MacBrayne. The building was altered to designs by John Honeyman & Keppie to form the Queen Margaret College hall of residence for 25 women in 1894. The University of Glasgow took over the hall on its merger with Queen Margaret College in 1923. The building has been in departmental use since the removal of Queen Margaret Hall to a new site at Bellshaugh Road in 1964.

Alexander Thomson (1817-1875) was a highly original architect whose early specialism in picturesque villas, in collaboration with his brother George, developed into a large and prolific practice producing all sorts of buildings, usually in distinctive neo-Greek or Egyptian styles. Famous Glasgow works include St Vincent Street Church (1867), Egyptian Halls, Union Street (1870) and Grecian Buildings, Sauchiehall Street (1867).

The firm of John Honeyman & Keppie undertook works to convert the house to a hall of residence in 1894-95, including the rasing of the north wing by an additional storey. Charles Rennie Mackintosh (1868-1928) contributed to the concurrent Queen Margaret College Anatomical Department and it is possible he may also have been involved here, though there is no evidence to confirm this (Mackintosh Architecture).

Charles Rennie Mackintosh (1868-1928) was born in Glasgow and is internationally regarded as one of the leading architects and designers of the 20th century. He became known as a pioneer of Modernism, although his architecture took much inspiration from Scottish Baronial, and Scottish and English vernacular forms and their reinterpretation. The synthesis of modern and traditional forms led to a distinctive form of Scottish arts and crafts design, known as 'The Glasgow Style'. This was developed in collaboration with contemporaries Herbert McNair, and the sisters Francis and Margaret Macdonald (who would become his wife in 1900), who were known as 'The Four'. The Glasgow Style is now synonymous with Mackintosh and the City of Glasgow.

Mackintosh's work is wide-ranging and includes public, educational and religious buildings to private houses, interior decorative schemes and sculptures. He is associated with over 150 design projects, ranging from being the principal designer, to projects he was involved with as part of the firm of John Honeyman & Keppie (Honeyman, Keppie & Mackintosh from 1901). The most important work during this partnership was the Glasgow School of Art, which was built in two phases from 1897 and culminated in the outstanding library of 1907. Other notable works include the Willow Tea Rooms (LB33173), the Glasgow Herald Building (now The Lighthouse) (LB33087) and Hill House (LB34761), which display the modern principles of the German concept of 'Gesamtkunstwerk', meaning the 'synthesis of the arts'. This is something that Mackintosh applied completely to all of his work, from the exterior to the internal decorative scheme and the furniture and fittings.

Mackintosh left Glasgow in 1914, setting up practice in London the following year. Later he and Margaret moved to France, where until his death, his artistic output largely turned to textile design and watercolours.

Change of statutory address and listed building record updated as part of the University of Glasgow Hillhead Campus Review, 2011. The building numbers are derived from the University of Glasgow Main Campus Map (2007) www.gla.ac.uk.

Previously listed as '42 Bute Gardens, Lilybank House'.

Listed building record revised in 2019.

References

Bibliography

References:

Maps

Ordnance Survey (Surveyed 1858, Published ) Glasgow Town Plan, 1st Edition, 25 inch to 1 mile, Ordnance Survey, Southampton

Ordnance Survey (Revised 1894, Published ) Glasgow Town Plan, 2nd Edition, 25 inch to 1 mile, Ordnance Survey, Southampton

Archives

Hunterian Museum & Art Gallery, Mackintosh Collection, Honeyman & Keppie and Honeyman, Keppie & Mackintosh Job Books for 1895, 1900 and 1908, Ref. GLAHA 53061-3

Mitchell Library, Dean of Guild Collection, Ref. 1/3882

National Archives of Scotland, Court of Session processes, Carron Company versus David Ritchie, iron founder, of Lilybank House, Glasgow, 1856, Ref. CS228/C/29/8

University of Glasgow Archives, Records of Queen Margaret Hall Ltd, 1894-1923, Ref. GB 248 DC 233/2/13 and architectural drawings, Ref. BUL/6/25/1-5

Printed Sources

Craik J, Eadie J, Galbraith J (1886) Memoirs & Portraits of One Hundred Glasgow Men, Glasgow: Maclehose & Sons, p.39.

Gomme A, Walker D (1968) Architecture of Glasgow, London and Glasgow: Lund Humphries Ltd, p.286.

Hansell M, Harris H, Reilly M, Ruxton G (2009) Architectural Treasures of the University of Glasgow, p.52.

McFadzean R (1979) The Life & Work of Alexander Thomson, London: Routledge, pp.166-169.

McKean C, Walker D, Walker F (1989) Central Glasgow: Royal Incorporation of Architects in Scotland Illustrated Architectural Guide, Edinburgh: Rutland Press, p.186.

Stamp G (1999) Alexander Thomson: The Unknown Genius, Glasgow: Laurence King Publishing.

Smith J G and Mitchell J O (1878) The Old Country Houses of the Old Glasgow Gentry.

Urquhart G R (2000) Along Great Western Road - An Illustrated History of Glasgow's West End, pp.24-25.

Williamson E, Riches A, Higgs M (1990) The Buildings of Scotland: Glasgow, London: Penguin Books Ltd, p.352.

Online Sources

Dictionary of Scottish Architects, Lilybank House at www.scottisharchitects.org.uk [accessed 2019].

University of Glasgow, Mackintosh Architecture, Lilybank House, www.mackintosh-architecture.gla.ac.uk [accessed 2019].

About Listed Buildings

Historic Environment Scotland is responsible for designating sites and places at the national level. These designations are Scheduled monuments, Listed buildings, Inventory of gardens and designed landscapes and Inventory of historic battlefields.

We make recommendations to the Scottish Government about historic marine protected areas, and the Scottish Ministers decide whether to designate.

Listing is the process that identifies, designates and provides statutory protection for buildings of special architectural or historic interest as set out in the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) (Scotland) Act 1997.

We list buildings which are found to be of special architectural or historic interest using the selection guidance published in Designation Policy and Selection Guidance (2019)

Listed building records provide an indication of the special architectural or historic interest of the listed building which has been identified by its statutory address. The description and additional information provided are supplementary and have no legal weight.

These records are not definitive historical accounts or a complete description of the building(s). If part of a building is not described it does not mean it is not listed. The format of the listed building record has changed over time. Earlier records may be brief and some information will not have been recorded.

The legal part of the listing is the address/name of site which is known as the statutory address. Other than the name or address of a listed building, further details are provided for information purposes only. Historic Environment Scotland does not accept any liability for any loss or damage suffered as a consequence of inaccuracies in the information provided. Addresses and building names may have changed since the date of listing. Even if a number or name is missing from a listing address it will still be listed. Listing covers both the exterior and the interior and any object or structure fixed to the building. Listing also applies to buildings or structures not physically attached but which are part of the curtilage (or land) of the listed building as long as they were erected before 1 July 1948.

While Historic Environment Scotland is responsible for designating listed buildings, the planning authority is responsible for determining what is covered by the listing, including what is listed through curtilage. However, for listed buildings designated or for listings amended from 1 October 2015, legal exclusions to the listing may apply.

If part of a building is not listed, it will say that it is excluded in the statutory address and in the statement of special interest in the listed building record. The statement will use the word 'excluding' and quote the relevant section of the 1997 Act. Some earlier listed building records may use the word 'excluding', but if the Act is not quoted, the record has not been revised to reflect subsequent legislation.

Listed building consent is required for changes to a listed building which affect its character as a building of special architectural or historic interest. The relevant planning authority is the point of contact for applications for listed building consent.

Find out more about listing and our other designations at www.historicenvironment.scot/advice-and-support. You can contact us on 0131 668 8914 or at designations@hes.scot.

Images

There are no images available for this record, you may want to check Canmore for images relating to UNIVERSITY OF GLASGOW, GILMOREHILL CAMPUS BUILDING D9, 42 BUTE GARDENS, LILYBANK HOUSE

There are no images available for this record.

Search Canmore

Printed: 29/03/2024 06:57