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

131 ROTTENROW, UNIVERSITY OF STRATHCLYDE, ARCHITECTURE BUILDINGLB51962

Status: Designated

Documents

There are no additional online documents for this record.

Summary

Category
B
Date Added
04/09/2012
Supplementary Information Updated
14/11/2023
Local Authority
Glasgow
Planning Authority
Glasgow
Burgh
Glasgow
NGR
NS 59755 65423
Coordinates
259755, 665423

Description

Frank Fielden of Frank Fielden and Associates, 1964-7. 3-storey and basement, 12-bay Modernist school of architecture and building science with prominent 2-storey projecting bay windows, distinctive angled rooflights and recessed ground floor. Integral single storey, roughly square-plan lecture theatre to W. Part of post-war university campus within an urban setting. Set on ground falling away to S. Exposed in-situ concrete frame creating base course, band courses and parapet; blue and black brick in stretcher bond external cavity walls. Cut through entrance to W of plan with 2-leaf glazed entrance doors.

N ELEVATION: entrance to right. Canted bays at ground floor, returns with window over black infill panel; glazed strip to top of ground floor. Projecting bays with glazing over black infill panel at 1st floor and copperised felt cladding on lightweight concrete 'Suporex' panels at 2nd floor; returns with glazing over black infill panel.

E ELEVATION: projecting bays at centre, those at 2nd floor with copperised felt cladding. Single storey lean-to at ground.

S ELEVATION: similar to that at N elevation. Entrance to left. Copperised felt cladding with horizontal light above to projecting bays at 1st floor.

W ELEVATION: similar to that a E elevation. Ground floor and basement advanced to form lecture theatre, exhibition block and offices; recessed end bays of advanced section block.

Predominantly sheet glass in metal framed pivot over fixed pane windows and pivot over casement windows; pivot windows at ground floor. Asphalt flat roof; large angled rooflights with glazing to N. Integral rainwater goods.

INTERIOR (seen 2011): open plan studios around a core of seminar rooms and offices to the S, with internal walls of brown brick and concrete and wood block flooring on concrete floor slab. Entrance hall with in situ concrete flying staircase, with tiled treads, metal balustrade and deep paired timber handrail, later suspended tubular steel truss to half landing; some later partitions around staircase. Later timber pit at 2nd floor with raked seating. Vertically boarded red pine walls to lecture theatre.

Statement of Special Interest

This well detailed Modernist building was the first dedicated purpose-built post-war architecture school in the United Kingdom and was designed by the School's Professor of Architecture, Frank Fielden. It is prominently located in the main body of this post-war university campus and makes clever use of the steeply sloping site. The constraints of site were influential in determining the long narrow form of the building, which is used to an advantage in the interior plan-form. The exterior survives largely unaltered retaining its prominent copperised projecting bays and distinctive angled rooflights. These features maintain consistent light levels in the building. The building is constructed from a range of materials which are all exposed in a conscious attempt to minimise the use of different materials as well as to provide a building that required minimal maintenance.

Frank Fielden wanted a building that would create a modern architectural office environment for his students. Every student was to be allocated a permanent space in an open-plan studio and the size of the projecting bays was determined by the space required for each student and their equipment (drawing board, table and storage for equipment, books and drawings). The studios could be subdivided by movable pin board screens. The studios are predominantly to the N of the plan around a core of seminar room, teaching spaces and library, with offices to the S. A large lecture theatre surrounded by an exhibition area is on the ground floor. The open studio space, staircases and full-height lightwell to the E was designed to minimise separation between the studio floors and promote a sense of continuity throughout the building. However this increased noise levels and created wide ranging temperature differentials between the floors, and the original lightwell was blocked creating an unusual 'pit' on the top floor which was used as a teaching space.

The Architecture Building was part of the original masterplan for the University of Strathclyde, which followed the granting of a Royal Charter in 1964. The origins of the university began in 1796 when Professor John Anderson left instructions in his will for the provision of an institution that was 'founded for the good of mankind and improvement in science'. By the 1890s this institution had developed rapidly and in 1903 built the Royal College building, George Street (see separate listing). The student population continued to grow, particularly following WWII and in the 1950s the area immediately to the N of the Royal College was developed to provide further facilities including a new engineering building, student union and chaplaincy centre. In 1964 the enlarged Royal College was granted the Royal Charter and became the University of Strathclyde. Keen to maintain a presence in city centre the renowned Modernist architect Robert Matthew drew up plans for the expansion of the campus to the E of the Royal College building, to provide additional buildings for science and technology disciplines as well as accommodation for the newly introduced arts and social sciences subjects. This original masterplan has been continually developed as land became available for the campus, following the demolition of tenements and other public and commercial buildings. The University has also acquired and adapted existing building adjacent to the campus for their use, such as the Barony Church and the Ramshorn Theatre (see separate listings).

Frank Fielden was Professor of Architecture at the University of Strathclyde in the 1960s. In 1947 he was a lecturer at the School of Architecture at Durham University and started his own private architectural practice, later known as The Design Partnership . His work was wide-ranging including private houses and several schemes for the conversion of large terrace blocks into flats. He also undertook work for the University of Durham including administration offices and extensions to Henderson Hall, King's College and the University's rowing club. After taking up his position at the University of Strathclyde University he established Frank Fielden & Associates. As well as designing the new Architecture Building he also designed University of Glasgow's Refectory.

An abstract 3-D concrete mural by Charles Anderson is known to be in situ in the main foyer (formerly exhibition hall) but is presently covered, (2013).

Listed as part of the University of Strathclyde Review 2010-2012. List description updated, 2013.

References

Bibliography

The Builder (22 May 1964) p1075. Dean of Guild Drawings (1964), Glasgow City Archives 1964/443. R Matthew Site Survey (1965), University of Strathclyde Archives, OS/66/18. R Matthew Development Plan (1965), University of Strathclyde Archives, OS/66/19. University of Strathclyde's Annual Report (1965/66), p11. 'School of Architecture, Glasgow' in The Architect and Building News (10 May 1967) pp809-816. 'School of Architecture' in The Architects' Journal (10 May 1967) pp1123-1135). 'Building Revisited: Strathclyde University School of Architecture' in The Architects' Journal (4 December 1974) pp1319-1328). University of Strathclyde, University of Strathclyde Campus Development, 1964-1984 (1984). Drawings of the Architect Building (Various Dates), University of Strathclyde Archives OS69/1/1. www.strath.ac.uk/architecture/department/history/ (accessed 22 August 2011). www.scottisharchitects.org.uk (accessed 14 November 2011).

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.

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