New life for historic Linen Bank building
NEW life is being breathed into the historic British Linen Bank building.
One of the few remaining historic buildings in the Gorbals and Laurieston area, the tenement has been left to crumble over years of neglect.
Restoration work has now begun on the building, at 166 Gorbals Street, which will be turned back into flats and a commercial space.
In the early 1990s, Southside Housing Association acquired the building from Glasgow City Council, and due to its isolated position it was mothballed.
The building now comes within the boundary of the Laurieston Transformational Regeneration Area, which is one of eight areas of Glasgow earmarked as a priority for regeneration by Transforming Communities: Glasgow (TC:G).
Councillor Mhairi Hunter, chairwoman of the Laurieston Transformational Regeneration Area Local Delivery Group, said: “The rebirth of the Linen Bank building provides a link between our past and future and is a symbol of the ongoing regeneration of the area.”
The tenement building was built in 1900 and designed by architect James Salmon, who was also responsible for several other notable buildings in the West of Scotland, including the Lion Chambers on Hope Street and the Hatrack Building on St Vincent Street, as well as a number of villas in Kilmacolm.
The British Linen Bank building was awarded a Grade A listing from Historic Environment Scotland.
One of the few buildings to escape the wholescale Gorbals clearances of the 1960s and 1970s, the red sandstone tenement stood by itself for a long time – before the recent regeneration of Laurieston. Southside Housing Association succeeded pulled together a £2.6million funding package from 10 different sources, and this enabled Glasgow City Council to grant approval for the works to proceed.
The main funders of the project are Glasgow City Council, Southside Housing Association, the Scottish Government and Historic Environment Scotland.
When complete in spring 2019, the building will house a ground floor commercial unit and six two-bedroom flats for mid-market rent.
As well as retaining and renewing original features, architects Page/Park have instructed the completion of the corner turret, which was in the original design but never built.
Iain Dyer, Management Committee member of Southside Housing Association, said: “Southside Housing Association is delighted that years of perseverance have paid off and this wonderful example of a Salmon tenement is preserved for future generations.
“We are confident that this fine traditional tenement will complement the regeneration work of our friends in New Gorbals Housing Association.”