City of Glasgow

Glasgow Green

The McLennan Arch entrance into Glasgow Green.

( Formerly part of the Robert Adams Assembly Rooms in Ingram Street )

The Green is the oldest of the many parks in Glasgow.

It is situated along the banks of the River Clyde

within walking distance of the city centre.

It includes extensive open spaces, modern play facilities,

winter gardens and the historic People's Palace.

The McLennan Arch entrance

into Glasgow Green.

Obelisk in Glasgow Green

The grade A listed column

was erected by public subscription in 1806

to commemorate the naval victories

of Viscount Horatio Nelson.

It was the first monument in Britain

to be erected in his honour.

Aerial view of Obelisk

"Clyde"

- Mascot for the Glasgow Commonwealth Games 2014

in Glasgow Green

Glasgow Commonwealth Games 2014

Wikipedia - 2014 Commonwealth Games

"Clyde"

- Mascot for the Glasgow Commonwealth Games 2014

in Glasgow Green

Glasgow Commonwealth Games 2014

Wikipedia - 2014 Commonwealth Games

Emblem

for the Glasgow Commonwealth Games 2014

in Glasgow Green

Glasgow Commonwealth Games 2014

Wikipedia - 2014 Commonwealth Games

Clydesdale Horses and Cart

in Glasgow Green

Clydesdale Horses and Cart

and People's Palace

in Glasgow Green

People's Palace

from Glasgow Green

Ornate facade

of Templeton's Carpet Factory

from Glasgow Green

Glasgow Buildings Gallery

Ornate facade

of Templeton's Carpet Factory

from Glasgow Green

Glasgow Buildings Gallery

Ornate facade

of Templeton's Carpet Factory

Glasgow Buildings Gallery

Ornate facade

of Templeton's Carpet Factory

Glasgow Buildings Gallery

TEMPLETON'S CARPET FACTORY:

Situated on the verdant grounds of Glasgow Green, the Templeton Carpet Factory cuts an imposing figure agains the grey Glasgow skyline.
Completed in 1892 and designed by renowned Scottish architect William Leiper, the building has become an iconic symbol of Glasgow’s Victorian past.
Leiper had made a name for himself designing churches, and this has certainly been reﬂected in the ecclesiastical style of the building.
Its glazed facade, intricate stonework and unique Venetian style have earned the building reverence and admiration far beyond its factory status.
Leiper’s work prior to the Templeton Carpet Factory has been largely characterised by his use of soft yellow sandstone - a palette he seldom veered from.
However, this dramatically changed with the factory’s bold design; a vibrant red bricks facade, adorned with lavish yellow tiles and grand
window arches encased in azure mosaic, give the building a sense of grandeur and opulence.
Heavily inﬂuenced by the Dogé's Palace in Venice, the building incorporates several Gothic elements, such as wheel-shaped windows and pointed arches,
akin to its venerated Venetian counterpart.
The Venetian inﬂuence of the building stemmed from the ambition of James Templeton, son of the Templeton and Co’s founder and then company director.
Keen to expand his enterprise and determined to do so in extravagant fashion, he commissioned Leiper to build the ‘most lavish and
virtuous building he could come up with.
Leiper’s audacious design would eventually gain approval from Glasgow City Council and construction began in 1888.
However, tragedy struck on November 1st, 1889, when strong winds caused a partial wall collapse, taking the lives of 29 women who were working nearby
at the time.
Then in 1900, a ﬁre broke out in the factory trapping many inside the building.
Although this may paint a grim picture of its working conditions, the factory was pioneering in its approach to the well-being of its workers.
Many recreational spaces, club rooms and canteens were incorporated in its design, differentiating it from the squalid conditions many factory workers
endured during the Victorian era.
Furthermore, the statue atop the building is believed to be a tribute to a worker who died during the construction.
In contemporary times, the building has gone through several reincarnations, and currently houses a restaurant, offices and apartments.
Unbroken by tragedy, unparalleled in design and unbound by conventionality, the Templeton Carpet Factory, continues to push the limits of
innovation more than a century after its foundations were laid.