Praise Architecture discussion

The Strathclyde Architecture building and the Newbery Tower are two buildings specifically designed for architectural education, but sadly, both have lost their intended use. I came to Strathclyde to study architecture after the department had already been forcibly moved out of the architecture building, but tutors and past students would often talk about the original building fondly.

The Newbery Tower, designed in the 1960s as part of an expansion of the Glasgow School of Art, was demolished in 2011 to allow for a redevelopment of the GSA campus. The tower was an easy target as the brutalist style was not well received at the time. The school claimed the building was inadequate for teaching as student numbers were rising, and keeping the building would not be cost effective. But the floor plans were incredibly flexible as the vertical structure was confined to the staircase cores, meaning there were no columns or structural walls dividing up the floors and the rooms could be used for a variety of functions. It’s possible the reason the building was demolished was because it did not fitthe image the GSA wanted to project to future students. This concern over image is ironic seeing as the Mackintosh building was loathed and mocked in the early years after its construction, but came to be a respected and established piece of architecture.

The awarding of a Grade B listing certainly saved the Strathclyde Architecture building from possible demolition, although it didn’t save it from poor management. This chapter of the book is a thoughtful consideration of the preservation of post-war architecture.

- Praise Architecture