Description

Clarke and Bell, 1873. Former fish market on the site of the Merchants Guild Hall (now demolished) and enclosing the 17th-century Merchants steeple to NE (see separate item). The site is an irregular triangle and consists of the Main Hall which has an elaborate cast-iron interior

and the E halls of plainer construction and circa 1889 date by John Carrick, architect. The whole fish market was internally redesigned 1987-8 around the original structural features as a shopping centre.

CLYDE STREET (S) ELEVATION: Main 8-bay show facade to Fish Market main hall, and to extreme right 3-bay facade of E halls.

8-bay Main Halls: polished ashlar, rusticated at ground. 8-bay front with round arched openings, to 3rd and 7th bays (from left) full height pilastered vehicle entrances flanked by paired engaged giant de l'Orme columns supporting projecting entablature, elaborate cast iron outer gates and tympani. Otherwise rusticated arches to shopfronts. Cornice over ground floor, swagged occuli at 1st with decorative cast iron ventilating grilles.

Decorated Doric frieze with cornice over, deep plain parapet, balustrading to centre 3 bays, over porticos plinths support winged sea horses flanking central medallion of Queen Victoria.

3-bay E section, now detached facade to E Hall, plainer than Main hall facade with 3 round arched vehicle entrances.

BRIDGEGATE (N) ELEVATION: long pedimented Renaissance facade to N, painted ashlar rusticated to ground, channelled to 1st. Arcaded ground floor with main 7-bay section (facade to Main Hall) to right, full height vehicle entrances to penultimate bays flank shop fronts.

Pilastered rectangular windows to 1st and 3 centre bays flanked by Glasgow City Arms and single windows.

Frieze and cornice with pediment over 7-bay section with 3-light window to tympanum, akroteria and central topical urn with fish finial at apex. To E, 6-bay plainer lower section (facade to E halls) has similar baying pattern with entrance archways flanked by shop fronts. To 1st, plain rectangular windows, at angle with Merchant Lane turret oriel.

MERCHANTS LANE (E) ELEVATION: brick walling. Single windows to 2 storeys at N end, attic windows light market halls.

INTERIOR: Main Hall: irregular rectangle, galleried on all sides, modern stairs give access to balconies. Galleries are supported on cast iron Doric columns, the roof on plain columns. Roof structure arched iron braces with decorative traceried spandrels supporting glazed and slated roof. Walling originally faced in white glazed bricks, now only surviving to N window surrounds.

E and Central Halls, lower subsidiary halls. Similar cast iron Doric columns support partly glazed slated roof.

External Links

• Historic Environment Scotland Listing
• The Briggait at Wikipedia
• The Briggait official website
• Wikidata Q17567406

External links are from the relevant listing authority and, where applicable, Wikidata. Wikidata IDs may be related buildings as well as this specific building. If you want to add or update a link, you will need to do so by editing the Wikidata entry.

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