Description

Probably John Nisbet, circa 1907. 2-storey, 13-bay terrace of 5 villas, unusually with rounded bay windows and flat roofs. Shallow U-plan. Red polished ashlar sandstone to principal E elevation; red brick to N elevation; render to S elevation.

FURTHER DESCRIPTION: 3 bays each to central 3 villas; 2 bays each to outer villas. Outer doorways in antis with panelled doors and stained glass; 2-leaf outer doors to Nos. 26-28; rounded 4-light, full-height, bay windows to each house; corniced cills to upper windows.

Timber sash and case windows with decorative, leaded, clear-glass upper sashes; timber painted dark green. Flat roofs with parapets; corniced wallhead stacks with decorative supporting brackets; cupolas over stairs.

INTERIORS (seen 2010): all 5 houses now interconnect internally. High-quality Glasgow Style decorative plasterwork, timberwork and stained glass to all 5 houses, including doors, door furniture, fireplaces, ceilings, staircases. Oscar Paterson stained glass 'The Quaint Village' at inner door to No. 28.

GATEPIERS AND BOUNDARY WALLS: square red sandstone piers with cushion-moulded caps flanking entrance steps to each villa; iron railing to one side of each entrance; dwarf walls (railings missing) fronting street.

Statement of Interest

A good example of early 20th century Glasgow Style architecture and of interest for fine interior details including stained glass and decorative plasterwork and timberwork. The terrace is also unusual for its early flat roofs. In use as University offices and teaching accommodation.

The land on which the terrace stands once formed part of the small estate surrounding Lilybank House, a classical villa of the mid 19th century. Although suggested as 'circa 1887' in the 'Buildings of Scotland: Glasgow' volume, photographs of July 1905 from the University Tower show that the site of the terrace was still undeveloped at that date. The terrace appears to be the 'large villas' or 'self-contained lodgings' referred to in 'Home Builders' (p.14), designed by John Nisbet for J A Mactaggart & Co. in 1907. With the exception of Lilybank House (see separate listing), all the other buildings in Bute Gardens were earlier and smaller townhouses by the same architect for the same developer, and were demolished in the early 1960s to make way for the University Library.

John Nisbet was a classmate of Charles Rennie Mackintosh at the Glasgow School of Art. He was a prolific designer of tenements, mainly for Mactaggart & Co., and designed Mactaggart's own house, 'Kelmscott', in Pollockshields.

Michael Donnelly attributes the stained glass door panel ('The Quaint Village') at No. 28 to Oscar Paterson. Paterson worked frequently with Nisbet on other speculative developments for the Mactaggart firm, providing stock domestic panels of stained glass, notably in Hyndland. He also worked with James Salmon Jr. on a number of prestigious commissions. Paterson was widely acclaimed, particularly after 1898 when the 'Studio' magazine illustrated work by the firm.

Listed as part of review of the University of Glasgow Hillhead Campus, 2010-11. The building number is derived from the University of Glasgow Main Campus Map (2007), as published on the University's website www.gla.ac.uk.

External Links

• Historic Environment Scotland Listing
• Wikidata Q77782193

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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