But, Mackintosh aside, the city's most famous home-grown architect is Alexander Thomson (1817-75).
He's known to this day as 'Greek' Thomson thanks to his use of design motifs from the ancient world.
His most visible work is the enormous St Vincent Street church, which looks like a cross between a Greek temple and something out of ancient Egypt. It is a marker of Thomson's unique style.
His Caledonia Road church in the Gorbals is now a fire-damaged shell, but a striking landmark nonetheless.
His truly extraordinary Queen's Park United Presbyterian church in Langside Road, which combined elements from Egypt, Greece and India, was destroyed by a German bomb in 1943.
"The lavish interior furnishings and paintwork would only have served as kindling to speed up the destruction of this outstanding landmark," says the scotscities.com web pages on the architect.
Holmwood House in Cathcart, one of Thomson's best surviving works, was constructed in 1857 and 1858 for James Couper, a local businessman. It has been under renovation by the National Trust for Scotland.
Other works by this celebrated architect (many of them Grade A listed), include the Buck's Head Building on Argyle Street, erected on the site of the famous Buck's Head Inn, the warehouse and shops complex at the Egyptian Halls on Union Street and the lower part of the Grosvenor Building, in Gordon Street
Thomson was born in Balfron, Stirlingshire. His gravestone is in the Southern Necropolis, a spooky black marble quasi-Egyptian structure that was installed in 2006 to replace the original, which had been vandalised.
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GEOFF HOLDER: Historic Times
GEOFF HOLDER: Historic Times
THINK of a famous Glasgow-born architect and the chances are you'll go for Charles Rennie Mackintosh.
But, Mackintosh aside, the city's most famous home-grown architect is Alexander Thomson (1817-75).
He's known to this day as 'Greek' Thomson thanks to his use of design motifs from the ancient world.
His most visible work is the enormous St Vincent Street church, which looks like a cross between a Greek temple and something out of ancient Egypt. It is a marker of Thomson's unique style.
His Caledonia Road church in the Gorbals is now a fire-damaged shell, but a striking landmark nonetheless.
His truly extraordinary Queen's Park United Presbyterian church in Langside Road, which combined elements from Egypt, Greece and India, was destroyed by a German bomb in 1943.
"The lavish interior furnishings and paintwork would only have served as kindling to speed up the destruction of this outstanding landmark," says the scotscities.com web pages on the architect.
Holmwood House in Cathcart, one of Thomson's best surviving works, was constructed in 1857 and 1858 for James Couper, a local businessman. It has been under renovation by the National Trust for Scotland.
Other works by this celebrated architect (many of them Grade A listed), include the Buck's Head Building on Argyle Street, erected on the site of the famous Buck's Head Inn, the warehouse and shops complex at the Egyptian Halls on Union Street and the lower part of the Grosvenor Building, in Gordon Street
Thomson was born in Balfron, Stirlingshire. His gravestone is in the Southern Necropolis, a spooky black marble quasi-Egyptian structure that was installed in 2006 to replace the original, which had been vandalised.
Visit www.scotcities.com/greekthomson.htm for more
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We moderate all comments on Evening Times on either a pre-moderated or post-moderated basis. If you're a relatively new user then your comments will be reviewed before publication and if we know you well then your comments will be subject to moderation only if other users or the moderators believe you've broken the rules, which are available here.
Moderation is undertaken full-time 9am-6pm on weekdays, and on a part-time basis outwith those hours. Please be patient if your posts are not approved instantly.
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