St.Peter’s Seminary, Cardross

St Peter’s Seminary - Cardross, Dumbartonshire - Gillespie Kidd & Coia, 1962-68

I know, I know, I can hear you all crying I should be wearing my high-viz vest in such a dangerous building… Lots has been written about this amazing but depressingly derelict building. For starters you can read lots more, see photos, find maps and hear people’s memories of this seminary at these sites:

http://riskybuildings.c20society.org.uk/docs/26stpeters/index.html

http://www.glasgowarchitecture.co.uk/cardross_seminary.htm

http://www.hiddenglasgow.com/StPeters/index.htm

http://www.secretscotland.org.uk/index.php/Secrets/StPetersSeminary

Coty factory, Great West Road

Coty perfume and cosmetics factory, Great West Road – Wallis, Gilbert & Partners – 1932

Opposite the former Firestone building, this factory was used for the manufacture of Coty soaps, lipsticks, scents and creams until 1979.  It has been under scaffolding for a while and is still getting some work done inside, I look forward to it looking rather scrummy in a few months time, hopefully.

Next door to it is a new Audi centre, which, judging by an old photo I’ve seen, used to be a very lovely towered factory for Brittol Ltd and later for Admiralty Oil – massive shame it’s gone.

Hayes Cocoa (now Nestle)

Hayes Cocoa factory, now Nestle (since 1949) – Wallis, Gilbert & Partners & Truscon – 1932(?)

Problem is they won’t let anyone, let alone a mutt like, anywhere on the premises without prior arranged permission with the Nestle HR –  and I’m just not that organised, so here’s the gates. (With this tight security I wonder if they’ve got a load of Oompa Loompas working there?)

I know this next piccie isn’t deco, but it’s pretty cool – it’s the back of the Nestle factory complex that backs onto the Grand Union Canal. You can smell it for miles, and I love it!

Curry’s factory – 991 Great West Road

The Curry’s factory / 991 Great West Road – 1936 – F E Simkins

main entrance to Curry's factory

Pickles at former Curry's factory

Restored by Foster and Partners between 1997 and 2000 for J C Decaux.

India of Inchinnan

India of Inchinnan, Renfrewshire – 1929 – Thomas Wallis of Wallis, Gilbert and Partners

India of Inchinnan

Built on the site of a former airship construction station, where they built the R34 airship, which made the first ever transatlantic air crossing in both directions in 1919.  The new art deco factory site was opened in 1930 and India Tyre and Rubber company operations continued there until Christmas 1981. Most of the factory site buildings were demolished in 1982 and these categegory A listed offices are all that remain of the original. A very good looking extension was added to the rear in 2004 by Gibb Architects, and now as HQ of Graham Technology it makes me a very happy old mutt to see the site thriving again!

     

Luma light bulb factory

Luma Light Bulb Factory, Shieldhall, nr Glasgow – Cornelius Armour – 1938

 

Pickles at Luma Factory

Botanic Gardens Garage, Glasgow

Our first wordpress entry, and a bit of a test…

Hello,

This is our first time using WordPress, so we are going to be a bit experimental with our first posting. This blog will generally document our favourite pastime, which is taking pictures of me (Pickles) outside Art Deco and Modernist industrial buildings.  Having said that, today’s (being our experimental day) will break the rule from the start.

We went to see the new proposals for the Botanic Gardens Garage in Glasgow this evening, so we thought we’d start off with a piccy of me posing outside there.  The Botanics Garage was built in 1912 and is the oldest surviving purpose-built garage in the UK.  It was in use as a garage until last year, by Arnold Clark, but they are now planning to develop it into a block of flats despite its recent Grade A listing.

Botanic Gardens Garage, Vinicombe St, Glasgow.  1912.  architect: David Valentine Wyllie.

For more info see http://www.botanicgardensgarage.org/

and The Twentieth Century Society  which has also got a great photo of the garage back in the day.

 

Bankside Power Station (Tate Modern)

Bankside – 1947 – Sir Giles Gilbert Scott

This is our first post, but do expect all sorts of delicious doggified twentieth century acrchitectural treats to come!

This photo is of me in 2006 on my first industrial landmark spotting trip to London.