Glasgow Tower, Richard Horden Architecture, Scotland, UK

Glasgow Science Centre building by Richard Horden Architects; Building Design Partnership - BDP Architects

Glasgow Tower: Photos

glasgow science centre+ glasgow tower + glasgow imax, prince's dock - by river clyde - govan

Glasgow Tower Glasgow Science Centre Richard Horden
images by bdp architects



Glasgow Tower: Description
Richard Horden is an English architect and yachtsman. Horden became
well-known in the Eighties for light simple buildings that used yacht
technology and yacht iconology. His modern rectilinear buildings were part
of the Hi-Tech style that swept England, key architects being Richard
Rogers, Norman Foster and Chris Wilkinson.


photograph © 2007 jason baxter

Richard Horden Architects tried to transfer the elegance of sailing and
the beauty and technology of the modern aircraft into architecture, in a
way reminiscent of architect Le Corbusier's extolling of the modern
technology of cars and planes. However, unlike Le Corbusier, Richard
Horden aimed for light prefabricated buildings.

BDP Architects Glasgow Science Centre Richard Horden
images © adrian welch

European Millennium Tower Competition, Glasgow:
Richard Horden Architects were awarded first prize for their ‘Wing Tower’ but
controversially the project was essentially taken over by BDP Architects,
Glasgow.

Glasgow Tower BDP Architects Richard Horden Architects
images © adrian welch


The Glasgow Tower brief required a 100 metre high tower. The Tower was to
include a viewing platform, restaurant and exhibition space. Richard
Horden worked with aeronautical engineer Peter Heppel, to design a
vertical wing that rotated with the wind direction. Being visible for
miles around, it allows Glaswegians to tell which way the wind is blowing!
The Glasgow Tower was the first of its kind to rotate to reduce the
aerodynamic forces on the structure.

BDP Architects Glasgow Tower Richard Horden
images © adrian welch

Richard Horden - Other Projects
Skihaus, Zermatt, Switzerland/Italy
Habitable Bridge, London
Wing Tower, Lake Zurich

BDP Architects - Other Projects
SEEL, Glasgow
Cardonald College, Glasgow
City of Edinburgh HQ

Richard Horden Glasgow Science Centre BDP
images © adrian welch


Glasgow Tower - Competition
Duffy & Batt Architects' Glasgow Tower Competition entry:

Glasgow Tower Competition
image from Duffy & Batt

"a pre-millennium wheel vertical ferris wheel (paternoster) made it to the shortlisted 12 of 350 open pan European entries".

Tallest buildings in Scotland
Office Tower and Flats Tower, Leith, by Terry Farrell & Partners
Edinburgh's Leith Docks are set to become a mini-Manhattan, complete with Scotland's two tallest buildings and a Guggenheim museum. Forth Ports has revealed plans to build two 35-storey towers as part of the regeneration of Leith port's Edinburgh Harbour. The company is also in discussions with the Solomon R Guggenheim Foundation about building a museum at the port. The two towers would stretch 420 feet into the air, making them three feet taller than the Millennium Tower at Glasgow Science Centre - currently Scotland's tallest structure. They will dwarf Scotland's previous tallest buildings, the 31-storey flats in Bluevale Street and Whitevale Street in Glasgow's Gallowgate, which are both 298 ft tall.



Glasgow Tower - Revolution
Glasgow Tower
The revolving Glasgow Tower - which cost £10m and is Scotland's tallest free-standing structure - could soon be reopened with the huge ball bearing due to be fitted this week. The Glasgow Science Centre tower at has been in operation for less than 100 days since opening in late 2001.

Aug03

Glasgow Tower - Repair
Repairs to the Glasgow Tower delayed for months by a row over faults, keeping it closed since Feb 2002.
Sep 02

Richard Horden is not only a key English architect but internationally known

Scottish Architecture: best scottish buildings of the last three decades

Scottish Architects from Scotland through the ages

Glasgow walking tours

Historic Glasgow: best glasgow buildings of the past

Glasgow Tower - Website: www.glasgowsciencecentre.org

To the west of the site is Pacific Quay

Across the River Clyde is the Glasgow Moat House Hotel



Glasgow tower : Dalmarnock

Glasgow tower blocks

Glasgow Tower is the only building in the world capable of turning 360 degrees from the ground up. The aerodynamic structure allows the entire building to turn and face the wind, thus reducing wind resistance.There is a two and a half minute ride to the top but it has been plagued with problems so call before you visit.

Glasgow Tower concept architect - Richard Horden

Glasgow : back to index

Glasgow tower - page: adrian welch / isabelle lomholt