Britannia Music Hall, Glasgow Panopticon, Historic building photos, Argyle Street location
Panopticon : Britannia Music Hall Glasgow
The Britannia, Trongate, Strathclyde, historic west of Scotland Grade A-listed property.
post updated 11 May 2025
19 Sep 2013
Scottish Theatre Buildings
19th September 2013 – Three Scottish theatres at risk of closure, demolition or redevelopment have been saved, report BBC Scotland today. The advisory body, the Theatres Trust, said the Britannia Panopticon in Glasgow, Edinburgh’s New Victoria/Odeon and the Leith Theatre now have a secure future.
Address: The Britannia Panopticon Music Hall, 115 Trongate, Glasgow
Contact: 0141 553 0840
Location: Argyle Street, south side of Merchant City
The Britannia Music Hall photo from 16 Apr 2011
Trongate building photograph © Adrian Welch
Britannia Panopticon Glasgow
Address: 113-117 Trongate, Glasgow, G1 5HD
Historic Music Hall Glasgow
Architects: Thomas Gildard & H.M.McFarlane
Status: Grade A-listed
Photo from 10 Feb 2011
Trongate building photo © Adrian Welch
Oct 2008
The Britannia Music Hall in Glasgow
Panopticon News
Glasgow’s first cabaret festival to raise cash for Britannia Music Hall restoration. The week-long festival next July will include a mix of theatre, cabaret and burlesque. Organised by Glasgow theatre group Rhymes with Purple.
Panopticon image © Adrian Welch
Panopticon History
The Britannia Music Hall opened in 1857 and is Britain’s oldest music hall. It was formerly called Campbell’s Music Saloon. In 1903 the Music Hall closed, reopening in 1906 as the Panopticon or Britannia Theatre of Varieties and Panopticon. It became the Tron Cinema after 1922 but in 1927 was again titled Panopticon.
This venue closed in 1938 but the exterior – and much of the interior – of the former Music Hall remains. A campaign runs to restore this historic Glasgow building and it featured in 2003 on the BBC Restoration programme.
Panopticon photo © Adrian Welch
Famous performers at this Trongate music venue include comedian Stan Laurel and American actor Cary Grant.
Architecture in Strathclyde
Buildings/Areas adjacent to the Panoptican Music Hall, on the south east side of the city centre:-
Trongate, Glasgow
Merchant City, East End
Glasgow Cross, Alba Town
News Excerpts from 2003 re the Panopticon:
Panopticon Theatre Building Opens
The Panopticon Theatre Glasgow’s Trongate is one of 60 city buildings opening up for free during Glasgow’s 13th Doors Open Day.
Historic Trongate Building Renovation
The Glasgow Building Preservation Trust (GBPT)is carrying out renovation on this famous Glaswegian Music Hall property.
The Prospect Debate took place at the Panopticon, Glasgow, on 21 April 2003. Sir Charles Jencks was the main guest, and talked a little about iconic architecture. He stated there is no point fighting iconic architecture and that we should just accept and understand it as concomitant with globalisation.
Merchant City Buildings
Glasgow Merchant City Architectural Designs – property close by
Trongate 103, Argyle Street
Trongate 103
Glasgow Cross, Alba Town
Glasgow Cross
Tontine Building, 20 Trongate, G1 5ES
Tontine Building
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Glaswegian City Centre Buildings
Merchant City Properties – recent Strathclyde architecture selection from this website:
Trades Hall, 85 Glassford Street, G1 1UH, Merchant City
Candleriggs Square Apartments Merchant City
Ingram Square Flats, centre of the Merchant City
City Halls & Old Fruitmarket, 100 Candleriggs, Merchant City
Hutchesons Hospital, 158 Ingram St, G1 1EJ
Italian Centre, 7 John Street, G1 1HP – north side of Ingram Street
Prospect Debate on Iconic Buildings.
Speakers included Charles Jencks.
Venue: Britannia Panopticon Music Hall
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Glasgow Building Designs
Contemporary Glasgow Property Designs – recent architectural selection below:
Buchanan Wharf Glasgow Office Development
photo courtesy of Drum Property Group
Allander Leisure Centre Building in Bearsden
image courtesy of architects practice
Riverside Museum Glasgow
Design: Zaha Hadid Architects
Burrell Museum – contains the Burrell Collection, Pollok Country Park, south east of the city centre
Original design: Barry Gasson, Brit Andersson ; Redevelopment design: John McAslan + Partners, London
Comments / photos for the Britannia Music Hall Panopticon Glasgow at 113-117 Trongate, Argyle Street, south side of Merchant City, Strathclyde, west of Scotland, United Kingdom, page welcome.
