List of tallest buildings and structures in Glasgow facts for kids

The Glasgow Tower, completed in 2001, at 127 metres tall

St Andrew House, completed in 1964

Cineworld Glasgow, the tallest cinema complex in the world

This list of tallest buildings in Glasgow includes built and planned high-rise buildings in Glasgow, Scotland. The current tallest structure in Glasgow at 127 metres (417 ft), is the Glasgow Tower within the Glasgow Science Centre, however as this is an observation tower - not strictly speaking a building, then the 26-storey Balgrayhill tower blocks in Springburn area claim the title. The tallest building ever to have stood in Glasgow was the 91.44m Tait Tower in Bellahouston, built for the Empire Exhibition of 1938, but pulled down the following year.

Faced with crippling housing shortages and overcrowding in the immediate post-war period, the city undertook the building of multi-storey housing in tower blocks in the 1960s and early 1970s on a grand scale, which led to Glasgow becoming the first truly high-rise city in Britain. However, many of these schemes were poorly planned and cheaply constructed, which led to many of the blocks becoming unsanitary magnets for crime and deprivation.

It would not be until 1988 that high rises were built in the city once again, with the construction of the 17-storey Forum Hotel (latterly the Moat House International Hotel, and now the Crowne Plaza Hotel) next to the SECC. The 20-storey Hilton Hotel in Anderston followed in 1992. From the early 1990s, Glasgow City Council and its successor, the Glasgow Housing Association, have run a programme of demolishing the worst of the residential tower blocks, including Basil Spence's Gorbals blocks in 1993.

Since the late 1990s, property developers have been planning new upmarket residential and office high-rises along the River Clyde, and in the city's financial district, which would far surpass these in height.

Glasgow skyline
Tallest buildings in Glasgow
- Other notable tall structures
Tallest under construction, approved, and proposed
- Approved
- Proposed
Unbuilt
Demolished

Glasgow skyline

Part of the Glasgow city skyline, showing structures within the main city centre

The term "tallest building in Glasgow" is itself ambiguous. Currently, two structures in the city have made a claim for the title depending on which measurement is used:

The Glasgow Tower as part of the Glasgow Science Centre on Prince's Dock on the South Bank of the River Clyde, holds the overall title as the tallest free-standing structure in Glasgow, and the whole of Scotland at a height of 127 metres (417 ft), however this measurement includes the structure's spire, It holds a Guinness World Record for being the tallest tower in the world in which the whole structure is capable of rotating 360 degrees.
Since the demolition in 2015 of both the Red Road Flats and the Bluevale/Whitevale twin towers, the two eastern tower blocks of the 26-storey Balgrayhill high-rise estate in Springburn are the tallest buildings within the Glasgow city boundary.

The tallest building within the city centre is the 17-storey St. Andrew House on Sauchiehall Street, originally an office block but now a Premier Inn hotel.

Tallest buildings in Glasgow

Rank	Name	Height	Coordinates	Floors	Year	Primary use	Notes
1	Glasgow Tower	127 metres (417 ft)	55°51′33″N 4°17′46″W / 55.859248°N 4.296229°W / 55.859248; -4.296229 (Glasgow Tower/Millennium Tower)	01.02	2001	Viewing Platform	Holds a Guinness World Record for being the tallest tower in the world in which the whole structure is capable of rotating 360 degrees.
2	Glasgow University Tower	85 metres (279 ft)	55°52′17″N 4°17′19″W / 55.871348°N 4.288641°W / 55.871348; -4.288641 (University of Glasgow)	04.0?	1887	University
3=	15 Croftbank Street	74 metres (243 ft)	55°53′00″N 4°13′28″W / 55.883351°N 4.224550°W / 55.883351; -4.224550 (Springburn)	02.026	1964	Residential	Located in Springburn.
3=	250 Edgefauld Road	74 metres (243 ft)	55°53′00″N 4°13′28″W / 55.883351°N 4.224550°W / 55.883351; -4.224550 (Springburn)	02.026	1964	Residential	Located in Springburn.
3=	22 Viewpoint Place	74 metres (243 ft)	55°53′28″N 4°13′48″W / 55.891233°N 4.229900°W / 55.891233; -4.229900 (Balgrayhill)	04.026	1964	Residential	Located in Springburn.
3=	42 Viewpoint Place	74 metres (243 ft)	55°53′28″N 4°13′48″W / 55.891233°N 4.229900°W / 55.891233; -4.229900 (Balgrayhill)	04.026	1964	Residential	Located in Springburn.
3=	120 Wyndford Road	74 metres (243 ft)	55°53′15″N 4°17′44″W / 55.887451°N 4.295517°W / 55.887451; -4.295517 (Wyndford Road)	04.026	1964	Residential	Located in Wyndford.
3=	151 Wyndford Road	74 metres (243 ft)	55°53′15″N 4°17′44″W / 55.887451°N 4.295517°W / 55.887451; -4.295517 (Wyndford Road)	04.026	1964	Residential	Located in Wyndford.
3=	171 Wyndford Road	74 metres (243 ft)	55°53′15″N 4°17′44″W / 55.887451°N 4.295517°W / 55.887451; -4.295517 (Wyndford Road)	04.026	1964	Residential	Located in Wyndford.
3=	190 Wyndford Road	74 metres (243 ft)	55°53′15″N 4°17′44″W / 55.887451°N 4.295517°W / 55.887451; -4.295517 (Wyndford Road)	04.026	1964	Residential	Located in Wyndford.
11	Glasgow City Chambers	73 metres (240 ft)	55°51′39″N 4°14′55″W / 55.860957°N 4.248511°W / 55.860957; -4.248511 (Glasgow City Chambers)	04.04	1889	Government Building
12=	2 Taylor Place	72 metres (236 ft)	55°51′54″N 4°14′39″W / 55.864951°N 4.244064°W / 55.864951; -4.244064 (Townhead)	04.025	1967	Residential	Located in Townhead.
12=	15 Grafton Place	72 metres (236 ft)	55°51′54″N 4°14′39″W / 55.864951°N 4.244064°W / 55.864951; -4.244064 (Townhead)	04.025	1967	Residential	Located in Townhead.
12=	12 Dobbie's Loan Place	72 metres (236 ft)	55°51′54″N 4°14′39″W / 55.864951°N 4.244064°W / 55.864951; -4.244064 (Townhead)	04.025	1967	Residential	Located in Townhead.
12=	7 St. Mungo Place	72 metres (236 ft)	55°51′54″N 4°14′39″W / 55.864951°N 4.244064°W / 55.864951; -4.244064 (Townhead)	04.025	1967	Residential	Located in Townhead.
12=	178 Balgrayhill Road	72 metres (236 ft)	55°53′28″N 4°13′48″W / 55.891233°N 4.229900°W / 55.891233; -4.229900 (Balgrayhill)	04.025	1964	Residential	Highest man-made point above sea level within Glasgow city boundary. Located in Springburn.
12=	198 Balgrayhill Road	72 metres (236 ft)	55°53′28″N 4°13′48″W / 55.891233°N 4.229900°W / 55.891233; -4.229900 (Balgrayhill)	04.025	1964	Residential	Highest man-made point above sea level within Glasgow city boundary. Located in Springburn.
18	St. Andrew House	71 metres (233 ft)	55°51′52″N 4°15′15″W / 55.864571°N 4.254194°W / 55.864571; -4.254194 (St Andrew House)	01.018	1964	Hotel	Converted to a Premier Inn hotel in 2012. The rooms on the 18th Floor are the highest hotel rooms in the city.
19	Hilton Glasgow	70 metres (230 ft)	55°51′41″N 4°16′10″W / 55.861378°N 4.269345°W / 55.861378; -4.269345 (Hilton Glasgow)	01.020	1992	Hotel
20=	Ten 1960s tower blocks of varying design (two at Hutchesontown, three at Cowcaddens, five at Knightswood) and one modern apartment block at Glasgow Harbour are all the same height.	69 metres (226 ft)		01.024	Various	Residential

Other notable tall structures

Buildings with a Wikipedia article and over 50 metres in height.

Name	Height	Coordinates	Floors	Year	Primary use	Notes
Cathkin Braes wind turbine	125 metres (410 ft) 80 metres (262 ft)	55°47′51″N 4°12′56″W / 55.797467°N 4.215594°W / 55.797467; -4.215594 (Cathkin Braes wind turbine)		2013	Wind turbine
Glasgow Cathedral	68.6 metres (225 ft)	55°51′47″N 4°14′05″W / 55.862978°N 4.234668°W / 55.862978; -4.234668 (Glasgow Cathedral)		1197	Cathedral
St Andrew's West Church	67 metres (220 ft)	55°51′55″N 4°16′01″W / 55.865206°N 4.266865°W / 55.865206; -4.266865 (St Columba Church)		1852	Church
Anniesland Court	66 metres (217 ft)	55°53′28″N 4°19′31″W / 55.891020°N 4.325166°W / 55.891020; -4.325166 (Anniesland Court)	01.024	1968	Residential	Tallest listed building in Scotland. Only tower block to have a Category A listing in Glasgow. Located in Anniesland.
Cineworld	62 metres (203 ft)	55°51′54″N 4°15′18″W / 55.865115°N 4.254955°W / 55.865115; -4.254955 (Cineworld Glasgow)	16	2001	Cinema	Tallest Cinema complex in the world.
Argyle Building	62 metres (203 ft)	55°51′34″N 4°16′04″W / 55.859477°N 4.267824°W / 55.859477; -4.267824 (Argyle Building)	01.020	2008	Residential
St Columba Church	61 metres (200 ft)	55°51′46″N 4°16′00″W / 55.862774°N 4.266768°W / 55.862774; -4.266768 (St Columba Church)		1904	Cathedral
St Mary's Cathedral	60.5 metres (198 ft)	55°52′24″N 4°16′30″W / 55.873397°N 4.275077°W / 55.873397; -4.275077 (St Mary's Cathedral)		1893	Cathedral
Queen Elizabeth University Hospital	60 metres (197 ft)	55°51′43″N 4°20′28″W / 55.861973°N 4.341239°W / 55.861973; -4.341239 (South Glasgow University Hospital)	14	2015	Hospital
Crowne Plaza Glasgow	55 metres (180 ft)	55°51′36″N 4°17′25″W / 55.860028°N 4.290414°W / 55.860028; -4.290414 (Crowne Plaza Glasgow)	17	1989	Hotel	Part of the SECC.
Finnieston Crane	53 metres (174 ft)	55°51′30″N 4°17′04″W / 55.858217°N 4.284492°W / 55.858217; -4.284492 (Finnieston Crane)		1931	Cantilever crane
Elmbank Gardens	53 metres (174 ft)	55°51′54″N 4°16′11″W / 55.865018°N 4.269737°W / 55.865018; -4.269737 (Elmbank Gardens)	15	1973	Hotel	Originally an office block, converted to a hotel in 1995.
Livingstone Tower	52 metres (171 ft)	55°51′40″N 4°14′36″W / 55.860974°N 4.243464°W / 55.860974; -4.243464 (Livingstone Tower)	17	1965	University	Part of the University of Strathclyde.

Tallest under construction, approved, and proposed

Approved

Name	Height metres / ft	Floors	Year (est.)	Primary Use	Location	Notes
366 Cathedral Street	65 metres (213 ft)	23		Student Residence	Glasgow City Centre
Portcullis House		30	2024	build-to-rent and co-living development	Townhead
Atlantic Square Building 1	45 metres (148 ft)	10		Office	International Financial Services District
Atlantic Square Building 2	34 metres (112 ft)	7		Office	International Financial Services District
Clydesdale Bank Headquarters	313,116 sq ft		2020	Office	International Financial Services District
Buchanan Wharf - Barclays	470,000 sq ft	18	2020	Office	International Financial Services District	Two twin 18 story towers Buchanan Wharf Building 3 is a smaller, 4 story building constructed on the same site
Atlantic Square - HMRC	300,000 sq ft	10	2020	Office	International Financial Services District
The Grid	277,500 sq ft	13	2020	Office	International Financial Services District

Proposed

Top 10 in Order of Height

Building Name	Height	Floors	Main Usage	Other Usage
Savoy Centre Towers	110 metres (361 ft)	32	Mixed	None
Portcullis House, India St		30	Mixed
Jumeirah Hotel	92.5 metres (303 ft)	24	Hotel	Residential
Custom House Quay	69 metres (226 ft)	25	Hotel	Residential
Sky Plaza	49 metres (161 ft)	16	Residential	None
10–16 Dixon Street	44 metres (144 ft)	14	Residential	Retail
Homes for the Future phase 2	44 metres (144 ft)	13	Residential	None
Central Quay Phase 5	42 metres (138 ft)	10	Office	Retail
145 St Vincent Street	42 metres (138 ft)	10	Office	None
Atlantic Square	40 metres (131 ft)	12	Office	None
Building 3 Atlantic Quay	35 metres (115 ft)	10	Office	None
St Andrews Wharf Residential	34 metres (112 ft)	11	Residential	None

Unbuilt

Name	Height	Floors	Notes
East One	180 metres (591 ft)	55
Cheapside Tower 1	170 metres (558 ft)	50
Cheapside Tower 2	170 metres (558 ft)	50
Cheapside Tower 3	136 metres (446 ft)	40
Elphinstone Place	134 metres (440 ft)	39	Cancelled due to the 2008 Financial crisis. Now the site of the new Scottish Power HQ.
Elmbank Tower	107.5 metres (353 ft)	28
Glasgow Harbour Tower	93 metres (305 ft)	30
Elphinstone Urban Village Tower 1	81 metres (266 ft)	27
Graving Docks Tower 1	65 metres (213 ft)	21
Elphinstone Urban Village Tower 2	60 metres (197 ft)	20

Demolished

Name	Image	Height	Coordinates	Floors	Year built	Year demolished	Notes
Townsend Chimney		138 metres (453 ft)	55°52′16″N 4°15′05″W / 55.871207°N 4.251493°W / 55.871207; -4.251493 (Townsend's Chimney)	N/A	1859	1964	At J. Townsend Chemical Works, Port Dundas. Tallest chimney in the world from 1859 to 1889.
Tennant's Stalk		133 metres (436 ft)	55°52′13″N 4°14′05″W / 55.870249°N 4.234689°W / 55.870249; -4.234689 (Tennent's Stalk)	N/A	1842	1922	At the St Rollox Chemical Works, Springburn. Tallest chimney in the world from 1842 to 1859. Demolished after being struck by lightning.
Pinkston Power Station cooling tower		310 feet (94 m)	55°52′20″N 4°14′50″W / 55.8723°N 4.2472°W / 55.8723; -4.2472 (Pinkston)		1952	1976	Largest cooling tower in Europe at time of completion. Complex in Port Dundas (providing energy for the Glasgow Corporation Tramways) also included two 263 feet (80 m) chimney stacks.
Tait Tower		91.4 metres (300 ft)	55°50′44″N 4°19′05″W / 55.845535°N 4.318183°W / 55.845535; -4.318183 (Tait Tower)	?	1938	1939	Built as part of the 1938 Empire Exhibition.
109 Bluevale Street		90.8 metres (298 ft)	55°51′21″N 4°12′56″W / 55.855958°N 4.215552°W / 55.855958; -4.215552 (Gallowgate)	30	1968	2015	Was the joint tallest inhabitable building in Scotland. Located in Gallowgate.
51 Whitevale Street		90.8 metres (298 ft)	55°51′21″N 4°12′56″W / 55.855958°N 4.215552°W / 55.855958; -4.215552 (Gallowgate)	30	1968	2015	Was the joint tallest inhabitable building in Scotland. Located in Gallowgate.
10 Red Road Court		89 metres (292 ft)	55°52′49″N 4°12′30″W / 55.880355°N 4.208291°W / 55.880355; -4.208291 (Red Road)	31	1967	2015	Tallest residential buildings in Europe at the time of completion.
33 Petershill Drive		89 metres (292 ft)	55°52′49″N 4°12′30″W / 55.880355°N 4.208291°W / 55.880355; -4.208291 (Red Road)	31	1967	2015	Tallest residential buildings in Europe at the time of completion.
63 Petershill Drive		89 metres (292 ft)	55°52′49″N 4°12′30″W / 55.880355°N 4.208291°W / 55.880355; -4.208291 (Red Road)	31	1967	2015	Tallest residential buildings in Europe at the time of completion.
93 Petershill Drive		89 metres (292 ft)	55°52′49″N 4°12′30″W / 55.880355°N 4.208291°W / 55.880355; -4.208291 (Red Road)	31	1967	2015	Tallest residential buildings in Europe at the time of completion.
123 Petershill Drive		89 metres (292 ft)	55°52′49″N 4°12′30″W / 55.880355°N 4.208291°W / 55.880355; -4.208291 (Red Road)	31	1967	2015	Tallest Residential buildings in Europe at the time of completion.
21 Birnie Court		89 metres (292 ft)	55°52′49″N 4°12′30″W / 55.880355°N 4.208291°W / 55.880355; -4.208291 (Red Road)	31	1967	2013	Tallest residential buildings in Europe at the time of completion.
153-213 Petershill Court		78 metres (256 ft)	55°52′49″N 4°12′30″W / 55.880355°N 4.208291°W / 55.880355; -4.208291 (Red Road)	28	1967	2012
10-30 Petershill Court		74 metres (243 ft)	55°52′49″N 4°12′30″W / 55.880355°N 4.208291°W / 55.880355; -4.208291 (Red Road)	26	1967	2015
Clydesdale Bank Tower		73 metres (240 ft)	55°51′32″N 4°17′42″W / 55.858993°N 4.295110°W / 55.858993; -4.295110 (Clydesdale Bank Tower)	1	1987	1989	Built for the Glasgow Garden Festival, later moved to Rhyl in Wales.
240 Roystonhill		72 metres (236 ft)	55°52′03″N 4°13′26″W / 55.867604°N 4.223909°W / 55.867604; -4.223909 (Rosemount Street)	25	1967	1992	Located in Royston.
20 Rosemount Street		72 metres (236 ft)	55°52′03″N 4°13′26″W / 55.867604°N 4.223909°W / 55.867604; -4.223909 (Rosemount Street)	25	1967	2013	Located in Royston.
40 Rosemount Street		72 metres (236 ft)	55°52′03″N 4°13′26″W / 55.867604°N 4.223909°W / 55.867604; -4.223909 (Rosemount Street)	25	1967	2016	Located in Royston.
	Ten 1960s tower blocks of varying design (four at Laurieston, two at Gorbals, two at Hutchesontown) were all the same height.	69 metres (226 ft)		01.024	Various	Residential

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List of tallest buildings and structures in Glasgow Facts for Kids. Kiddle Encyclopedia.