Livingstone Tower facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Livingstone Tower |
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| Former names | Alec House Social Sciences Building |
| General information | |
| Status | Complete |
| Type | Academic |
| Architectural style | International Modern |
| Location | Glasgow, Scotland |
| Coordinates | 55°51′40.42″N 4°14′36.45″W / 55.8612278°N 4.2434583°W |
| Current tenants | University of Strathclyde |
| Construction started | 1962 |
| Completed | 1965 |
| Owner | Glasgow City Council |
| Height | |
| Roof | 52 metres (171 ft) (estimated) |
| Technical details | |
| Structural system | Reinforced Concrete |
| Floor count | 15 (+ 2 underground parking levels) |
| Lifts/elevators | 4 |
| Design and construction | |
| Architect | Covell, Matthews & Partners |
| Developer | Glasgow Corporation / Royal College of Science and Technology |
| Main contractor | Sir Robert McAlpine |
The Livingstone Tower is a well-known tall building in Glasgow, Scotland. It is part of the University of Strathclyde's John Anderson Campus. The building was named after the famous Scottish explorer, David Livingstone. You can find it at 26 Richmond Street, Glasgow.
This building is easy to spot in the east side of Glasgow city centre. It stands on a hill called Rottenrow, so you can see it from far away across the city's East End. It was also one of the first tall office buildings built in the city centre after World War II. Only a few buildings like St Andrew's House (1964), Fleming House (1961), and the Royal Stuart Hotel (1963) were built before it.
Contents
Building the Livingstone Tower
Early Construction
The Livingstone Tower was built between 1962 and 1964. It was first called Alec House and was meant to be an office building. It was a joint project between the Glasgow Corporation, the old Royal College of Science and Technology, and a building company. Before the tower was built, there were rows of tenement houses on the site. These were removed in the 1950s to make way for new developments in the Townhead area.
The building is made of reinforced concrete, which was a very modern way to build at the time. Its outside walls are made of dark green glass panels with orange metal frames. It had a very advanced elevator system for its time. Four special Otis lifts could adjust to how many people were using them at different times of the day. The building uses electricity for heating. There was also a plan for a restaurant on the ground floor, which the University later turned into a student cafeteria.
The tower sits on top of a three-story concrete base. This base is shared with the nearby McCance Building, a car park, and some shops on George Street. There is also private parking for Glasgow City Council. Later, in 1973, the University added the Collins Building on an empty concrete area between the tower and the McCance Building.
Becoming Part of the University
In 1965, a year after the University of Strathclyde was created, the building still had no private companies wanting to rent offices there. The McCance Building, which was being built at the same time, was planned to hold the University's library and social studies departments. The two buildings became part of a bigger plan to expand the University.
So, it was decided that the Livingstone Tower would be leased to the University for 100 years, ending in 2064. The University changed the name from Alec House to Livingstone Tower. It was named after David Livingstone, who studied at the Anderson's medical school from 1836 to 1839. At first, the building was used to expand the departments that were already in the McCance building. Over time, it has grown and now houses five of the university's departments.
Recent Changes
In 2000, the Hunter Centre for Entrepreneurship was created. This happened by turning the old roof terrace into offices, making a fourteenth floor. You could reach it by stairs from the thirteenth floor. This was part of a plan to encourage new businesses at the University. The Hunter Centre offered classes about different business topics. It was named after Sir Tom Hunter because he gave £5 million to the university to help fund the new centre. In 2011, the Hunter Centre moved to a different building. The Strathclyde Business School Centre for Corporate Connections department took its place.
The building was updated in 2010. Some rooms were changed, the outside panels were replaced, and a new modern languages centre was built. The floors were also renumbered, so the ground floor became Level 1, and the former roof terrace became Level 15. The studios for the radio station Celtic Music Radio used to be on the 14th Floor within the Hunter Centre.
The University has a big plan to update its campus. This plan suggests that the Livingstone Tower, McCance, and Collins Buildings might be emptied. The Humanities and Social Sciences departments could move to the Lord Hope Building. A newer plan from 2011 showed that the tower would stay in use until 2023. After that, the building would be given back to Glasgow City Council for future plans.
Where is the Tower?
The Livingstone Tower is located within the John Anderson Campus of the University of Strathclyde. It is part of a larger group of buildings. This group includes the University's McCance and Collins Buildings, a two-story underground car park, and shops at street level on George Street. There is also private car parking for Glasgow City Council.
The tower itself has a different look from the other buildings it is attached to. The tower was designed in the International Style. The other buildings are in a style called Brutalist, which was popular in the 1960s.
What Departments are There?
The Livingstone Tower is home to several university departments, including:
- Computer and Information Sciences
- Mathematics and Statistics
- English Language Teaching Division
- Strathclyde Business School Centre for Corporate Connections
See also
In Spanish: Livingstone Tower para niños
