OUR STORY
Since 1982, Glasgow Building Preservation Trust (GBPT) has worked with communities, charities and social enterprises to renew and revive Glasgow’s historic buildings.
Founded to prevent the demolition of the Category A–listed Briggait Fish Market, the Trust helped restore and repurpose the building, paving the way for later redevelopments by Wasps Studios and the ongoing renewal of the wider complex.
The success of the Briggait led to an evolution of GBPT’s work, often working closely with Glasgow City Council to tackle longstanding problematic heritage buildings in council ownership. This expanded remit was reflected in a name change in 1992 to Glasgow Building Preservation Trust.
This expansion in the Trust’s role was inspired by the growth in the 1970s and 1980s of the building preservation trust movement throughout the UK and a growing interest in saving, restoring and re-purposing historic buildings, in contrast to the drive in the 1950s and 1960s to demolish and build new.
In the decades since, we have completed 30 major projects with the support of Glasgow City Council, National Lottery Heritage Fund, Historic Environment Scotland, the Architectural Heritage Fund and many other funders and partners. We also launched Doors Open Days in 1990, now a major annual festival attracting over 30,000 visits to over 100 venues.
To find out more about the history of the Trust, It’ll be Great When It’s Finished charts the birth of Glasgow Building Preservation Trust and reflects on changing attitudes and approaches to the city’s built heritage over the past forty years.
Timeline
1982
Birth of The Bridgegate Preservation Trust
The Bridgegate Preservation Trust was originally founded as a single-building charity to lead on the rescue and repurposing of the Category A-Listed Victorian fish market at the Briggait, which had been threatened with demolition. The complex included 3 historic market halls, offices and stores totalling almost 8000 sq metres, and the iconic seventeenth century Merchant’s Hall steeple.
1986
The Briggait Phase 1
The Briggait Shopping Centre opened in 1986 within the restored 1873 market hall. Phase two, carried out by WASPS Artist Studios in the early 2000s, transformed several of the later market halls into artists’ studios, and the final phase of redevelopment was completed in 2025.
1988
Beyond The Briggait….
The success of the Briggait prompted an expansion of the Trust’s remit and workload, enabling it to take on a wide range of projects across the city. Working closely with Glasgow City Council, the Trust addressed a number of long-standing, problematic heritage buildings in council ownership. During this period, the Trust opened an office on the High Street and began work on several new initiatives, including the restoration of the Stewart Memorial Fountain.
1990
The First Ever Doors Open Days
Inspired by European Heritage Days, GBPT introduced the Doors Open Days concept to the UK in partnership with the Scottish Civic Trust. Now in its 36th year, the Glasgow Doors Open Days Festival attracts more than 35,000 visits to buildings, events, talks and walks across the city.
1992
New Name, New Decade
In recognition of its expanding, city-wide remit, the Bridgegate Preservation Trust became Glasgow Building Preservation Trust in 1992. In the late 1990s, the Trust led the restoration of the Doulton Fountain, curated an exhibition of Gable End Murals in Barcelona, and supported the creation of the new Garnethill Park Environmental Playground.
1995
The Tobacco Merchants House
1995 saw the completion of two major capital projects – The Tobacco Merchants House on Miller Street and refurbishment of Hutchesontown Public Library into the Gorbals Economic Development Centre. The Trust also commissioned ‘The Three Muses’ sculpture in the Gorbals.
1996
‘Ello ‘Ello Whats All This Then?
In addition to large scale capital projects, the Trust also undertook the renovation of the last of Glasgow’s historic Police Boxes. One was converted to a mini art gallery, while others became coffee huts. This year also saw the conversion of the former Wellpark School into Wellpark Enterprise Centre.
Late 1990s
St Francis Church
The late 1990s saw a slew of projects including the St. Francis Church conversion into the St. Francis Community Centre, which won a Glasgow Institute of Architects Award, multiple feasibility studies and the development of the Merchant City Townscape Heritage Initiative.
2000
St Andrew’s in the Square
Completed the conservation, restoration and creation of the basement cafe in the Category A-Listed St Andrew’s in the Square.
Awards:
- Glasgow Institute of Architects Special Award – Scottish Award for Quality in Planning
- Europa Nostra Diploma
- Civic Trust Commendation – Dynamic Place Award
Early 2000s
Kirkhaven
The early 2000s included multiple feasibility studies and conservation plans. The Trust also completed restoration works and a lighting scheme at Townhead Spire (2002), the refurbishment of Kirkhaven Church (2003), essential stabilisation works at Lion Chambers (2003), restoration of the tower, clock, and Caryatid faces at St. Vincent Street Church (2001) and restoration and commissioning of kinetic artwork of St. Mungo and the Tron Church (2003).
2007
Castlemilk Stables
Completion of the multi-award winning restoration of Castlemilk Stables, now home to The Cassiltoun Trust Housing Association, a children’s nursery and a suite of community spaces, including the magnificent walled garden.
Awards:
- Scottish Civic Trust My Place Award 2010 – Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) Scotland Awards 2009 – Community Benefit Award
- The Georgian Award for Best Re-use of a Georgian Building – The Glasgow Institute of Architects Supreme Medal and the Conservation Award – Andrew Doolan Best Building in Scotland Award 2008 – joint winner – Scottish Design Award – Civic Trust Award
- RIAS Scottish Regional Award – RIBA Regional Award – Roses Silver Award – Herald Society Award (commendation)
2013
Gartnavel Hospital Chapel and Pollokshaws West Railway Station
Completion of Gartnavel Hospital Chapel conversion, a flagship therapy centre for Cancer Support Scotland. Pollokshaws West Railway Station, was repaired and converted as a cycle repair and resource centre, providing affordable bike-related services and activities, information centre and coffee facilities for South West Community Cycles.
Awards:
- National Lottery Good Causes Best heritage Project
2017
Parkhead School
The 2010s saw another exceptionally busy period, with building projects completed at Parkhead School on Westmuir Street, now a thriving community hub and enterprise centre, and new housing for Homes for Heroes at Shawmuir Lodge. We also completed feasibility studies for Pollokshaws Burgh Halls and Pollok Stables and provided support for the completion of works at Provan Hall and Gorbals Street tenement.
2019
Anniversarys!
To mark the 30th anniversary of the Doors Open Days festival, we commissioned Glasgow mural artists Cobolt Collective to create a mural on Brown Street near the Broomielaw, inspired by Liz Lochhead’s poem The Bargain. Two years later, GBPT celebrated its 40th anniversary, providing an opportunity to reflect on the organisation’s impact on the city over four decades.
2024
Networks and Net Zero
The Architectural Heritage Fund (AHF) selected us through a UK-wide competition to join its Heritage Development Trust (HDT) Programme, providing funding over three years to grow our staff team and lead place-based development in a specific area of the city. The same year, we also joined the Glasgow Chamber of Commerce ‘Step Up To Net Zero’ programme, providing support to upskill staff in carbon literacy and circular economy and develop our Climate Action Plan.
2025
Govanhill Baths
GBPT has been providing project management services to
Govanhill Baths Building Preservation Trust, the building’s
charitable owner since mid-2022. A £9m phase of works was completed in September 2023 which completely re-roofed the building, rebuilt, repointed and restored the stonework and brick facades, and prepared the building for future internal fitting out.
Today
Coming Soon….
New initiatives include transforming the former Whitevale Baths office block in the Gallowgate into a new home for the PEEK Projects children and families charity, alongside efforts to unlock some of the city’s most challenging historic buildings. Watch this space….