St Andrew’s in the Square

A classical space reinvented

Built by the tobacco lords, St Andrew’s in the Square Church was the fashionable place to be seen in the 18th century but by the late 20th century the A-listed building was deemed to be at risk. The last church service was held here in 1994.

How to adapt one of Britain’s finest classical buildings to 21st century use?

Luckily the church, designed by architect Allan Dreghorn, was built on sand. Digging deep beneath the basement provided an imaginative solution, bringing new life to this beautiful building, full of light and colour.

Liz Davidson, Principal of City Design at Glasgow City Council, describes how the old church was transformed into an exciting new centre for performing arts.