ICONIC buildings are in danger of being destroyed because of a lack of appreciation for the genius of Scottish architecture, it has been warned.
Instead of saving amazing buildings, too often the tendency has been to neglect them, then tear them down, according to Professor Bruce Peter of Glasgow School of Art.
The loss of architectural gems by famous long-dead architects is well-documented, and the modern buildings of the 1960s and 1970s which replaced them are often despised – with King Charles being a leading critic.
However, while many were badly designed and hastily built, there are examples of modernism that deserve to be preserved and cherished, Professor Peter argues.
His new book, illustrated by stunning pictures, shows some of the best around Scotland and highlights those in danger.
The buildings featured in Modernist Scotland are not only those valued by modern architects but also those valued by the public, as the two are not always the same.
Included are The Ritz Cafe in Millport, Barrowland Ballroom and the Tunnock’s factory in Glasgow as well as schools and churches.
Professor Peter, whose great-grand uncle, Thomas Smellie, designed the Victoria buildings in Kilmarnock, which were sadly set on fire and destroyed recently, appreciates both the old and new.
“I’ve always thought that architecture and construction were examples of Scottish genius,” he said. “If you go back to the 17th century or even earlier, you find that Scottish architecture was exceptional and very influential in the world.
“In Chicago and New York, you really see the influence of Scottish architects who went to the United States, which is why Batman was filmed in Glasgow – it looks just like those cities.
“This is something I think the nation ought to be proud of and take more seriously and certainly not destroy fine buildings of any generation.”
He acknowledges, however, that while people mourn the older buildings in Scotland that have been lost or are in a state of neglect, modern architecture has been viewed more as an alien imposition, one that was imposed particularly on the working classes against their will in the 1960s.
“What happened then was actually tragic, especially in Glasgow, where whole areas of the city were flattened and rebuilt,” he said.
“But I think part of the problem here, as with so many things in Britain, is that much of the new housing was built in a kind of crisis mode and as quickly as possible.
“That has coloured people’s thinking about modernism in Scotland and dominated the subsequent history, but ignores the fact that there were actually a very great many really fine buildings.”
The new book is the most comprehensive study ever written about Scotland’s complicated relationship with modernism, examining more than 150 different buildings and places in towns, cities and countryside across the country.
Its publication coincides with an upsurge of interest in modernist buildings in Scotland and recent high-profile sales of the Bernat Klein Studio near Selkirk and the former Glasgow College of Building and Printing.
An introductory essay in the book describes the social challenges and emergent technologies that gave rise to this revolutionary era of design and architecture across Scotland.
Professor Peter hopes it will encourage people to see the best of Scotland’s post-war buildings in a new light, and appreciate that they were very diverse, ranging from power stations to pubs, town centres to sewage works.
With the creation of new towns like East Kilbride and Cumbernauld, Scottish modernism gained an international profile for its distinct post-war architecture, and this is detailed in the book through beautiful photographs, historical context and detailed analysis of the buildings included.
Amongst the modernist landmarks featured are the Cumbernauld Town Centre megastructure, Renfrew Airport and Dounreay nuclear reactor.
The book notes how many fine examples are now in states of neglect, have been unsympathetically altered, or destroyed in their entirety.
Cumbernauld Town Centre, which once attracted international visitors because it was a prototype of a megastructure where all the facilities were under one roof, is a case in point.
The plan is to demolish it, but while Professor Peter thinks it would be a good idea to get rid of around 40%, he believes the core should be preserved and renewed.
“The core building is a magnificent one and a skyline landmark in the town but has been badly treated and then just neglected,” he said. “Now the plan is to just repeat the mistakes of the 1960s and just demolish the whole thing.”
It looks so bad now that it’s hard to imagine what it could be like but he believes demolishing it would be a lost opportunity that would later be regretted.
“I’m sure they’ll do it because they can, and then people will wish it hadn’t happened,” he said. “When you think about it, there isn’t such a great difference between teenagers taking cigarette lighters to a derelict building and local authorities taking bulldozers to it. It’s all destructive behaviour.”
In other European countries, young people are taught to appreciate architecture but the subject is not given a high priority in the UK which saddens him, as the design of buildings has a huge impact on how people live.
“The best of what was built should be valorised, sympathetically treated and looked after,” he said. “When that happens, it’s very positive because it creates a kind of virtuous cycle of contentment.
“If people are not surrounded by misery but live in a nice environment they might feel a bit more positive and even live longer.
“Often the buildings that were built in the 1960s are simply neglected. All buildings of all eras need ongoing maintenance, and it’s the same with buildings that are made of glass and concrete but there is a tendency to allow them to run down.
“My argument is really that the modernist total destruction in the 1960s was a mistake, but also to completely demolish 1960s buildings like Cumbernauld Town Centre would be another mistake.”
Modernist Scotland is being published by The Modernist Society in November.
Jack Hale, co-founder of The Modernist Society, said: “We hope this book not only reflects that interest but highlights some lesser-known but equally fine examples of modernist architecture across the country.”
Bruce Peter is a professor of design history at Glasgow School of Art, with expertise spanning modern architecture and design. His extensive publishing career includes studies of Art Deco, research on British Railways design culture, and contributions to major exhibitions at the Sainsbury Centre and V&A
