| 22 Park Circus | |
|---|---|
| Former names | Casa D'Italia |
| General information | |
| Type | Townhouse |
| Location | Glasgow |
| Address | 22 Park Circus |
| Current tenants | Glasgow City Council |
| Construction started | 1872 |
| Completed | 1874 |
| Technical details | |
| Floor count | 4 |
| Design and construction | |
| Main contractor | James Boucher |
| Architect | Charles Wilson |
22 Park Circus is a townhouse in Glasgow, Scotland, housing the city's register office.[1][2]
Contents |
The house forms part of Park Circus, the focal point of the formerly-residential Park district of the West End of the city. Built to the designs of architect Charles Wilson in the mid-nineteenth century,[1] the area sits atop Woodlands Hill and is named for its proximity to Kelvingrove Park, which it overlooks. Park Circus itself sits on the very top of the hill and is split into four curved terraces around a private garden, and Number 22 sits at the end of the southwest terrace, on the corner with Park Street South. Although Park Circus was constructed between 1857–58, work on Number 22 did not begin until 1872, completed in 1874.[3]
The house was originally built for Walter Macfarlane, a wealthy Glasgow industrialist and founder of the Saracen Foundry. After his death in 1885, the house was taken over by his nephew, Walter Macfarlane II, who employed Glasgow style architects James Salmon and J Gaff Gillespie to modernise the building. Their refurbishments, between 1897–99, included a cast iron conservatory,[4] as well as an Art Noveau billiards room with glass-domed anteroom.[3] Macfarlane also employed noted sculptors Francis Derwent Wood, Albert Hodge and Johan Keller to make wood carvings for the house, including the new front door.
In 1934, the building was acquired as an Italian social club, known as Casa D'Italia, and after the Second World War was utilised as a regional Italian consulate.[5] In 1990, the building was acquired by developers, who, in co-operation with Historic Scotland, began a programme of restoration.[1] It is now on a long-term lease to Glasgow City Council, which operates the building as the city's register office for civil marriages.
22 Park Circus was opened as Marriage Suites by James Robison JP. Together with the rest of Park Circus, no.22 has been protected as a category A listed building since 1970.[6]
The building now offers five marriage suites:[7]
Ground Floor
First Floor
Behind the conservatory is the former turkish bath, where private ceremonies may be held without guests. The renovation work undertaken by the owners has meant that all rooms retain their period features, including fireplaces.