| 'Gallowgate Twins' | |
|---|---|
| 109 Bluevale Street/51 Whitevale Street | |
| Scotlandtalltowers.jpg | |
| Alternative names | Millerfield Road Flats / Camlachie Twins |
| General information | |
| Status | Complete (Condemned) |
| Type | Residential |
| Architectural style | Brutalist |
| Address | 109 Bluevale Street 51 Whitevale Street |
| Town or city | Camlachie, Glasgow |
| Country | Scotland, United Kingdom |
| Construction started | 1967 |
| Completed | 1968 |
| Height | |
| Roof | 90.8 metres (298 ft) |
| Top floor | 30 (28 habitable + 2 mechanical) |
| Technical details | |
| Structural system | Pre-cast Concrete |
| Floor count | 30 |
| Elevator count | 3 |
| Design and construction | |
| Architect | Cooper Cromar |
The Gallowgate Twins is a local nickname for a development of twin tower block flats situated in the east-end of Glasgow, Scotland. Officially known as 109 Bluevale Street and 51 Whitevale Street, the two towers stand as the tallest building in Scotland.[1][2], although with only 28 occupiable floors (the 29th and 30th floors are mechanical floors for building services and a drying area)[3] , they are not the buildings with the highest occupied floor level in the city (or Scotland) - this distinction belongs to the contemporary Red Road estate on the north side of the city, nor are they the tallest freestanding structure in Scotland overall - this title belongs to the Glasgow Tower on Clydeside.
However, despite this, many Glasgow residents, and other citizens of Scotland may describe the buildings "an eye sore", compared to the like's of the proposed East One and Hilton Glasgow hotel.
The local nickname for the buildings results from their apparent resemblance to the twin towers of the ill-fated World Trade Centre in New York when viewed from a distance in silhouette from a certain angle, due to their square planform, overall proportions, and their relationship to each other, and the fact that one of the towers carries a large mobile phone transmission mast.
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Faced with crippling housing shortages in the immediate post-war period, the city undertook the building of multi-storey housing in tower blocks in the 1960s and early 1970s on a grand scale, which led to Glasgow becoming the first truly high-rise city in Britain. However, many of these "schemes", as they are known, were poorly planned, or badly designed and cheaply constructed, which led to many of the blocks becoming insanitary magnets for crime and deprivation. It would not be until 1988 that high rises were built in the city once again, with the construction of the 16-storey Forum Hotel next to the SECC. The 20-storey Hilton Hotel in Anderston followed in 1990. From the early 1990s, Glasgow City Council and its successor, the Glasgow Housing Association, have run a programme of demolishing the worst of the residential tower blocks, including Basil Spence's Gorbals blocks in 1993.
The buildings are also unique in their construction - featuring hydraulic jacks in their foundations to combat sway due to their height.
In November 2011, it was announced by Glasgow Housing Association of the intention to demolish the development [4], citing the unpopularity of the estate among residents and high maintenance and running costs. The buildings have also suffered structural problems over time. Work to demolish the towers is set to begin after the demolition of the Red Road estate.
Property developers are currently planning several new upmarket residential and office high-rises along the River Clyde, and in the city's financial district, which will far surpass these in height.
The building's main usage is for residents.
The building currently stands as both Glasgow and Scotland's tallest building.