A unique opportunity to see the BBC’s new documentary on the life and work of Alexander ‘Greek’ Thomson on the big screen, this event also features a Q&A with the director.

“David Hayman goes in search of Alexander ‘Greek’ Thomson, the visionary architect who, a generation before Charles Rennie Mackintosh, transformed industrial Glasgow with some of the most exotic and exciting buildings in the world.”

The People’s History Show on STV Glasgow will include a 10minute segment on the legacy of Alexander ‘Greek’ Thomson.

“SPECULATIONS ON INFINITY”:

Short one-man play narrated by the man himself. This will be accompanied by a 1960s film on Thomson’s architecture from the NLS Film Archive. Thursday 13th April : 7.30pm in the John McLintock Hall, Dunmore St., Balfron. FREE but ticketed in advance (due to numbers). Tickets from Balfron Library

Hosted as part of the Southside Fringe Festival, join us for an evening exploring a selection of rarely screened archive film about the life of Alexander ‘Greek’ Thomson, his buildings and how his unique architectural style influenced Glasgow in the 1800s and today. Thomson’s legacy is particularly prominent in the Southside, having completed villas, terraces, churches and urban planning projects in the area. Whilst his personal life during his most creative period also centred here, as on completion of his terrace at Moray Place Thomson also chose to relocate his family to the area.

Lost Thomson: Glasgow’s Loss
Thursday 21 September, 6pm
£10 (£5 discounted rate for members of the Glasgow Art Club)

In his bicentenary year, Fiona Sinclair gives an insightful talk on the lost works of the eminent architect Alexander ‘Greek’ Thomson.

Please arrive at 6pm for a welcome drink, with the talk commencing at 6.30pm sharp.

Alexander Thomson was born in Balfron, Stirlingshire, on 9th April 1817 and died in Glasgow on 22nd March 1875 at his home at no.1 Moray Place in the terrace he had himself designed.

Thomson was extremely successful with a large clientele for medium-sized villas and terraces of cottages in Pollokshields, Shawlands, Crossmyloof, Cathcart, Langbank, Bothwell and Cove and Kilcreggan.

In his day, Thomson was conspicuous for his originality in producing a distinctive modern architecture from the lessons and precedents provided by the Greeks, Egyptians and other ancient civilisations, and made extensive use of new materials like cast-iron and plate-glass.

His personal Graeco-Egyptian style was almost entirely confined to Glasgow, where he designed commercial warehouses, blocks of tenements, terraces of houses, suburban villas and three extraordinary Presbyterian churches, of which the St. Vincent Street Church is the only intact survivor.

Other important works still standing include Moray Place, Great Western Terrace, Egyptian Halls in Union Street, Grecian Buildings in Sauchiehall Street, and his villa, Holmwood, at Cathcart, which is now owned by the National Trust for Scotland.

Whilst a wealth of Thomson buildings remain there are also a significant number that have been tragically lost over the years. The reasons for these losses are several, from Thomson demolishing his own buildings – as with the Scottish Exhibition Rooms on Bath Street, through to bombing during World War II – as with Queens Park Church. The most common reason for the loss of these buildings however was redevelopment during the 1960s and 70s.

The losses were primarily tenemental properties spread throughout the city, however also included were two hotels, a printing works, a sculpture yard and two churches; Chalmers Memorial Free Church in the Gorbals and Queen’s Park Church.

Following his death in 1875, a marble bust of the architect by John Mossman was presented to the Corporation (now in the Kelvingrove Art Gallery) and the Alexander Thomson Travelling Studentship established, of which the second winner was Charles Rennie Mackintosh.

A map of the ‘lost’ buildings can be viewed here

Fiona Sinclair, is a Glasgow based architect and author with a passion for historic buildings.

If you wish to find out more about becoming a member of The Glasgow Art Club please visit our website