History of our buildings
The School of Chemistry at the University of Glasgow has been shaped not only by its people but also by the buildings they have inhabited. From damp basement labs in the Old College on High Street to the striking modernist Joseph Black Building at Gilmorehill, our physical spaces reflect the evolution of chemical science itself — and the growing ambition of those who taught, studied, and discovered within their walls.
Explore the architectural journey of chemistry at Glasgow through the centuries, and discover how each building, from 1747 to the present, tells part of our story.
Quick links
Institute of Chemistry / Joseph Black Building (1939–Present)
In 1936, the University Senate approved plans for a dedicated Chemistry building with an initial budget of £200,000. The design, created by T. Harold Hughes and D.S.R. Waugh (who also designed the Round Reading Room), marked a new era in campus architecture.
Constructed of narrow yellow brick over a concrete substructure, the building featured:
- Large steel-framed windows
- Twin re-entrant doorways in a unique butterfly plan
- Curved glass stairwells at the rear
- Special foundations to eliminate vibrations from nearby University Avenue
Only two of the planned three wings were completed before the outbreak of WWII in 1939. Despite this, the building was praised as "the finest and best-equipped department in the UK at that time," and the largest purpose-built chemistry facility in the UK at 44,000 square feet.
Innovative features included:
- A 400-seat lecture theatre with projection facilities
- Special isolated labs for dangerous experiments
- A central store
- A dedicated chemistry library
- A suite of private rooms, including kitchen and bedroom, for overnight work
During WWII, the Admiralty requisitioned large sections of the building for research.
Construction of the third wing resumed in 1948 and was completed in 1954, following delays due to disused mine workings beneath the site. The completed building was formally inaugurated on 19 March 1954 by James Stuart, Secretary of State for Scotland. The extension work was overseen by architects Alexander Wright and Kay.
Later modifications and recognition
In the 1960s, a timber floor was added above the organic and inorganic wings (1963–66). In 1982, a reading room extension was added to the departmental library, funded by a bequest from the estate of George Lean.
From 1986 to 1993, the building underwent major refurbishments to align with modern teaching and research needs—while remaining operational. In 1997, it was officially renamed the Joseph Black Building. Further refurbishments, especially to the lecture theatres and labs, were completed between 2004–2006.
In 1985, the building was awarded Category A-listed status by Historic Scotland, recognising its international architectural significance.
The mineshaft beneath the building
During the 1948 construction of the third wing, a newly built wall collapsed, revealing a hole. Engineers discovered an entrance to disused coal mine workings.
The civil engineers JWH Ross & Co bricked up most of the tunnels, leaving two sloping runways and side corridors intact. A large ventilation fan was installed, and its exhaust grill can still be seen near one of the building's main entrances.
A plaque was placed in the mine in 1950 to commemorate the underpinning works. The entrance is still accessible via the building’s sub-basement and was used for Geology field trips until recently.
Animal frieze
An unusual feature on the building’s facade facing the Graham Kerr Building is a delicate carved frieze illustrating the origin of species.
Legend says it was commissioned to placate a Professor of Zoology whose office view was being blocked by the new chemistry building. His reaction is, unfortunately, lost to history.
Institute of Chemistry/Chemistry Building
Architects sketch of the original design
Institute of Chemistry/Chemistry Building
Architect sketches of Chemistry Building
Institute of Chemistry/Chemistry Building
Photos of the inside of the Chemistry Building
Institute of Chemistry/Chemistry Building
Aerial view of the Chemistry Building
Institute of Chemistry/Chemistry Building
Photo of access to the old mine during the Chemistry Building construction
Institute of Chemistry/Chemistry Building
Inside the mine under the Chemistry Building
Institute of Chemistry/Chemistry Building
Animal frieze on outside of Chemistry Building
Abbot's Kitchen, Gilmorehill (1870–1939)
At Gilmorehill, chemistry lectures were initially delivered in the easternmost lecture theatre of the main Gilbert Scott Building. Nearby, a high-roofed octagonal laboratory—modelled after the Abbot’s Kitchen in Oxford—was constructed.
Though visually impressive, the space soon became too small. Temporary outbuildings were added in the early 1900s. Despite being makeshift, these outbuildings remained in use until the 1930s, supported by wooden buttresses.
The need for a permanent, modern chemistry facility was clear. The current James Watt Engineering buildings now stand on the site once occupied by the Abbot’s Kitchen and these early labs.
Photo of Abbot's Kitchen
Photo of audience at a Chemistry lecture in the Gilber Scott building
Shuttle Street Laboratories (1831–1870)
As the department grew, the Old College facilities became insufficient. In 1831, the University acquired a four-storey corner building at Shuttle Street and College Street for £5,000.
The building featured rented shops on the ground floor, a steep stairwell, and lecture rooms on the first and second floors—likely also used for staff offices or private labs. The top floor housed the main teaching lab, a well-lit space with bricked-up wall windows and a glazed roof section. It included large roof ventilators and extensive gas piping.
In 1870, Chemistry moved—along with the rest of the University—to its new location on the Gilmorehill Estate in the city’s West End. The original College site was sold to a railway company, the buildings demolished, and the land converted into a goods yard.
The Shuttle Street lab building remained standing and was used for storage well into the 1950s. Evidence of its former academic use—like rooftop gas pipes and ventilators—could still be seen before the building was ultimately demolished.
Photo of the outside of the Shuttle Street Laboratories
Photo of the ceiling at the Shuttle Street Laboratories
The Old College (1747–1831)
The University of Glasgow’s original home was the College site just off the High Street—near today’s High Street Station.
When William Cullen was appointed the first lecturer in Chemistry, he established a laboratory in the southern section of the east side of the quadrangle. However, this original space quickly proved inadequate. His successor, Joseph Black, noted that the laboratory was "small and damp, that the floor had not been laid or the walls plastered," and that it was unsuitable for lectures.
In response, a new laboratory and lecture room were constructed within the College grounds near the Physic Garden at a cost of £500. The original space was repurposed as a Mathematics classroom.
By around 1820, Professor Thomas Thomson created what is thought to be the first chemistry laboratory specifically designed for undergraduate teaching, converting a former Logic classroom on the damp ground floor of the Old College.
[Interesting note: The first teaching lab in Physics is also credited to Glasgow, with Lord Kelvin establishing it in a disused College wine-cellar.]
Sketch of the Old College building
Photo of stairs of the Old College building
Further reading
- Memories of the Old College of Glasgow, D Murray, Jackson Wylie & Co, 1927
- The Shuttle Street Laboratories, Dr A Kent, Glasgow University Gazette, December 1956
- The Department of Chemistry, 1892 - 1992, GL Buchanan & SJ Thomson, 1992
- An Essay on Evolution: The University of Glasgow's Life Sciences Building, JN Baxter & GB Horspool, 1993
- Departmental History Project Materials, 2001. Anne Laird, Bob Crawford, Alan Cooper.
- Main Lecture Theatre Refurbishment Gallery, 2003