Up Close: Glasgow Skyline

Up Close: Glasgow Skyline

Jessie Leong

As one of the latest skylines to join the best-selling Skyline glassware, it's time to take a closer look at some of the landmarks that feature on the Glasgow gin goblets and whisky tumblers.

Glasgow Science Tower

Holding the Guinness World Record for the tallest full-rotating freestanding structure in the world and standing tall at 127 metres high, there’s no better place to catch a glimpse of Glasgow’s panoramic views than the Glasgow Tower.

Originally known as the Millennium Tower, the tower is the result of an international competition to design a tower for Glasgow with Richard Horden and Buro Happold as the brains behind the original architectural and engineering design respectively.

With the whole structure being able to rotate 360 degrees, the tower is more than a place to enjoy views of Glasgow’s city centre and surrounding landscape. Marvel at the design of Scotland’s tallest freestanding building, which showcases engineering in its finest.

Gallery of Modern Art

Built in 1778 originally as a townhouse, the neoclassical building opened as the Gallery of Modern Art (GoMA) in 1996. As a gallery for contemporary art, exhibits have included the works of internationally-renowned artists such as Andy Warhol, David Hockney and Sebastiao Salgado. GoMA has also proudly celebrated local artists in the past including Scottish artists, John Bellany and Ken Currie. The gallery also includes a permanent display of the building’s history and its transformation from townhouse to gallery.

Duke of Wellington Statue

Outside the Gallery of Modern Art stands the Equestrian statue of the Duke of Wellington, Glasgow most often found with a traffic cone on its head.

The status was sculpted by Carlo Marochetti, an Italian artist whose other works include the statue of Queen Victoria on horseback in George Square, Glasgow as well as statues across England and Europe. The statue celebrates Field Marshal Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington, one of the leading political heads and serving as Prime Minister twice in the 19th Century.

The statue has since become notable for being adorned with a traffic cone - a quirky move that is said to represent Glaswegian humour. In 2011, it was included in the Lonely Planet’s list of “top 10 most bizarre monuments on Earth”.

City Chambers

Viewed as one of Glasgow’s most prominent buildings, Glasgow City Chambers can be found on George Square. The building is a result of another competition, this time in the 19th Century when it was designed by William Young, a Scottish architect. In August 1888, it was inaugurated by Queen Victoria, and it’s at the front of the building that the aforementioned statue of Queen Victoria by Marochetti can be found. The iconic landmark of Glasgow’s skyline has been the home to the city councils ever since.

The Finneston Crane

As a nod to Glasgow's heritage in engineering, the Finneston Crane is a giant crane found in the city centre. Once used for loading cargo onto ships, the crane is no longer operational and is one of eleven remaining giant cantilever cranes in the world.

Playing its role in public artwork, in 1987, local sculptor George Wyllie’s full-size replica locomotive was suspended from the crane. The replica, made of straw, was later burned to reveal a metal framework.