Designating the McCance Building and Livingstone Tower, University of Strathclyde

Overview

We are proposing to list the McCance Building and Livingstone Tower, which is a major example of 1960s Brutalist architecture in Scotland. Built between 1962 and 1967 to designs by London-based architects Covell Matthews & Partners, the group occupies an entire urban block on George Street and forms part of the University of Strathclyde’s campus in central Glasgow.

Although the individual buildings differ in their design, composition and materials, they were conceived as a cohesive group. Together they form a striking, monumental set-piece that makes a distinctive contribution within a dense urban setting.

The overall composition and treatment of the exterior survives relatively intact, displaying sophisticated mid-twentieth century urban planning and a high level of design ambition and material quality for its date and type. The interiors have largely been altered, but the McCance Building retains abstract murals by the prominent English sculptor William Mitchell. These are the only known examples of his work in Scotland.

The site is notable as the first new development in the expansion of the University of Strathclyde. It also represents an early part of Glasgow’s aspirational post-war regeneration plan, a vision that was realised only through limited pockets of comprehensive redevelopment.

We are now gathering views on our proposal to list this building at category B.

Read more about why we think the McCance Building and the Livingstone Tower meets the criteria for listing by downloading our Report of Handling [PDF, 997KB].

Main elevation (looking northeast) of the McCance Building, with the podium below and the Livingstone Tower in the background © HES

Why your views matter

We’d love to know whether you agree with our proposal.

To help you respond to the following survey, please read why we think the former the McCance Building and the Livingstone Tower meets the criteria for listing by downloading our Report of Handling [PDF, 997KB].

You can tell us if you agree with our proposal by completing the short questionnaire below.

This questionnaire usually takes 5-10 minutes to complete.

Find out what comments we consider and what happens next in our consultation guide or watch our designations video on YouTube.

You can also watch a version of this video in British Sign Language.