Glasgow Sheriff, Justice of the Peace and Stipendiary Magistrate Court is the first post-war court facility in the country to be listed as grade B by Historic Scotland.
Sheriff Principal Craig Scott of Glasgow and Strathkelvin unveiled a plaque on 11 February 2014 with invited guests from the Judiciary, Scottish Court Service, Historic Scotland, Police Scotland, Glasgow City Council, G4S and other court users.
Sheriff Principal Craig Scott said: “Opened by Her Majesty the Queen on 29 July 1986 and designed a decade prior to its construction, the Sheriff Court building on the south bank of River Clyde in Glasgow continues to accommodate the requirements of the justice system in much the same way as it has done for the best part of 30 years.
“The volume of business has, of course, increased dramatically, however the building has shown itself to be resilient and adaptive. With anything up to 2,000 court users crossing its threshold on a daily basis, Glasgow Sheriff Court is reckoned to be the busiest court in Europe, let alone Scotland. As such, it has now established its place in Glasgow folklore.
“The listing of the building and its enduring qualities are tributes to its original design team and to the quality of materials used in its construction and long may it continue to serve the people of Glasgow.”
The ground works of the construction phase of the new three storey court building for the Sheriffdom of Glasgow and Strathkelvin began in 1979 on a vacant site in the Gorbals area of the City on the South side of the River Clyde. The building was designed to accommodate all the Civil, Criminal and Commissary requirements of its users, providing a more efficient service to the public in the administration of justice.
Elizabeth McCrone, Head of Listing and Designed Landscapes at Historic Scotland said: “Glasgow and Strathkelvin Sheriff Court is an important public commission built in Scotland during the 1970s and early 1980s and is an excellent example of modern court architecture. One of just 256 listed post-war buildings in Scotland, its new B-listed status is a recognition of the role it plays in the story of Scotland’s post-war architecture.”
The new court was constructed almost entirely with materials that have withstood the test of centuries. Granite used for the entablature and column facing came from the Danish Isle of Bornholm in the Baltic Sea and had never before been used in the form of slabs on a building. The designers demanded meticulous attention and consideration be given for all material used such as sandstone and limestone; even reopening a redundant quarry in Teeside specifically to produce the stone required. When considering the use of timber, each log had to be assessed to ensure it contained enough for a particular room or courts to ensure the consistency of the grain.
The building was praised for its simple appearance and effortless design with separate functional parts – courts, administration, sheriffs, police, restaurants, plant and the public area of the atrium – it was claimed to be a triumph of planning. The new facility had state of the art technology including methods to artificially ventilate and insulate court rooms, computer assisted effective heating and energy use, fire detection and surveillance. Throughout the building there is a mix of both natural and artificial light that especially evident in the atrium; creating an atmosphere reflective of the majesty of the law.
Scottish Court Service
communications@scotcourts.gov.uk
0131 444 3310
Notes:
Image 1:
(left to right)
David Currie (SCS Director of Property & Services), Steve Bain (SCS Glasgow Sheriff Court Sheriffdom Business Manager and Sheriff Clerk,
Sheriff Principal Craig Scott (Glasgow and Strathkelvin Sheriffdom),
Ranald MacInnes (Historic Scotland, Principal Inspector Historic Buildings)
Image 2:
Listed building plaque in situ
Image 3:
Glasgow Sheriff, Justice of the Peace and Stipendiary Magistrate Court.
There are only 256 listed post-war buildings in Scotland (of 47,700). This building is the first listed only listed post-war court facility in the country. Lanark County Buildings (Cat A) and Elgin Town Hall (Cat B) are the only other civic buildings of a similar type listed from this period.
Below is a link to the listing description for the Sheriff Court:
http://data.historic-scotland.gov.uk/pls/htmldb/f?p=2200:15:0::::BUILDING,HL:52067,Glasgow
Inscription on the plaque:
‘This plaque was unveiled by Sheriff Principal C.A.L. Scott Q.C. on 11th February 2014 to mark the historic listing of Glasgow Sheriff, Justice of the Peace and Stipendiary Magistrate Court, Historically listed at Grade B on 20th August 2013’
Historic Scotland is an executive agency of the Scottish Government charged with safeguarding the nation’s historic environment. The agency is fully accountable to Scottish Ministers and through them to the Scottish Parliament. For more information visit
www.historic-scotland.gov.uk