Running from the 16th to the 22nd of September, Doors Open Day is a free festival to celebrate Glasgow’s buildings, streets, architecture, parks, culture and people, Glasgow Doors Open Day has become a real event to look forward to every year with a wealth of things to do - so much that you couldn’t possibly fit everything into just a few days! Read on for a look at the history of Glasgow Doors Open Day as well as a few of the openings this year which you may not want to miss. Some of the more popular tours and activities require pre-booking, so you may already have missed the boat on those, but there are dozens of locations where you can simply turn up on the day and enjoy.
Glasgow Doors Open Day first took place as part of the European Capital of Culture Celebrations in 1990. The event was organised by both Scottish Civic Trust and Glasgow Building Preservation Trust and was the first of its kind to take place in the UK. Following the success in 1990, the event was continued and in 1991 formed part of Scotland’s contributions to the European Heritage Days and continues to do so today. The event takes place throughout all of Scotland and is coordinated nationally by the Scottish Civic Trust. Glasgow Building Preservation Trust coordinate Glasgow’s event, which is now in its 24th year. The event has grown in popularity and now welcomes over 23,000 visitors. Similarly, Glasgow alone has over 700 volunteers contributing and contributed over £100,000 direct economic impact to Glasgow in 2012.
This year, the organisers have come under considerable flack for rolling out a new booking system, which was considerably underpowered for the high traffic load it received. Thousands of people rushed to get their tickets for a tour of Glasgow Central’s Roof, crashing the system within just a few minutes of going live. The system later had to be transferred over to a 3rd party system as it was simply not fit for service. While this could certainly have been handled a lot better than a first come first served basis, the organisers have apologised profusely for all of the problems and even managed to put on an additional date for that particular tour. Hopefully lessons will have been learned for next year, but either way there are a lot of disappointed people who missed out on events they were really keen on. Never fear though, as here is GOG’s choice of the “best of the rest” - events which you can just turn up to and enjoy on the day!
Barony Hall
Magnificent Victorian Gothic Revival church, now a ceremonial and graduation hall for the University of Strathclyde. 1030′s stained glass. Featuring 1930s and 1990s stained glass. Come along to explore with short talks on history at 11am and midday.
Barrowland Ballroom
Coinciding with the launch of the much-anticipated book ‘Barrowland – A Glasgow Experience’ a rare chance to experience the rock world’s favourite venue, the sprung floor, backstage, the light-bulb festooned dressing room mirrors where stars prepare, original design features and perchance the resident ghost.
Brittania Panopticon Music Hall
The World’s Oldest Surviving Music Hall open’s its doors for a new exhibition of costume and some very moving pictures of Glasgow. The Britannia Panopticon entertained the citizens of Glasgow for over 80 years but sadly, by 1938 it was outmoded by modern Art Decco Picture Palaces and it was closed and hidden above a false ceiling.
City Halls & Old Fruitmarket
Glasgow’s first hall built for large gatherings and concerts. After undergoing a period of extensive renovation, the City Halls and Old Fruitmarket now house several performance and events spaces in one of the busiest venues in the city.
Garnethill Synagogue
Scotland’s first, purpose-built synagogue is also the home of the Scottish Jewish Archives Centre and Museum. This A listed building features extensive high quality stained glass windows. Security at the door is strict and photography inside the building is not permitted.
Glasgow Central Mosque
The largest mosque in Scotland and one of the most recognisable buildings in Glasgow. Visited by over 5000 Muslims and non-Muslims every week. The Mosque was built in 1983 and was formally opened in 1984 by H E. Abdullah Omar Nasseef, the Secretary General of the Muslim World League.
Glasgow City Chambers
Stupendous example of 19th century architecture and home to Glasgow City Council. The interior boasts mosaic, marble, carved wood, mural paintings, embossed wallpaper and gilding to create a wonderful civic palace.
Govanhill Baths
Designed in Edwardian Baroque style by Alexander Beith MacDonald and built between 1914 -1917, Govanhill Baths were the only original substantially unaltered public baths in Glasgow still in use until closure in 2001. Click here to view our photography post from last year’s Doors Open Day.
Tollcross International Swimming Center
Reopened to the public in May 2013 after an extensive refurbishment programme. Come and see the new 6-lane 50-metre warm up pool and improvements to the existing competition pool area including a new 1,000 seat viewing gallery.
Drop us a line on Twitter or Facebook if you’re getting out to anything at this year’s Doors Open Day. Let us know what, or if you feel we’ve missed any must-see attractions on our list. If none of the above take your fancy, be sure to head over the official website for full details of the goings on!
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