Mike Fraser asks how many people it takes to change a lightbulb factory.
The building was completed in 1938 to coincide with the Empire Exhibition sited in nearby Bellahouston Park (which contained the very wonderful 'Taits Tower'), and was the result of a joint effort of the Wholesale Societies of Scotland and Sweden, which in turn led to the formation of the British Luma CoOperative Lamp Company, as the Glasgow HQ of the first international cooperative factory for the manufacture of electric lamps. It represents one of the last surviving examples of architec~ tural merit of the Shieldhall industrial Complex, which was the Scottish Cooperative Wholesale Society's (SCWS) innovative manufacturing and production facility, developed in the 1880s, which provided overflow capacity from the CoOp's main site elsewhere in the City. The architect for the original project was Cornelius Armour, an SCWS inhouse employee. it is now of course a highly visible building close to the M8 Motorway leading to and from Glasgow City centre and its International Airport.
On cessation of light bulb manufacture the building lay vacant for some years before being occupied by a company trading as 'Caravan Land', used as a sales operation for caravans and mobile homes. Various applications were then made in the 1980s for hotel and office uses, but none came to fruition
and the building, vacant and unloved, was visibly deteriorating. It came to be seen as an eyesore and under threat of demolition. From the late 1980s, it became a regular feature of the Surplus Buildings Register produced by the City Council's Planning function in an effort to assist in the marketing of properties at risk. Within the Department, it is probably fair to say that there was a broad consensus that every effort should be made to find a future for this distinctive Art-Deco building as Glasgow is mainly regarded as a Victorian City and does not have a wealth of such buildings. In other words, there was an affection for the building. it came to be very depressing when a succession of potentially interested parties dangled hopes of a bright new future for it and all failed to materialise.
However, unknown to the Planning Department at the time, Linthouse Housing Association Ltd, a community based housing organisation with over 20 years' experience of rehabilitation and new build projects in the area, had been maintaining a watching brief on the building..Its Board and Chairman have an enlightened attitude to listed buildings in the area, as these were often focal points within the community. When the asking price for the building and associated land fell from £500 000 to £150 000, Linthouse was convinced that this was the time to make a move , firmly believing in the potential of the Luma building to make a high quality conversion to residential use. In 1993, the association commissioned a Development Appraisal to this end.
The design team assembled to prepare the study included Cornehus McClymont Architects who also shared in the single minded vision of Linthouse Housing Association, in that there should be 'no compromise' in the execution of this project. Both agreed it was essential to retain and build upon the Art Deco theme, as any compromise would devalue the impact of this unusual building - a view shared by the Planning Department. It is also interesting that John McBride (Director of Linthouse Housing Association) at the time had taken note of the conversion of the 'Alaska Building' in Bermondsey in London which helped to direct his vision for the Luma, whilst Alec McClymont of Cornelius/ McClymont had his ideas shaped by a visit to a housing scheme in Stuttgart dating from the 1920s.
The agreement that the Art -Deco style was fundamental to any design concept for the building, together with achieving infusion of light wherever possible, was the foundation of a consistent approach with an emphasis on appropriate use of colour, glazed brick and the insertion of a large lightwell and internal courtyard. The original structural grid also allowed for generous space standards for the flats created.
The development appraisal finally reported that the building was capable of conversion to housing. However, to achieve this, partial demolition would be required to allow a viable and cost effective scheme. in other words, the building needed fairly major surgery and the land to the rear would probably be needed for development of new build to make the project feasible.
It was at this stage that formal contact was made with both Planning and Building Control, to discuss the principles and concept of the scheme. Remarkably, our paths converged almost without exception! We were so relieved that someone out there was not only serious about the building, but also had seriously exciting proposals for it too. Also of significance at the time was the fact that the Glasgow Regeneration Alliance (a partnership of public agencies drawn together to tackle the social and economic problems the City was experiencing), identified the building/site as an 'early action site', one of six key vacant sites throughout the City as having potential for residential use. From the outset, the project was very much conceived of as a 'partnership project', and would not have worked without the commitment and backing of many parties including the City Council, the Royal Bank of Scotland plc, the European Regional Development Fund and Scottish Homes, amongst others, which in particular were quick to recognise this unique opportunity and underwrote the cost of the appraisal.
The Department's conservation philosophy for the building was very simple: the major elements should be retained and any repair/conversion project must include: the conning tower, which gives the building City wide landmark status; the strongly defined regular grid pattern of fenestration, giving a bold horizontal emphasis; and the render finish which had to be bright. Clean lines and an uncluttered feel should be the end result and any interventions should be in keeping with the period style. Happily, the client, the architects and the others involved with the design team agreed.
The final proposal involved the creation of 43 flats and, to achieve this, included selective demolition of the rear of the east wing and further demolition to form an internal courtyard to the west wing. In addition, two new precast concrete floors were inserted in the cast wing, carried on new load bearing concrete walls. On the land to the rear, three new units providing 12 flats were built in the idiom of the Luma. A very successful marketing exercise by Linthouse Housing Association ensured that the flats sold very quickly.
Although the level of intervention envisaged by Linthouse and its design team was necessary to make this project work, there were a number of issues that needed to be refined, especially the fenestration. In collaboration with the architects and the client, a solution was achieved. The first attempt on paper was not entirely satisfactory, in that it did not ideally reflect the size of the existing window units. This was overcome by the insertion of linked panels between the windows on each level, thereby achieving the effect of extending the grid. in effect, they are reflective glass panels installed at internal partition positions. The new frames are double-glazed colour-coated aluminium and are close to the pattern and grid of the existing windows. It was also decided that, as the building was changing from industrial to residential use, appropriate standards of insulation would be essential, particularly as the building is close to a busy motorway, so singleglazed Crittall replacements were not acceptable.
The only aspect of the building for which there was no actual use, ironically enough, proved to be its most prominent feature, the tower! However, this did not remain a 'folly' for long. Its unusual character and position proved irresistible to the architectural practice of Cormack and Gracey. Thanks to a sensitive and effective floodlighting scheme, the tower at night is once again a powerful advertisement for this building and a welcoming beacon to those passing to and from the City and Airport.if anyone is wondering what the tower was originally meant for, apart from being a bold architectural statement, it was used for one of the most essential stages of production of the lamps - the last - the testing of the finished product for 'light and life'. in an early description of the factory it was stated that: "Samples are conveyed to the testing tower where they are burned under control at an excessive voltage for a considerable length of time".
In conclusion, the 'Luma Tower', as it is now known, has been the recipient of nine awards ranging from RIBA 1997, the RICS Urban Renewal Award for 1997, Civic Trust Award 1998 ("An outstanding contribution to the quality and appearance of the environment"), Europa Nostra Award, 1998 amongst others. We have also just heard that the landscaping regime, by the Tennant Garmory Partnership, and deliberately designed to be in keeping with the period feel, has just won a Landscape Institute Design Award for 1999, making ten awards now!