Introduction

This evening, I am reporting on the India of Inchinnan building with its impressive art deco facade. This building is located on the A8 Edinburgh-Greenock road about 10 miles NW of Glasgow, West of Scotland.The building has been assigned Grade A (highest possible) heritage ranking whilst remaining in use as a commercial facility.

Information on the building

• The site was originally used for manufacture of airships during WW1. The site was opened in 1916 under the aegis of William Beardmore. The business peaked in 1919 with the airship R34 but closed in 1922.
• Later, the redundant airship facilities were converted to rubber tyre manufacturing under the ‘India’ brand. During this period new offices  were commissioned in the art deco style and opened in 1931.The architect firm of Wallis, Gilbert & Partners were chosen owing to their expertise in art deco.
• After a period of dereliction in the 1980s, the building was renovated to its current high standard in 2003. This entailed refurbishment of the main block and construction of a modern extension.The interior ceiling is a full scale replica of the underside of an airship. Interior wall lights spell out R34 in Morse code.
• The redeveloped building has won various architectural awards.
• Today, the building is used as offices in conjunction with the R34 Restaurant and Cafe which is open to the public.

Onomatology

The ‘inch’ element of Inchinnan is derived from the Gaelic word for island. The full name translates as ‘the bit of land enclosed by the Gryfe and Cart rivers’. This naming may date back about 1500 years.

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More information for the visitor

For more information on Scottish architecture, the West of Scotland and much more please refer Visitors’ Guide to Scotland, ISBN 978-1-9161332-0-4. This publication is also available via Kindle.