Introduction

This evening, I am reporting on Glasgow’s Gallery of Modern Art (“Goma”) which sits close to the city centre.

Image of Goma’s west facade at night.

Information on the Gallery of Modern Art-Part 1

The current building represents the latest manifestation of a long lineage dating back over 200 years.

This building and its antecedents has been inextricably linked with Glasgow’s mercantile past, viz:

• Around 1778 a large mansion in the Palladian style was built by a super-rich tobacco merchant named William Cunninghame.The cost was about GBP10,000.00. The building comprised three stories with wings at right angles and facing each other. Remnants of the Cunninghame mansion can be found in the current building: entrance hall, ellipse with rooflight; mansion house galleries on first floor; and former drawing room on first floor.
• Acquired by Royal Bank of Scotland in 1817. A new bank was then built to the west of the building in 1827.
• Mansion sold by Royal Bank in 1827 to a business consortium for purpose of building a new Exchange. Leading architect David Hamilton was commissioned to incorporate the old mansion house within the new exchange building.
• In 1913, architect Colin Menzies was commissioned to remodel the basement and provide new supporting square pillars. The basement was converted into a restaurant.
• After World War II the building was acquired by the City of Glasgow for GBP105.000. Thereafter it became home to the Stirling Library.
• In 1994 the library was relocated.The building was then converted to its present role as a gallery for housing the city’s modern art collection. This was undertaken whilst successfully retaining many of the original features of the Exchange.

Information on the Gallery of Modern Art-Part 2

Model of the current building

Still and video images of art work on display

Library and cafe in basement

Video clips

Overall, an excellent resource. There are also provisions for the under fives.

This post connects nicely with Scottish art, architecture and culture.

More Information

For more information on Glasgow and many other aspects of Scotland please refer to the Visitors’ Guide to Scotland, ISBN 978-1-9161332-0-4. This book is also available via Kindle.