The History of G1 Glasgow

For more than a century George Square has been Glasgow’s primary public space and a key business location. It became a stylish residential area in the early 19th century while the city was expanding westwards from its core around Glasgow Cross and the High Street.

When Queen Street Station opened in 1842, its connection with Edinburgh saw George Square become a place in which to do business. George Square quickly became the address for commercial enterprise in Glasgow.

1 George Square was designed by civil servant Robert Matheson of HM Office of Works for Scotland. Constructed in 1875, it was used as the headquarters of the GPO, and was the “absolute” central point of reference for the City’s postcode and mileage charts.

Originally a T-shaped, four storey building, the fifth floor “bookends” were added in 1914 by W.T Oldreive and his successor as the Board of Work’s principal architect for Scotland, C.J.W Simpson, using the Mouchel – Hennebique method of concrete framing. Between these blocks and facing Ingram Street, the stem of the T was re-modelled in 1895, with an elaborately decorated façade, as a sorting office. This construction entailed the demolition of Robert Adams Assembly Rooms of 1792.

The building has been vacant since the mid 1990s. The southern portion was converted to residential development in 2000, and an additional penthouse storey added. The north portion, bought by the G1 Group, was brought to the market and purchased by HF Developments in November 2005, paving the way for its re-development.