Dalian House, at the corner of St Vincent Street and North Street, photographed in 2003 at a quiet moment on one of Glasgow's busiest traffic junctions. The pagoda-style tower rising above the corner symbolises the Chinese city of Dalian, twinned with Glasgow in 1987, after which the building is named.
Planning regulations dictated that the office building should be linked to housing on either side, and should not exceed the height of the adjoining terrace. Architects Jenkins & Marr managed to insert five floors of office space within the equivalent of four floors in the Victorian building in North Street. The building won a Brickwork Design Award in 1991.
The first tenant for the offices when the building was completed in 1990 was Strathclyde Regional Council. It was taken by Greater Glasgow Health Board in 1997. Many important decisions on health services in the Glasgow area have subsequently been taken within its walls, and the pavements outside have been the scene of a number of demonstrations.
Reference: Illustrations vol 48, p 11
Reproduced with the permission of Glasgow City Council, Libraries Information and Learning
Keywords:
awards, Brickwork Design Award, Dalian House, Greater Glasgow Health Board, health services, Jenkins & Marr, National Health Service, NHS, office buildings, offices, pagodas, Strathclyde Regional Council, towers, twin cities, twinning