The 1960s
New Hope as construction begins on the tallest residential buildings in Europe
Designed in 1962 by architect Sam Bunton for Glasgow Corporation, the flats were constructed between 1964 and 1969. They were of unusual construction, being the only steel-framed high-rise structures in Glasgow. From the time they were built until recent years, they were owned by the local authority. For most of the early residents, living in the flats meant a considerable and welcome rise in their living conditions, since most had previously lived in run-down housing, often severely overcrowded, either nearby or elsewhere in the city.
Click to enlarge photo
‘Our thanks and appreciation are due to the architects, engineers, and contractors for their outstanding achievement. I hope the tenants find health and happiness in their new surroundings’
The Red Road flats were heralded as the solution to the housing crisis at that time in Glasgow. Councillor Edward Clark, convenor of Glasgow Corporation’s housing committee commented that the 1,350 houses with shops, play areas, car spaces, lock-ups and extensive landscaping would provide “many of our citizens in the Springburn area and other districts who look forward to living in decent surroundings with all the modern amenities that they have so long desired.” (The Glasgow Herald , October 31st 1966)
