After 15 years and a £2.1million transformation the Kelvingrove Bandstand and Amphitheatre officially re-opens this morning.
Lord Provost of Glasgow, Councillor Sadie Docherty will cut the ribbon at 10am to kick-off an official and long-awaited launch that will also feature music from New Orleans Dixie jazz community band Brass, Aye plus local schools Hillhead High and the Sgoil Ghaidlig Ghlaschu – the first performers on this completely refurbished stage.
“This is a very exciting time,” said Councillor Docherty. “The Kelvingrove Bandstand is a much-loved Glasgow landmark and its restoration is a great example of how working in partnership can bring out the best in a project.”
The Kelvingrove Bandstand and Amphitheatre has been part of the city’s musical heritage since it was first built by the Glasgow Corporation Parks Department in 1924. And although it was more than showing it’s age in the 20-year run-up until its closure in 1999, these same years are remembered fondly as a heyday for the venue.
From Radio Clyde roadshows that put the spotlight on budding local talent to acts such as Simple Minds and Wet Wet Wet, it’s no surprise up to 7000 people would have crammed themselves through the gates on Kelvin Way for some performances.
Of course, this B-listed building, uniquely placed in Kelvingrove Park, is also an architectural gem. It’s the only original bandstand left in Glasgow and one of only three with associated amphitheatres in Scotland. By the time the building closed it was already in serious disrepair. And as a target for vandalism it soon became derelict – before its condition was eventually described as ‘critical’ on the Scottish Buildings at Risk Register.
Local people, Friends of Kelvingrove Park and musicians – including the bands Belle and Sebastian, Franz Ferdinand and Teenage Fanclub – soon began campaigning for the building’s restoration. Eventually, a two-year project to transform the Kelvingrove Bandstand and Amphitheatre was finalised in 2012 to be carried out by Glasgow Building Preservation Trust (GBPT) and a *design team led by Page/Park Architects in partnership with Glasgow City Council and Glasgow Life.
“GBPT is delighted to have been able to raise funding and be the delivery organisation for the restoration of this delightful historic building, giving the much loved outdoor venue a whole new lease of life for the next generation of audiences,” said Pat Chalmers,” chair of GBPT. “Our Trust has been absolutely committed to finding ways to contribute to looking after Glasgow’s unique built heritage for the last 32 years.”
Work started on site in August 2013, in a fast-tracked project to ensure completion for this summer’s Commonwealth Games. The existing fabric and features of the original structure have been conserved and repaired and sensitive interventions have made the building and site safe and accessible for performers and audiences. Two contemporary extensions to the rear of the Bandstand have allowed the inclusion of a platform lift and enhanced facilities.
Adaptations to the Amphitheatre include a new cross aisle, two new gangways and improvements to the upper terracing to provide permanent concrete seating. A new ramped area at the top of the Amphitheatre has significantly improved accessibility and the pay boxes on Kelvin Way, a later addition, have new ogee-style roofs to the original design.
This work was funded by the Architectural Heritage Fund, Glasgow City Heritage Trust, Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF), Historic Scotland, Huge Fraser Foundation, Landfill Communities Fund, Sylvia Waddilove Foundation and William Grant and Sons.
Colin McLean, head of the HLF in Scotland, said: “The success of the recent Big Weekend shows how much Glasgow loves an outdoor concert. Thanks to the lottery playing public, Kelvingrove Bandstand can once again play its part in the cultural and civic life of the city providing a fantastic outdoor space for events for the Commonwealth Games and beyond.”
The Glasgow Mela will host the Bandstand’s first public performances when international artists will perform on the 90-year old stage over June 7-8.
More information on GBPT’s past and present projects can be found at www.gbpt.org and further information on HLF at www.hlf.org.uk
See our previous article on the work that has been carried out at the Kelvingrove Bandstand here
Main pic of the refurbished Kelvingrove Bandstand by Duncan McEwan and below, before the restoration project, courtesy of Page/Park – and see the video Teenage Fanclub made there before the restoration, for Dumb Dumb Dumb here
*Design Team – Page\Park (Architect), nbm (Cost Consultant), SKM (Structural Engineer), Harley Haddow (Services Engineer), CDM Scotland (CDM Co-ordinator), CCG (Contractor).
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