List of tallest buildings and structures in Glasgow facts for kids

The Glasgow Tower, completed in 2001, at 127 m (417 ft) tall

St Andrew House, completed in 1964 and 71 m (233 ft) tall

Cineworld Glasgow, the tallest cinema complex in the world at 62 m (203 ft) tall

This is a list of tallest buildings in Glasgow which are at least 40m (131ft) in height and above in the largest city in Scotland. The current tallest structure, at 127 metres (417 ft), is the Glasgow Tower within the Glasgow Science Centre. They include buildings ranging from 1960s tower blocks, to new office developments such as 1 Atlantic Square, St Andrew House, the Argyle Building and the Livingstone Tower. The tallest building ever to have stood in Glasgow was the 91 m (299 ft) tall Tait Tower in Bellahouston, built for the Empire Exhibition of 1938, but pulled down the following year.

Faced with crippling housing shortages and overcrowding in the immediate post-war period, the city undertook the building of multi-storey housing in tower blocks in the 1960s and early 1970s on a grand scale, which led to Glasgow becoming the first truly high-rise city in Britain. However, many of these schemes were poorly planned and cheaply constructed, which led to many of the blocks becoming unsanitary magnets for crime and deprivation.

It would not be until 1988 that high-rises were built in the city once again, with the construction of the 17-storey Forum Hotel (latterly the Moat House International Hotel, and now the Crowne Plaza Hotel) next to the SECC. The 20-storey Hilton Hotel in Anderston followed in 1992. From the early 1990s, Glasgow City Council and its successor, the Glasgow Housing Association, have run a programme of demolishing the worst of the residential tower blocks, including Basil Spence's Gorbals blocks in 1993.

Since the late 1990s, property developers have been planning new upmarket residential and office high-rises along the River Clyde, and in the city's financial district, which would far surpass these in height. Several proposed skyscrapers, such as Elphinstone Place which would have become the cities and Scotland's tallest, were cancelled due to financial reasons.

Glasgow skyline
Tallest completed buildings skyscrapers and structures
- Tallest buildings
- Other notable tall structures
Tallest under construction, approved, and proposed
- Approved
- Proposed
Unbuilt
Demolished
See also

Glasgow skyline

Glasgow City Centre skyline

The term "tallest building in Glasgow" is itself ambiguous. Currently, two structures in the city have made a claim for the title depending on which measurement is used:

The Glasgow Tower as part of the Glasgow Science Centre on Prince's Dock on the South Bank of the River Clyde, holds the overall title as the tallest free-standing structure in Glasgow, and the whole of Scotland at a height of 127 m (417 ft), however this measurement includes the structure's spire. It holds a Guinness World Record for being the tallest tower in the world in which the whole structure is capable of rotating 360 degrees.
Since the demolition in 2015 of both the Red Road Flats and the Bluevale/Whitevale twin towers, the two western tower blocks of the 26-storey Balgrayhill high-rise estate in Springburn are the tallest buildings within the Glasgow city boundary.

Tallest completed buildings skyscrapers and structures

Tallest buildings

Rank	Name	Height	Coordinates	Floors	Year	Primary use	Notes
1	Glasgow Tower	127 m (417 ft)	55°51′33″N 4°17′46″W / 55.859248°N 4.296229°W / 55.859248; -4.296229 (Glasgow Tower/Millennium Tower)	01.02	2001	Viewing Platform	Holds a Guinness World Record for being the tallest tower in the world in which the whole structure is capable of rotating 360 degrees.
2	Glasgow University Tower	85 m (279 ft)	55°52′17″N 4°17′19″W / 55.871348°N 4.288641°W / 55.871348; -4.288641 (University of Glasgow)	04.0?	1887	University
3=	22 Viewpoint Place	78 m (256 ft)	55°53′28″N 4°13′48″W / 55.891233°N 4.229900°W / 55.891233; -4.229900 (Balgrayhill)	04.026	1964	Residential	Located in Springburn.
3=	42 Viewpoint Place	78 m (256 ft)	55°53′28″N 4°13′48″W / 55.891233°N 4.229900°W / 55.891233; -4.229900 (Balgrayhill)	04.026	1964	Residential	Located in Springburn.
3=	120 Wyndford Road	78 m (256 ft)	55°53′15″N 4°17′44″W / 55.887451°N 4.295517°W / 55.887451; -4.295517 (Wyndford Road)	04.026	1964	Residential	Located in Wyndford.
3=	151 Wyndford Road	78 m (256 ft)	55°53′15″N 4°17′44″W / 55.887451°N 4.295517°W / 55.887451; -4.295517 (Wyndford Road)	04.026	1964	Residential	Located in Wyndford.
3=	171 Wyndford Road	78 m (256 ft)	55°53′15″N 4°17′44″W / 55.887451°N 4.295517°W / 55.887451; -4.295517 (Wyndford Road)	04.026	1964	Residential	Located in Wyndford.
3=	190 Wyndford Road	78 m (256 ft)	55°53′15″N 4°17′44″W / 55.887451°N 4.295517°W / 55.887451; -4.295517 (Wyndford Road)	04.026	1964	Residential	Located in Wyndford.
3=	15 Croftbank Street	78 m (256 ft)	55°53′00″N 4°13′28″W / 55.883351°N 4.224550°W / 55.883351; -4.224550 (Springburn)	02.026	1964	Residential	Located in Springburn.
3=	250 Edgefauld Road	78 m (256 ft)	55°53′00″N 4°13′28″W / 55.883351°N 4.224550°W / 55.883351; -4.224550 (Springburn)	02.026	1964	Residential	Located in Springburn.
11=	2 Taylor Place	75 m (246 ft)	55°51′54″N 4°14′39″W / 55.864951°N 4.244064°W / 55.864951; -4.244064 (Townhead)	04.025	1967	Residential	Located in Townhead.
11=	15 Grafton Place	75 m (246 ft)	55°51′54″N 4°14′39″W / 55.864951°N 4.244064°W / 55.864951; -4.244064 (Townhead)	04.025	1967	Residential	Located in Townhead.
11=	12 Dobbie's Loan Place	75 m (246 ft)	55°51′54″N 4°14′39″W / 55.864951°N 4.244064°W / 55.864951; -4.244064 (Townhead)	04.025	1967	Residential	Located in Townhead.
11=	7 St. Mungo Place	75 m (246 ft)	55°51′54″N 4°14′39″W / 55.864951°N 4.244064°W / 55.864951; -4.244064 (Townhead)	04.025	1967	Residential	Located in Townhead.
11=	178 Balgrayhill Road	75 m (246 ft)	55°53′28″N 4°13′48″W / 55.891233°N 4.229900°W / 55.891233; -4.229900 (Balgrayhill)	04.025	1964	Residential	Highest man-made point above sea level within Glasgow city boundary. Located in Springburn.
11=	198 Balgrayhill Road	75 m (246 ft)	55°53′28″N 4°13′48″W / 55.891233°N 4.229900°W / 55.891233; -4.229900 (Balgrayhill)	04.025	1964	Residential	Highest man-made point above sea level within Glasgow city boundary. Located in Springburn.
17	Glasgow City Chambers	73 m (240 ft)	55°51′39″N 4°14′55″W / 55.860957°N 4.248511°W / 55.860957; -4.248511 (Glasgow City Chambers)	04.04	1889	Government Building
18	St. Andrew House	71 m (233 ft)	55°51′52″N 4°15′15″W / 55.864571°N 4.254194°W / 55.864571; -4.254194 (St Andrew House)	01.018	1964	Hotel	Converted to a Premier Inn hotel in 2012. The rooms on the 18th Floor are the highest hotel rooms in the city.
19	Hilton Glasgow	70 m (230 ft)	55°51′41″N 4°16′10″W / 55.861378°N 4.269345°W / 55.861378; -4.269345 (Hilton Glasgow)	01.020	1992	Hotel
20=	Ten 1960s tower blocks of varying design (two at Hutchesontown, three at Cowcaddens, five at Knightswood) and one modern apartment block at Glasgow Harbour are all the same height.	69 m (226 ft)		01.024	Various	Residential
21	Anniesland Court	66 m (217 ft)	55°53′28″N 4°19′31″W / 55.891020°N 4.325166°W / 55.891020; -4.325166 (Anniesland Court)	01.024	1968	Residential	Tallest listed building in Scotland. Only tower block to have a Category A listing in Glasgow. Located in Anniesland.
22=	Cineworld Glasgow	62 m (203 ft)	55°51′54″N 4°15′18″W / 55.865115°N 4.254955°W / 55.865115; -4.254955 (Cineworld Glasgow)	16	2001	Cinema	Tallest Cinema complex in the world.
22=	Argyle Building	62 m (203 ft)	55°51′34″N 4°16′04″W / 55.859477°N 4.267824°W / 55.859477; -4.267824 (Argyle Building)	01.020	2008	Residential
22=	Bridle Works Building	62 m (203 ft)	55°51′47″N 4°15′06″W / 55.862945°N 4.251771°W / 55.862945; -4.251771 (Glasgow Tower/Millennium Tower)	01.020	2021	Student accommodation
25	Queen Elizabeth University Hospital	60 m (200 ft)	55°51′43″N 4°20′28″W / 55.861973°N 4.341239°W / 55.861973; -4.341239 (South Glasgow University Hospital)	14	2015	Hospital
26	Block H2 – Central Quay	58 m (190 ft)	55°51′31″N 4°16′29″W / 55.858559°N 4.2746137°W / 55.858559; -4.2746137 (Central Quay)	20	2022	Residential and retail	Part of Central Quay
27	Crowne Plaza Glasgow	55 m (180 ft)	55°51′36″N 4°17′25″W / 55.860028°N 4.290414°W / 55.860028; -4.290414 (Crowne Plaza Glasgow)	17	1989	Hotel	Part of the SECC.
28	Buchanan Wharf towers	54 m (177 ft)		02.019	2023	Mixed use	Located in Buchanan Wharf complex.
29	Elmbank Gardens	53 m (174 ft)	55°51′54″N 4°16′11″W / 55.865018°N 4.269737°W / 55.865018; -4.269737 (Elmbank Gardens)	15	1973	Hotel	Originally an office block, converted to a hotel in 1995.
30	Livingstone Tower	52 m (171 ft)	55°51′40″N 4°14′36″W / 55.860974°N 4.243464°W / 55.860974; -4.243464 (Livingstone Tower)	17	1965	University	Part of the University of Strathclyde.
31	1 Atlantic Square	45 m (148 ft)	55°51′40″N 4°14′36″W / 55.860974°N 4.243464°W / 55.860974; -4.243464 (Livingstone Tower)	10	2022	Office	Part of the International Financial Services District

Other notable tall structures

Buildings with a Wikipedia article and over 50 metres in height.

Name	Height	Coordinates	Year	Primary use
Cathkin Braes wind turbine	125 m (410 ft) 80 m (260 ft)	55°47′51″N 4°12′56″W / 55.797467°N 4.215594°W / 55.797467; -4.215594 (Cathkin Braes wind turbine)	2013	Wind turbine
Glasgow Cathedral	68.6 m (225 ft)	55°51′47″N 4°14′05″W / 55.862978°N 4.234668°W / 55.862978; -4.234668 (Glasgow Cathedral)	1197	Cathedral
St Andrew's West Church	67 m (220 ft)	55°51′55″N 4°16′01″W / 55.865206°N 4.266865°W / 55.865206; -4.266865 (St Columba Church)	1852	Church
St Columba Church	61 m (200 ft)	55°51′46″N 4°16′00″W / 55.862774°N 4.266768°W / 55.862774; -4.266768 (St Columba Church)	1904	Cathedral
St Mary's Cathedral	60.5 m (198 ft)	55°52′24″N 4°16′30″W / 55.873397°N 4.275077°W / 55.873397; -4.275077 (St Mary's Cathedral)	1893	Cathedral
Finnieston Crane	53 m (174 ft)	55°51′30″N 4°17′04″W / 55.858217°N 4.284492°W / 55.858217; -4.284492 (Finnieston Crane)	1931	Cantilever crane

Tallest under construction, approved, and proposed

Approved

Name	Height metres / ft	Floors	Year (est.)	Primary Use	Location	Notes
The Grid	58m (190ft)	12	2020	Office	International Financial Services District	On Hold

Proposed

Building Name	Height	Floors	Main Usage	Other Usage
Portcullis House	114 m (374 ft)	35	Student Accommodation	None
Dandara City Wharf	87 m (285 ft)	28	Residential	None
Custom House Quay	69 m (226 ft)	25	Hotel	Residential
Sky Plaza	49 m (161 ft)	16	Residential	None
10–16 Dixon Street	44 m (144 ft)	14	Residential	Retail
Homes for the Future phase 2	44 m (144 ft)	13	Residential	None
Central Quay Phase 5	42 m (138 ft)	10	Office	Retail
145 St Vincent Street	42 m (138 ft)	10	Office	None
Building 3 Atlantic Quay	35 m (115 ft)	10	Office	None
St Andrews Wharf Residential	34 m (112 ft)	11	Residential	None

Unbuilt

Name	Height	Floors	Notes
East One	180 m (590 ft)	55
Cheapside Tower 1	170 m (560 ft)	50
Cheapside Tower 2	170 m (560 ft)	50
Cheapside Tower 3	136 m (446 ft)	40
Elphinstone Place	134 m (440 ft)	39	Cancelled due to the 2008 Financial crisis. Now the site of the new Scottish Power HQ.
Elmbank Tower	107.5 m (353 ft)	28
Glasgow Harbour Tower	93 m (305 ft)	30
Elphinstone Urban Village Tower 1	81 m (266 ft)	27
Graving Docks Tower 1	65 m (213 ft)	21
Elphinstone Urban Village Tower 2	60 m (200 ft)	20

Demolished

Name	Image	Height	Coordinates	Floors	Year built	Year demolished	Notes
Townsend Chimney		138 m (453 ft)	55°52′16″N 4°15′05″W / 55.871207°N 4.251493°W / 55.871207; -4.251493 (Townsend's Chimney)	N/A	1859	1928	At J. Townsend Chemical Works, Port Dundas. Tallest chimney in the world from 1859 to 1889.
Tennant's Stalk		133 m (436 ft)	55°52′13″N 4°14′05″W / 55.870249°N 4.234689°W / 55.870249; -4.234689 (Tennent's Stalk)	N/A	1842	1922	At the St Rollox Chemical Works, Springburn. Tallest chimney in the world from 1842 to 1859. Demolished after being struck by lightning.
Pinkston Power Station cooling tower		94 m (308 ft)	55°52′20″N 4°14′50″W / 55.8723°N 4.2472°W / 55.8723; -4.2472 (Pinkston)		1952	1976	Largest cooling tower in Europe at time of completion. Complex in Port Dundas (providing energy for the Glasgow Corporation Tramways) also included two 263 ft (80 m) chimney stacks.
Tait Tower		91.4 m (300 ft)	55°50′44″N 4°19′05″W / 55.845535°N 4.318183°W / 55.845535; -4.318183 (Tait Tower)	?	1938	1939	Built as part of the 1938 Empire Exhibition.
109 Bluevale Street		90.8 m (298 ft)	55°51′21″N 4°12′56″W / 55.855958°N 4.215552°W / 55.855958; -4.215552 (Gallowgate)	30	1968	2015	Was the joint tallest inhabitable building in Scotland. Located in Gallowgate.
51 Whitevale Street		90.8 m (298 ft)	55°51′21″N 4°12′56″W / 55.855958°N 4.215552°W / 55.855958; -4.215552 (Gallowgate)	30	1968	2015	Was the joint tallest inhabitable building in Scotland. Located in Gallowgate.
10 Red Road Court		89 m (292 ft)	55°52′49″N 4°12′30″W / 55.880355°N 4.208291°W / 55.880355; -4.208291 (Red Road)	31	1967	2015	Tallest residential buildings in Europe at the time of completion.
33 Petershill Drive		89 m (292 ft)	55°52′49″N 4°12′30″W / 55.880355°N 4.208291°W / 55.880355; -4.208291 (Red Road)	31	1967	2015	Tallest residential buildings in Europe at the time of completion.
63 Petershill Drive		89 m (292 ft)	55°52′49″N 4°12′30″W / 55.880355°N 4.208291°W / 55.880355; -4.208291 (Red Road)	31	1967	2015	Tallest residential buildings in Europe at the time of completion.
93 Petershill Drive		89 m (292 ft)	55°52′49″N 4°12′30″W / 55.880355°N 4.208291°W / 55.880355; -4.208291 (Red Road)	31	1967	2015	Tallest residential buildings in Europe at the time of completion.
123 Petershill Drive		89 m (292 ft)	55°52′49″N 4°12′30″W / 55.880355°N 4.208291°W / 55.880355; -4.208291 (Red Road)	31	1967	2015	Tallest Residential buildings in Europe at the time of completion.
21 Birnie Court		89 m (292 ft)	55°52′49″N 4°12′30″W / 55.880355°N 4.208291°W / 55.880355; -4.208291 (Red Road)	31	1967	2013	Tallest residential buildings in Europe at the time of completion.
153-213 Petershill Court		78 m (256 ft)	55°52′49″N 4°12′30″W / 55.880355°N 4.208291°W / 55.880355; -4.208291 (Red Road)	28	1967	2012
10-30 Petershill Court		74 m (243 ft)	55°52′49″N 4°12′30″W / 55.880355°N 4.208291°W / 55.880355; -4.208291 (Red Road)	26	1967	2015
Clydesdale Bank Tower		73 m (240 ft)	55°51′32″N 4°17′42″W / 55.858993°N 4.295110°W / 55.858993; -4.295110 (Clydesdale Bank Tower)	1	1987	1989	Built for the Glasgow Garden Festival, later moved to Rhyl in Wales.
240 Roystonhill		72 m (236 ft)	55°52′03″N 4°13′26″W / 55.867604°N 4.223909°W / 55.867604; -4.223909 (Rosemount Street)	25	1967	1992	Located in Royston.
20 Rosemount Street		72 m (236 ft)	55°52′03″N 4°13′26″W / 55.867604°N 4.223909°W / 55.867604; -4.223909 (Rosemount Street)	25	1967	2013	Located in Royston.
40 Rosemount Street		72 m (236 ft)	55°52′03″N 4°13′26″W / 55.867604°N 4.223909°W / 55.867604; -4.223909 (Rosemount Street)	25	1967	2016	Located in Royston.
	Ten 1960s tower blocks of varying design (four at Laurieston, two at Gorbals, two at Hutchesontown) were all the same height.	69 m (226 ft)		01.024	Various	Residential