with ease around gridded street layouts because the ends
of certain streets are differently terminated. Although the
public buildings were constructed over a relatively short
period, their styles vary from classical to Gothic, and from
simple shapes to elaborate structures adorned with
towers and domes. The freehand sketch allows the
varying ambitions of the different architects to be
recorded and analysed. You will find that certain roads,
such as Ingram Street, are terminated at one end – in this
case by the former Royal Exchange (now the Stirling
Library), which has a handsome portico projecting into the
street space. The other end of this straight street opens
on to the derelict east end of Glasgow. Thus a sketch of
the street could not only highlight its distinctive qualities,
but could form the basis for speculative proposals for
terminating the open end.
Public buildings have a scale and presence greater
than that of the background architecture. Although in the
Merchant City they are not necessarily taller than their
neighbours (except the City Chambers), they employ
columns, pediments and domes to establish their position
in the architectural hierarchy. The use of decoration and
visual codes can be the subject of a drawing, especially if
it is related to the pedestrian’s experience of the city.
In the Merchant City many public buildings have
changed their function since they were built. Mention has
been made of the former Royal Exchange now being
used as a public libary, but there are also churches that
currently serve as night clubs, restaurants or theatres, and
market buildings that are concert halls. The ability of
monuments to adapt to new public uses is an argument
of Aldo Rossi’s in his Architecture of the City, and is well
represented in Glasgow. The important point is to realise
that the visual currency of places like the Merchant City
depends upon the survival of the inherited public
buildings.THE NATURE AND CHARACTERISTICS OF THE
BACKGROUND ARCHITECTURE
The background architecture of the Merchant City
determines the physical context for the public buildings.
Whether the everyday buildings are houses, offices or
warehouses, they are the backcloth to urban life and
contribute significantly to the character of this inner city
area. The relationships between the function of an area,
its buildings and how they are decorated are worthy
subjects for sketchbook exploration.
The character of residential neighbourhoods in the
Merchant City depends upon whether apartment blocks,
tenements or converted warehouses are the main type of
housing. Each has a different relationship to the street
and a different form of exterior expression. Likewise, the
degree to which housing is mixed with shops or work
spaces determines not just the appearance but use of
exterior space.
The industrial areas, too, have their own character. The
presence of cranes, bollards, heavy doors and robustUsing drawing to analyse an urban area 181