St Columba's Parish Church (photographs of the interior):
Designed by Jack Coia of the Gillespie, KIdd and Coia architectural practice, this large brick and reinforced concrete church sited in north-west of the city is one of the finest 20th century buildings to be found in Glasgow. Construction began in 1937 and the church opened some four years later during WW2 in 1941. The building's structure is a series of steep pointed arch reinforced concrete portal frames ranging down the main body of the church. Terracotta tiles interlock covering the large roof surface, and a deep russet red clay brick of a longer and wider dimension than the standard bricks used today are used for the walls. The west front, Italian Romanesque in style is huge and dominates the area with ashlar details and an ornate carved frontage around the doors. The west front soars both upward punctutuated by a slender cross shaped window and imposes itself with its muscular squat width and large proportions. The north end of the west front curves and houses the baptism font, and the south end of the symmetrical west front houses a staircase that leads up to the gallery. At the opposite end of the church is the altar hosued in the east end which externally can be seen to be a large projecting apse with a large steep terracotta tiled roof.
To the south and connected to the main church is the presbytery, built at the same time and with ashlar details on its exterior as stone courses delineating the two floors as well as around the front door. Within the presbytery is well proportioned and the original layout and timber features are still intact. The church is today occupied by Glasgow's Dominican community. Originally St Columba's was a catholic church paid for by families of the then densely populated parish, which boasted a huge congregation. Priced at six pence each, bricks could be purchased on behalf of the church to help fund the construction. Within the church, behind the altar a crucifix by sculptor and artist Benno Schotz adorns the large green marble panel at the church's east end. The building is category A listed


This page is interior photographs of St Columba's, exterior photographs can be seen here.

street address: 74 Hopehill Road, Glasgow, G20 7HH
Latitude / Longitude: 55.876571,-4.266785 (sourced using Google Maps)

view eastwards looking towards the altar from the gallery


concrete portal frames with timber purlins and sarking


staircase at the south of the west front leading up to the gallery


view up the inside wall of the west front from the gallery with the centrally sited cross shaped window stretching skyward towards the roof


view from the north end of the gallery looking down onto the baptism font


from the gallery further members of the family of the child being baptised could use the extra space above for a dramatic view down onto the baptism


view towards the altar


clerestory windows, in bays of five between the concrete frames


between the apex of each portal frame, vents penetrate the roof to the outside


contemporary mural at the west end of the nave below the gallery


doorways to a pair of rooms on the south elevation


north wall of the nave


north bay


east end altar and Benno Schotz crucifix in the apse behind


low metal gate to the altar


the altar


apse at the west end


view up at the ceiling of the apse


crucifix sculpture


view westwards from the altar down the nave of the church






back to top



houses of god
----------------------------------
houses of god homepage

----------------------------------
calton new parish church
----------------------------------
finnieston church
----------------------------------
glasgow cathedral
----------------------------------
govan old parish church
----------------------------------
queen's cross church
----------------------------------
ruchill church hall
----------------------------------
st andrews by the green
----------------------------------
st charles of borromeo
----------------------------------
st columba's parish church
----------------------------------
st columba's (interior)
----------------------------------
st teresa's, possilpark
----------------------------------
st vincent st, u.p. church
----------------------------------

----------------------------------

----------------------------------
website homepage
----------------------------------

----------------------------------

----------------------------------

----------------------------------

----------------------------------

----------------------------------

----------------------------------

all images and content copyright © 2013 - architectureglasgow.co.uk
please do not use without permission: contact@architectureglasgow.co.uk

disclaimer & copyright information


- home - building index - about - web links - contact -

www.architectureglasgow.co.uk www.derelictglasgow.co.uk