Basic Site Details

Name: Alhambra Theatre
City or county: Glasgow
Country: Scotland
Parish:  
Status: Demolished
Grid ref:
Notes: Built on the site of the old Waterloo Rooms at the junction of Wellington and Waterloo Streets, and opened in December 1910. " A conspicuous building, surmounted by two towers."

Builder: George Leslie Allen, of The Allen Construction Company, West Regent Street. Allen was a trained structural engineer and had a hand in the design of the structure.

The Alhambra Theatre is to be reconstructed and enlarged. Messrs Burnet Son and Dick of St Vincent-street have prepared plans. [Builder 15 July 1927, p112?]

Building Type Classification

The building is classified under the following categories:
 ClassificationOriginal classification?Notes
Item 1 of 1Theatre  

Street Addresses

The following street addresses are associated with this building:
 AddressMain entrance?Notes
Item 1 of 2Waterloo StreetYes 
Item 2 of 243, Wellington StreetYes 

Events

The following date-based events are associated with this building:
 FromToEvent typeNotes
Item 1 of 719091910  
Item 2 of 7November 1909  Prospectus issued
Item 3 of 719 November 1910 Opened 
Item 4 of 719141915 Further work
Item 5 of 719201922 Further work
Item 6 of 719271928AdditionWestern addition
Item 7 of 71963 ReconstructionInternal reconstruction including the Starlight Room.

People

Design and Construction

The following individuals or organisations have carried out design/construction work. Where architects or practices worked together, matching letters appear beside their names in the Partnership Group column.
 NameRolePartnership GroupFromToNotes
Item 1 of 17(Sir) John James Burnet A19091910 
Item 2 of 17John Burnet & Son A19091910 
Item 3 of 17Norman Aitken Dick A19091910 
Item 4 of 17William Ferguson (junior) (or William Moncrieff Ferguson, or Willie Ferguson) A19091910As assistant to John James Burnet
Item 5 of 17William John Blain A1909 As chief assistant to John James Burnet
Item 6 of 17(Sir) John James Burnet B19141915Further work
Item 7 of 17John Burnet & Son B19141915Further work
Item 8 of 17(Sir) John James Burnet C19201922Further work
Item 9 of 17John Burnet, Son & Partners C19201921Further work
Item 10 of 17Norman Aitken Dick C19201922Further work
Item 11 of 17Thomas Harold Hughes C19201921Further work
Item 12 of 17Burnet, Son & Dick C19211922Further work
Item 13 of 17(Sir) John James Burnet H19271928Western addition
Item 14 of 17Burnet, Son & Dick H19271928Western addition
Item 15 of 17Norman Aitken Dick H19271928Western addition
Item 16 of 17Gavin Paterson & Son F1963 Internal reconstuction including Starlight Room.
Item 17 of 17Lennox Dundas Paterson F1963 Internal reconstruction including Starlight Room.

Clients

The following individuals or organisations have commissioned work on this building/design:
 NameNotes
Item 1 of 2Glasgow Alhambra LtdAlfred Butt, impressario; Ernest Polden, printer; John P Kinghorn, iron broker; John Rowan, stockbroker; John Fisher, warehouse merchant; James Ferguson, shopbuilder and 800 others.
Item 2 of 2Howard & Wyndham LtdClient for 1963 alterations.

References

Bibliographic References

The following books contain references to this building:
 Author(s)DateTitlePartPublisherNotes
Item 1 of 3Peter, Bruce1999Scotland's Splendid Theatres: Architecture and Social History from the Reformation to the Present Day Edinburgh: Polygon (an imprint of Edinburgh University Press Ltd)p126
Item 2 of 3Smith, Graeme2008The Theatre Royal: entertaining a Nation Glasgow Publications 
Item 3 of 3Smith, Graeme2011Alhambra, Glasgow  Burnet's drawings illustrated p20. 1927-28 addition p61

Periodical References

The following periodicals contain references to this building:
 Periodical NameDateEditionPublisherNotes
Item 1 of 3Building Industries16 March 1910   
Item 2 of 3Building News23 December 1910  opening
Item 3 of 3RIBA Journal18 July 1938 London: Royal Institute of British Architects 

Archive References

The following archives hold material relating to this building:
 SourceArchive nameSource catalogue no.Notes
Item 1 of 3Courtesy of Graeme SmithInformation via website (from Graeme Smith)  Sent February 2009
Item 2 of 3National Monuments Record of Scotland/NMRS, RCAHMSWeddell and Thomson Archive Summary Material (Handlists, Job lists etc) Handlist -4 sheets drawings (roll 34)
Item 3 of 3RIBA Archive, Victoria & Albert MuseumRIBA Nomination Papers William John Blain: L v16 no1128; William Moncrieff Ferguson Junior: L v24 no1914