Basic Site Details

Name: Empire Theatre
City or county: Glasgow
Country: Scotland
Parish:  
Status: Demolished
Grid ref:
Notes: EMPIRE THEATRE, GLASGOW.-The new theatre which has been built by the Glasgow Empire Palace
Company, to take the place of the old Gaiety Theatre, has now been completed. It is situated in Sauchiehall-street and West Nile-street. The plans were prepared by Mr Frank Matcham. The elevations are faced with Dumfriesshire freestone, of a light red colour. The front to Sauchiehall-street contains four shops, with show-rooms above, and in the centre are the entrances to the principal parts of the theatre. The building will accommodate altogether 2,158 persons, divided in the following manner : Stalls, 156; pit, 655; dress circle, 220; upper circle, 327; gallery, 750; private boxes, 50.The total expenditure on the reconstruction of the theatre will be about £30,000. [Builder 17 April 1897 page 363]

Contractor for 1930 work - John Emery & Sons, Jessie Street, Glasgow.

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 2Sauchiehall StreetYes 
Item 2 of 2West Nile StreetYes 

Events

The following date-based events are associated with this building:
 FromToEvent typeNotes
Item 1 of 41897  Original thetare
Item 2 of 41931  Internal rebuilding of Matcham's theatre on larger scale and alterations to exterior
Item 3 of 428 September 1931  Opened after rebuilding
Item 4 of 41963 Demolition 

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 6Frank Matcham  1897  
Item 2 of 6Stanley Wayman Milburn A19281931Internal rebuilding of Matcham's theatre on larger scale and alterations to exterior
Item 3 of 6Thomas Ridley Milburn A19281931Internal rebuilding of Matcham's theatre on larger scale and alterations to exterior
Item 4 of 6W & T R Milburn A19281931Internal rebuilding of Matcham's theatre on larger scale and alterations to exterior
Item 5 of 6William Milburn A19281931Internal rebuilding of Matcham's theatre on larger scale and alterations to exterior
Item 6 of 6William Milburn (junior) A19281931Internal rebuilding of Matcham's theatre on larger scale and alterations to exterior

Clients

The following individuals or organisations have commissioned work on this building/design:
 NameNotes
Item 1 of 3Glasgow Empire Co.and Edward Moss
Item 2 of 3Glasgow Empire Palace Company1897
Item 3 of 3Moss, Edwardand Glasgow Empire Co

References

Bibliographic References

The following books contain references to this building:
 Author(s)DateTitlePartPublisherNotes
Item 1 of 3Earl and Sell2000Guide to British Theatres, 1750-1950 London 
Item 2 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)pp101-105
Item 3 of 3Walker, Brian Frank Matcham Theatre Architect  pp 25, 85,158

Periodical References

The following periodicals contain references to this building:
 Periodical NameDateEditionPublisherNotes
Item 1 of 6Architect and Building News1930Jan-Jun p776
Item 2 of 6Builder17 April 1897LXXII p363
Item 3 of 6Builder29 August 1930  p359
Item 4 of 6BuilderLate 1931CXLI pp799, 705-709 (Plans, illustration)
Item 5 of 6Building Industries15 April 1897  Orignal theatre
Item 6 of 6Building News24 April 1897  Orignal theatre

Archive References

The following archives hold material relating to this building:
 SourceArchive nameSource catalogue no.Notes
Item 1 of 1Tyne & Weir ArchiveMilburn Papers DT.TRM DT.TRM/1/65-99