Lewis's Department Store, 65-117 Argyle Street, Glasgow, Glasgow, Glasgow

Entry Name: Lewis's Department Store, 65-117 Argyle Street, Glasgow

Listing Name: 65-117 (Odd Nos) Argyle Street, Known As No 65 Argyle Street, Former Lewis's Department Store

Listing Date: 4 September 1989

Category: B

Source: Historic Scotland

Source ID: 375392

Historic Scotland Designation Reference: LB32609

Building Class: Cultural

ID on this website: 200375392

Location: Glasgow

County: Glasgow

Town: Glasgow

Electoral Ward: Anderston/City/Yorkhill

Traditional County: Lanarkshire

Tagged with: Architectural structure

Description

G de Courcy Fraser and Clarke, Bell and J H Craigie,
1932-1949 construction of Lewis's Royal Polytechnic Ltd
warehouse for retail shopping (department store), in an
extensive, 1930s classical design, on site of former
premises; later additions at rear, and link with
St Enoch's shopping centre, Michael Haskoll Associates,
1988, accompanied by substantial reconstruction of
interior. 6-storey, attic, basement and sub-basement.
Ashlar Portland stone, brick rear with ashlar band and
attic, with steel sheet piling; polished granite aprons to
shop windows. Ashlar channelled at ground, at 1st floor
and in pilasters to 3rd floor. Plate glass display windows
at ground with bordered, blinded fascia lights; windows
to 1st floor and above glazed and bordered, small-pane
pattern in steel pivot casements.
N (ARGYLE STREET) ELEVATION: main facade symmetrical,
bays grouped 3-18-3, with entrances in splayed corner
bays; 15 shop windows at ground; wide doorway recesses
flanked by fluted Doric columns; single windows at 1st
floor; tripartite windows to corner bays and outer bays of
groups of 3 bays at 2nd floor. Pilasters dividing outer
bays to entablature level. 3rd floor detailed as 2nd, with
keystones and quasi-guttaed frieze above windows. 4th
and 5th floors with 2-storey arcade to centre 18 bays,
with windows to each bay at each floor, smaller at 5th;
geometric wrought-iron balcony rails. 3 bay groups with
single windows at centre to 4th floor and bipartites to
5th, flanked at both floors with tripartite windows;
Thomsonesque pediments above centre lights of 4th floor
windows, and smaller 5th floor windows. 4th and 5th
floors of corner bays with recessed window panel,
tripartites at both floor and balcony to centre light at 4th
floor. Fluted necks to pilasters; moulded cornice above
full entablature. Attic floor with architraved single
windows and tripartite to outer bays of groups of 3,
bearing minimalist pediments and guilloche carved frieze;
corner bays with single windows. Flat roof.
W (MAXWELL STREET) ELEVATION: 6-bay. Detailed as main
facade with lesser doorway in outer right bay; 4-bay
arcade to 4th and 5th floors and outer bays detailed as
above.
E (DUNLOP STREET) ELEVATION: 8-bay. Detailed as main
facade with lesser doorway in outer left bay; 6-bay
arcade to 4th and 5th floors at centre; outer bays
detailed as above.
S (N DRIVE, FORMERLY CROY PLACE) ELEVATION: irregular and
asymmetrical. Ashlar cill course to 4th floor.
Rectangular projections, that to right of centre 3 bays
deep. Modern additions at ground to left and further
extensions, 1988. Ashlar attic raised above height of
other elevations in blank wall-plane.

Statement of Interest

Petition of 9 December 1932; work described in BUILDER as

"demolition and rebuilding scheme for Lewis's". Photographs

of 1920, and the plans of 1932, indicate that the former

Warehouse was completely demolished rather than absorbed in

part. Impressive proportions enhanced by simplicity and

repetition of details.

External Links

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