VirtualOpenDoors

Argyle Arcade,
Argyle St, Buchanan St,
1827,
John Baird.

The Argyle Arcade, built in 1827 by John Baird, provides a link between Argyle Street and Buchanan Street. Thought to be the oldest shopping arcade in Scotland, it is styled in a more continental fashion than was then popular in England.

The arcade was cut through old tenements and is notable for its novel use of cast iron construction methods.

The narrow passageways now consists mainly of jewellers' shops.

This is a view of the glazed roof structure at the 90 degree change of direction between Argyle Street and Buchanan Street.

The roof is supported by "hammerbeam" framing to timber roof trusses with open-work cast iron spandrel brackets."

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