1-10 Moray Place
Alexander "Greek" Thomson (1817-1875)
1859-60
Strathbungo, Glasgow
Thomson’s first speculative development, this Category A listed terrace is perhaps his most elegant one. [Commentary continues below. Mouse over the text to see links.]
Photographs © Alexander Thomson Society, reproduced here by kind permission. [Click on the images to enlarge them.]
The Alexander Thomson Society describes Moray Place (in text taken from Sam Small's book on Glasgow architecture) as a "serene long classical colonnaded terrace, two storeys high, visually stopped by full-height pilastered, Greek pedimented end bays." Thomson's unique touch can be distinguished in the clean horizontal lines, without any central focus, or any curving at the bays — and in the bands of fine carved Greek and floral detailing shown below.
An unexpected exotic feature, shown on the right above, is the lotus-shaped base from which the chimney-pots "grow." Thomson must have been pleased with the result: he moved into 1 Moray Place in 1861, with the pedimented feature at the east end, and lived there until his death in 1874 (see "1-10 Moray Place"). It was later occupied, most fittingly, by architectural historian Gavin Stamp, who was the founder of the Alexander Thomson Society.
Bibliography
The Alexander Thomson Society.
"1-10 Moray Place." Architecture Glasgow. Web. 11 November 2020.
"'Greek' Thomson's house for sale. Architectural treasure goes on market for offers over (pounds) 275,000." The Herald. 26 April 2004. Web. 11 November 2020.
Moray Place. Alexander Thomson Society. Web. 11 November 2020.
Small, Sam. Greater Glasgow: An Illustrated Architectural Guide. Edinburgh: The Royal Incorporation of Architects in Scotland, 2008.
Created 11 November 2020