New Glasgow. Collegelands. High Street. George Street.University of Strathclyde.

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I thought I would do a double post to highlight the contrast between the old and new Glasgow which is evolving at pace around the High Street and George Street area. A stone's throw from George Square, seen in the last post, is the thoroughly new Glasgow of glass and steel. A mix of buildings from different time periods make up the University of Strathclyde but that diversity is even more pronounced now with the latest additions to the campus. This is the new look Albion Street which has been totally transformed.

Right beside it the old Herald Newspaper building has been given a makeover and is now the Herald Apartments, Still on Albion Street.

Every university needs student apartments and building them seems to be one of the major growth industries in the city right now. Collegelands is one of the largest building projects in Europe at the moment and it really shows here as Glasgow is being radically updated overnight after years of staying much the same apart from a few new buildings here and there. Parts of this university district five minutes walk east from George Square in the city centre is almost unrecognizable now from five years ago. All three universities in the city are being drastically upgraded as I type with building work still going on at nearby Glasgow Caledonian and the old Western Infirmary site earmarked for redevelopment very soon on behalf of Glasgow University.

George Street still retains the old style infrastructure when grey concrete was king. A spooky character had followed me down here from the Necropolis graveyard in the last post, as you can see in this photo. I kept my stake handy.

Also part of the old style Strathclyde University buildings.

Murals pop up here as well.

A space theme.

Part of Strathclyde University Collegelands district.

Looking down a transformed Duke Street from the High Street.

Murals on older university buildings.

Same extended mural.

One high up on the wall nearby.

I've been wondering about this red wrapped design for a while as it's visible from almost every district of the city and beyond. Although students still study in here the top levels must be empty presumably as the new college-lands fill up with students switching over into the updated buildings. I also found myself thinking this might be a way of 'future proofing' Glasgow City Centre for generations to come. Both Partick and  this area are large traditional shopping districts, under threat from out of town retail parks and online shopping. With a constant influx of students living right in the heart of these old shopping districts, spending money in the bars, restaurants and clubs at night then buying food and other products during the day it's a good way to insure a thriving retail sector which doesn't just depend on Glaswegian's arriving from outlying areas to spend money. The newly built student flats cover sizable chunks of these districts so it should be an important stable part of the economy as it has everything they need on the doorstep without going anywhere else for entertainment or other products.

Cine World. A high rise multi screen cinema complex near Strathclyde University campus and Caledonian University Campus. Great views over Glasgow at night from the upper levels as it sits on a hill. Seen the Lord of the Rings trilogy in here, which is why I know this.