Glasgow City Centre. Murals. New Buildings. Old Ones. What Ai can do.

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On a nice sunny day over a week ago I arranged to meet Alan in Glasgow City Centre near Clyde Street. The city centre waterfront was in its usual graffiti splattered condition and has been that way since the covid lockdowns. This is the back of a casino.

Out on the water nearby a life-craft from the old Nautical College (now City of Glasgow College) was instructing students in rescue skills from the water by the looks of it. These orange lifeboats on the back of ships are not speedy but they will save your life. Falling into the North Sea or the Atlantic Ocean at these latitudes you will not last very long in the water, even with full exposure kit on and lifejackets. 

The day we were there a sizable police presence was noticeable, moving anyone on who appeared to be loitering down here. A common occurrence now in this area.

Coming in by bus from two different districts we agreed to meet at the mural wall along the Clydeside near the suspension bridge.

A lot of good murals used to exist here but now its mainly just graffiti on this occasion. 

One of the reasons for that might be murals don't last too long down here. You can spend a half day or a long full day; hours on a work and it doesn't last long. I'm guessing this is about T and The E.F. correspondence and the current world situation. Nuff said. 

We then had a wander round the Saltmarket, The Trongate/Glasgow Cross area, seen above, where Alan noticed a poster trying to drum up funds for turning this elevated disused railway line (or one nearby) into a high level park. ( Similar to the famous one in New York City.) They will need to make it graffiti and vandal resistant in this district though I found myself thinking. During the 1960s to the 1990s I grew up in and later worked throughout the large council estates on the outskirts of Glasgow that used to be awash with graffiti for decades but now they've mostly been cleaned up. Right here...the Glasgow Waterfront is now the number one area for graffiti in this city I would guess.

  

We then visited several galleries in the Argyle Street/ King Street area.

Which had an exhibition on Scottish brutalist architecture. Between us, separately, over the decades, we had managed to bag a sizable number of the buildings on show in here. Either through work, plain curiosity, or during various urban explorations into remote abandoned areas in our own time. A change from hillwalking every week.

Inspired by their surroundings, members of the public had created their own art in the gallery toilets... or it could well be yet another exhibit. I would not be surprised. T. E. perhaps? At least this one was cheap.

This on the other hand would not be cheap. Very expensive indeed as I have seen similar works like this before... and the price tags. I have to confess it does not inspire me in any way.

I did like these though. Alan did not. 

Books, music, films, art. Everyone always has different tastes and opinions. Are we headed for a self inflicted world recession right now in April 2026? Will we still be able to drive our vehicles next month? Or afford travel, heating or food after recent events? Everyone will have a different opinion on that as well.

Most current topics covered here.

Glasgow still has a lot of great period buildings. Near Nelson Mandela Place above.

And modern ones. AC Hotel here.

But it is safe to say the city is in a transition period at the moment. George Square getting a makeover.

The new replacing the old. Met tower with yellow fins on the roof. Apparently it has a roof terrace. For student or resident use presumably? According to what I can find online they may be refurbishing this old building which is empty at the moment... or pulling it down. Take your pick.

Same with this one. Central College of Commerce.

And this one. University Energy Centre. All built in the 1960s and mostly empty but in the current fluid situation ( no pun intended.) anything could happen to future development plans.

So plenty still to see in Glasgow, especially as I only visit a few times a year.

Candleriggs Mural next to the Social Hub Building.

A seat with a view.

Sunflowers and bird.

George Street and the 'Concrete University.' A 1960s Classic. including Livingstone Tower.

Glasgow Cross View.

Merchant City District Murals.

Rainbow Pride Walk. Only moan about this is that it should have been either coated or painted on a wall as folk walking on it destroys it. Same with the long list of music bands that have played at the Barrowfield on the floor of a small park near the venue. Now mostly erased by passing feet, if still there at all. 

Instead why not put it on a back lane wall like this one... or any wall higher up or otherwise. 

New apartments near King Street.

Urban Jesus Sculpture.

The real thing only 20 feet away. City Centre reality 2026. No barn or donkey available here.

If you wonder why musicians, the film industry, bean counters, and various other occupations are worried about Ai look no further that this video. 10 years or so ago I speculated on here ( after watching The Last of Us and Bioshock Infinite as films instead of games) that this was a growing threat to everything. It was increasingly hard to tell reality from Ai technology, even back then, and I could easily see a situation where it would take over from films. Also in certain real individuals ( unlike M3GAN. a film)  they would happily kill a human without a second thought to save a computer generated character/friend if under threat that they cared deeply for. Ai can be that powerful/ persuasive. A modern dilemma for the near future perhaps. 

This amazing five minute wonder has no real actors, no real animals, no real landscapes, no real cities. Just sheer imaginative brilliance.... and computer manipulation.  I would happily watch a two hour film of this given a good enough script. Welcome to your future. And an amazing channel. Is this a world class voice artist?... or not? Questions.... Questions....

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SMZW9Uqcf20&list=RDSMZW9Uqcf20&start_radio=1