Scotland’s Art Deco Heritage 1. The Luma Building
Posted in Art Deco, Glasgow at 14:45 on 26 August 2008
For almost longer than I can remember I have been interested in the style known as Art Deco, which enjoyed its brief flurry in the inter-war years of the 20th century.
Almost the only reason for catching an episode of Poirot on TV is that you may get a glimpse of something in this style in the back- or foreground. The same is also true of the fashions worn by Geraldine McEwan in the Mapp and Lucia adaptations from quite a few years ago now. (Though I suppose both of these programmes may be enjoyed for their own sake.)
Art Deco encompassed fashion, interior furnishings, ornaments, personal items, advertising and architecture and found a lavish expression in the film musicals of the time – think Busby Berkeley or Fred and Ginger – and indeed of the Picture Palaces in which these were viewed.
Art Deco era personal items such as compacts can be beautifully stylised (with the emphasis often focused on geometry) and some of the advertising posters are stunning. However, it is in the buildings that I find an elegance and boldness which, to my mind, architecture seemed to lose until around the last 20 years or so.
Anyway, I was over on the M8 west of Glasgow in the last week of my holiday and missed the Luma building on the way up. This surprised me as it used to be a fairly kenspeckle sight from the motorway, albeit badly dilapidated.
I took special care to sight it on my return as I was worried that it might have been pulled down despite a redevelopment some years ago – when it even got a programme to itself on BBC Scotland. As it turned out the worry was unnecessary as it had only been obscured by some trees which had matured. Or else I used to make that journey in winter.
There are not, to my knowledge, all that many big Art Deco buildings left in Scotland. The Luma is a pleasing survivor.
Photo by yellowbookltd.
They’ve done an excellent job on the facade but unfortunately it has “had its eyes poked out.” (© K Skirving)
For some reason replacement windows for these buildings do not seem to be quite in keeping with the originals. Perhaps it’s something to do with double glazing but it’s a bit strange as the original manufacturer appears to be still going strong and should presumably be able to provide adequate replacements.
Apparently for the Luma they did make the effort but the result doesn’t look quite right to me. I think it’s because the original glazing on the circular tower would have been curved. The replacements comprise a series of flat windows angled to each other. Also the horizontal bars on the new windows are a touch too wide.
A short history of the building can be found at http://www.ihbc.org.uk/context_archive/65/luma/tower.html
For another colour picture see http://www.flickr.com/photos/re_teacher/35527605/
George Gallagher
27 August 2008 at 18:05
Art Deco was a popular design movement from 1910 until 1939
In 1932 came the important MOMA exhibition, the International Exhibition of Modern Architecture, curated by Philip Johnson. Johnson and collaborator Henry-Russell Hitchcock drew together many distinct threads and trends, identified them as stylistically similar and having a common purpose, and consolidated them into the International Style.
Modernism is influenced by but not identical to art deco.
This is a modernist building.
jackdeighton
27 August 2008 at 20:25
The Luma was built in 1938 just before the cut off date you cite for Art Deco, which is usually considered to have been brought to an end by the advent of war in Europe. The New York World’s Fair of 1939/40 was probably its last hurrah. Or do you regard that as a modernist Exhibition?
There is a a degree of overlap here but modernism is usually considered to express function over form – sometimes it does so brutally. The Luma has no lack of form in its rotund bulb testing tower and it is not brutal in appearance, though it is without some of the embellishment associated with high Art Deco. Plus it does not truly conform to the three principles of the International Style.
Notwithstanding MOMA 1932 I myself think of modernism as mainly a post second world war phenomenon – all those rectangular steel and glass skyscrapers without any decoration.
I note the lift of your second paragraph direct from Wikipedia.
Bigrab
31 August 2008 at 10:11
I think they’ve done a great job on the Luma Tower I can remember it was a caravan sales centre for a while before it fell into dilapidation. There is an absolutely stunning art deco house in Helensburgh at the very top of Charlotte St called Greenpark – you can see it here http://helensburghconservationareas.org/root/hcag/hcag4a.htm
jackdeighton
31 August 2008 at 16:39
Yes indeed, Rab. That’s a brilliant exterior.
dave king
15 January 2009 at 13:01
I’m a resident here- the picture is great but now the exterior is almost yellow! and it seems the cost of the very soon necessary repainting and patching up is absolutely horrendous – does anyone know where we may apply for grants? The building is factored but the Housing Association seem incapable of pointing (!) us in the right direction for monetary help.
Barry Robertson
19 April 2010 at 16:47
I am researching the history behind the 1938-built Luma Tower conversion from industrial use to residential, but cannot find out what was made there during the war, nor when production of lamp bulbs ceased and why. Any info would be appreciated. I did find the website about it a good read.
jackdeighton
19 April 2010 at 18:13
I’m afraid all I know about The Luma is contained in my blog post and the website it links to.
I suspect the reason for light bulb production ceasing was that they were cheaper to produce elsewhere.