LOCATION: Platthorn Drive, East Kilbride, Scotland [55.7629°N, 4.1682°W]
ARCHITECT: Gillespie, Kidd & Coia
DATES: 1957-1964
NOTES: Grade A listed (1994), RIBA Bronze Medal
Located just a few miles southwest of Glasgow, St Bride’s Roman Catholic Church is one of Scotland’s better known examples of Brutalist design. Though this church is built in brick, the firm Gillespie, Kidd & Coia received a number of commissions from the Roman Catholic Church – many of which were built in concrete, such as the now abandoned St Peter’s Seminary located in Cardross outside of Glasgow.
Approaching its 50th anniversary in August, St Bride’s Church is still very much in use. The building was Grade A listed in 1994, and this status has arguably helped keep the building well cared for – the congregation has also recently received a grant to aid in maintenance costs.
Though the church is brick and my primary material focus is concrete, the visit was fruitful as it demonstrated a number of shared issues often found within buildings of this era.
As I took this picture above a woman walking through the courtyard stopped to ask if I was an architect–seems the building has a few groupies–and what I thought of the church. When I spoke fondly of it, she returned in kind and described with pride how beautifully the sunlight streams into the chapel during evening masses; this was admittedly a rather refreshing surprise. I think after my time in Edinburgh, it was quite uplifting to hear a local resident take pride in a building of this era.
The gallery mezzanine, once used for overflow during crowded services, is now out of use given that the perimeter rail no longer meets safety requirements – perhaps the most notable example of change in the building’s use. Today the gallery is filled with odds and ends – props from christmas pageants, broken chairs. A gate has been added at the base of the stairs to restrict access to the gallery.
RELEVANT LINKS
St Bride’s Church Official Website with information on their building
Historic Scotland Listed Building Report – St Bride’s Church
Scotland Places Entry with Historic Images of Church
More Information on Gillespie, Kidd & Coia’s abandoned St. Peter’s Seminary