Hutchesontown C, Brutalist residential complex in Gorbals, Scotland.
Hutchesontown C is a brutalist residential complex in Glasgow's Gorbals area that consisted of two 20-story concrete slab buildings offering practical two-aspect apartments with access to shared balconies. The complex contained around 400 residential units connected by elevators and walkways, with communal facilities spread across multiple levels of the structure.
The project was designed in 1962 by Scottish architect Basil Spence as part of Glasgow's post-war reconstruction effort. It was built to replace the traditional tenement housing that had characterized the neighborhood for decades.
This development marked a shift in Glasgow's housing culture, bringing residents together in vertical communities that differed fundamentally from the tightly packed homes that previously occupied this site. People experienced a new rhythm of urban living through shared walkways and balconies that redefined how neighbors interacted.
The buildings were difficult to access and were demolished in 1993, so visitors today can only explore their history through photographs and archive materials. Those interested in post-war brutalist design can instead visit other preserved structures from this period elsewhere in Glasgow and Scotland.
The 1993 demolition required double the normal amount of explosives because the massive concrete construction proved unusually resistant. This revealed just how robust and long-lasting the building methods of that era were designed to be, despite the project later being considered a failure.
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