Tradeston
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Tradeston
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.jpg) The former Glasgow headquarters of the Co-Operative and Wholesale Society on Morrison Street - one of Tradeston's most famous landmarks | |
  Tradeston Location within Glasgow | |
| OS grid reference | NS581660 |
| Council area | |
| Lieutenancy area |
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| Country | Scotland |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | GLASGOW |
| Postcode district | G5 |
| Dialling code | 0141 |
| Police | Scotland |
| Fire | Scottish |
| Ambulance | Scottish |
| UK Parliament | |
| Scottish Parliament | |
Tradeston (Scots: Tredstoun) is a small district in the Scottish city of Glasgow adjacent to the city centre on the south bank of the River Clyde. The name (a portmanteau of "Trades Town") reflected its role as a primarily dockland area with a large number of warehouses and wharves along the riverside were vessels would be unloaded. It merges to the south and west with Kingston, and the two districts are often considered one and the same.
By the middle of the 20th Century, most of this had disappeared, although remnants of the area's thriving trading industry had survived in its high concentration of wholesaler businesses, some of which are still in operation into the 21st Century. Today, Tradeston has become increasingly gentrified, with the city centre's financial district now expanding over to the south bank, heralding the arrival of new office and residential developments.
Tradeston borders with Laurieston and the Gorbals to its immediate east, Pollokshields to the south and Kingston to the west, therefore its notional boundaries are the River Clyde to the north, the Glasgow to Paisley railway line to the south, Eglinton Street and Bridge Street to the east and West Street to the west. The M74 Extension traverses the area.
The Tradeston Bridge, opened on 14 May 2009, links Tradeston and neighbouring Kingston with Broomielaw and the city's International Financial Services District for pedestrians and cyclists.
Economy and Architecture
Tradeston's historical role as a centre for warehousing and trade is symbolised by its grandest and most famous building – 95 Morrison Street – which was constructed as Co-Operative House; the headquarters of CWS Scotland – a role which it maintained well into the late 20th Century. It was designed by architects Bruce and Hay and built between 1893–1897 as the head office of the Scottish Co-operative Wholesale Society. A famous urban myth persists that it was one of the rejected designs for Glasgow City Chambers which was constructed on George Square so similar are the two buildings' basic appearance. The building has since been converted for residential use.
Tradeston's role as a hub for trade continued well into the late 20th century, as a large number of wholesaler (Cash and Carry) businesses continued to be located in the area, although some of these have gradually closed down or have opened as retailers to the general public as a higher residential population has now moved into the area.
Many former industrial buildings in the area were demolished as part of the M74 Extension which opened in June 2011. Barclays Bank opened a new headquarters at the Tradeston waterfront on the River Clyde's south bank in 2021, expected to lead to thousands of new jobs and kickstart the regeneration of Tradeston as a whole. Known as Buchanan Wharf and managed by Stallan-Brand architects, the project consisted of replacing low rise industrial units with new office buildings and renovating two previously derelict listed 1870s warehouses, the BECO Building and Kingston House, for public use.[1][2][3][4]
