Templeton’s Carpet Factory
A carpet factory built to look like a Venetian palace, in coloured brick, on the edge of Glasgow Green.
At a glance
On the edge of Glasgow Green stands a factory that does not look like one. William Leiper designed the front of Templeton’s carpet works, built from 1888, on the model of the Doge’s Palace in Venice: polychrome brick, mosaic and pointed arches. A planning rule wanted nothing ugly facing the public park, and Leiper answered with a palace. It now holds offices and flats.
Key facts
- Location: Templeton Street, Glasgow Green
- Architect: William Leiper
- Built: 1888–1892
- Style: Venetian Gothic revival
- Today: business centre and apartments
History
James Templeton ran one of the great carpet firms of the age, and wanted a factory worthy of the park it faced. Leiper gave him a Venetian front in red, buff and blue brick with mosaic panels.
During construction in 1889 part of the unfinished façade was blown down in a gale onto the weaving sheds, killing twenty-nine women at their looms. The building was completed and worked as a carpet factory for most of the twentieth century; it has since been converted to other uses.
What you see
The façade is a riot of colour: banded brick, glazed tile, mosaic roundels and an arcaded top, all borrowed from the Doge’s Palace and set down in industrial Glasgow. Behind that show front stood ordinary weaving sheds. It is one of the boldest pieces of decorative industrial architecture in Britain.
Practical information
- Open: exterior any time; interiors private
- Cost: free to view from Glasgow Green
- Best for: the polychrome Venetian façade
- Time needed: 15–20 minutes
Getting there
The building faces Glasgow Green, a short walk south-east of the city centre and Glasgow Cross. Bridgeton railway station is nearby.
Nearby
- Glasgow Green — the city’s oldest park, at the door
- People’s Palace — the social-history museum on the Green
Sources
- Wikipedia — Templeton’s Carpet Factory
- Historic Environment Scotland — listed building record
- Wikimedia Commons — image source and licence
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