The Stage

Restoration for Glasgow King’s

Published Thursday 3 June 2004 at 10:20 by Sally Bramley

Glasgow King’s Theatre management has revealed plans to restore the building’s canopy to resemble the Frank Matcham original, in addition to a £170,000 refurbishment of its exterior.

Historic Scotland and Glasgow City Council have been approached to help fund the rebuild of the canopy, which is believed to have been designed by Matcham when he built the theatre a century ago.

However, it was pulled down in the fifties and replaced with an awning just demolished by venue owner, Ambassador Theatre Group, which now wants to recreate the original look.

A spokeswoman for the theatre said: “Matcham’s original drawings actually show he didn’t originally intend the King’s to have a canopy and that the front doors with the arch above, and the scene dock doors further along Bath Street, gave the building symmetry. However, within a few years a wrought iron canopy was built by MacFarlane’s of Glasgow, quite possibly to a design by Matcham.”

She added that the canopy erected in the fifties was felt to look out of character with the building and said that the timing of work on the new one would be dependent on when the funds were raised.

The first stage of the programme of work on the King’s has already begun and includes plans to patch up the stonework and make window repairs, as well as installing a new floodlighting scheme costing £70,000, designed by expert lighting company October First.