St Andrews In The Square

This marvellous Georgian former church has a Baroque interior with magnificent plasterwork by Thomas Clayton, Corinthian columns and an exquisite gilded ceiling. It has been sympathically renovated and restored over the years and is now a centre for traditional Scottish music and other concerts and media events.
Said to be one of the finest classical churches in Britain, it was built from 1739 – 57 by Mungo Naismith to a design by local architect Allan Dreghorn, who was inspired by St Martin-​in-​the-​Fields in London.
It has received six prestigious awards: Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors, Glasgow Institute of Architects Special Award, Europa Nostra Diploma, Civic Trust Commendation, Scottish Award for Quality in Planning and the Dynamic Place Award.
St Andrews in the Square is located in the Merchant City, just off Saltmarket, in the east of the city. I must say I was very impressed when I visited it recently.

What a venue! Had a dinner dance here on Friday night and thought it was superb alternative to the standard hotel venues. There’s room for a huge party and the surrounds do lend an evening a different feel. Take time to look up and you’ll see some of the most amazing architecture Glasgow has to offer. Only down side was the dance floor was a bit slippy so not the greatest when you’re giving it laldy while stripping the willow.

Despite living in Glasgow my entire life, I had no idea this place existed until a few weeks ago. This is incredible considering it is one of the most stunning buildings in the city. It seems to live in a sort of parallel universe, stuck in the middle of blocks of flats.
I visited the café a few Sunday ago and, despite the sophisticated art deco style interior and impressive menu, the place was dead. I think this is because most people don’t realise it’s there.

Certainly, this church is beautiful. However, it is not really in an area that I would encourage tourists to visit: in spite of a few galleries and the Barrowland Ballroom, it’s a bit rough and no amount of regeneration of the church will resolve that.
The church is mostly used as a folk music venue: it is always a featured venue in Celtic Connections and the open space, which once housed the pious, has a new congregation. It has fine acoustics, a comfortable atmosphere– if still a little church-​like!- and a café in the crypt. Not worth visiting in itself– the outside has been impressively smartened, but it is out of the way– it is more than worth catching a gig here.

Glasgow, when will you learn? If a building like St Andrews in the Square existed anywhere else in Europe, it would feature on postcards, be highlighted on guided tours and sign-​posted from across the city. Tourists would flock and photograph it from every angle, creating albums on Facebook entitled «Me at St Andrews in the Square» to a sea of thumbs ups from friends who like it.
Instead, this lovingly-​restored 18^th century church is inconspicuously located in among modern east end flats and virtually impossible to stumble across unless you are specifically looking for it.
And what a pity, because when it’s lit at night, it provides one of the most spectacular photo opportunities in the city. Those who do know this building, know it’s one of the greatest classical churches in Europe with a truly sumptuous interior.
Now used as a performing arts centre, St Andrews in the Square can also be hired as a spectacular setting for ceilidhs, concerts, weddings and receptions.
Just go. I promise you will not be disappointed.