Tag Archives: architecture

Window Detail, Glasgow

Window Detail, Glasgow
“Window Detail, Glasgow” — Detail of an old window at the University of Glasgow.

As I wrote previously, we ended up on the campus of Glasgow University more or less by accident. A long walk toward West End took us within sight of its famous tower, and that was enough to convince to detour for a closer look. The tower and building from which it rises are built in striking Neo-Gothic style, and once we got there we could not resist wandering into its inner courtyards.

My attention was first drawn to the large and impressive features of the place — its tower, the tall buildings, the large internal courtyards, and the columns and arches beneath a wing that separates them. But as we walked around I became more aware of fascinating small details. This close up photograph includes some of the stone construction. At the very bottom is a bit of old, lichen-encrusted stone.with more polished stone forming the frame of the window.


G Dan Mitchell is a California photographer and visual opportunist. His book, “California’s Fall Color: A Photographer’s Guide to Autumn in the Sierra” is available from Heyday Books, Amazon, and directly from G Dan Mitchell.

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Armadillo, Glasgow

Armadillo, Glasgow
“Armadillo, Glasgow” — The curving roof of the “Armadillo,” a venue in Glasgow, Scotland.

The popular name of this modern-architecture pavilion/venue in Glasgow is “The SEC Armadillo,” or simply “The Armadillo.” It was originally known as the Clyde Auditorium (it sits on the banks the River Clyde), but apparently the Glaswegians have a habit of renaming big buildings in Glasgow, and this local name stuck — it is now essentially the official name. As you can probably guess, the name comes from the overlapping curved structures that form its remarkable roof.

We ended up here sort of by accident. We had taken a very long walk from central Glasgow all the way to the West End. Rather than retracing our steps on the way back, we headed to the waterfront to find an alternative route. There a friendly local greeted us and asked if we had any questions. We had a few… and before long he was talking our ears off about the history of the waterfront, the local architecture and much more. Heck, I would have paid a guide for that information! He pointed out the Armadillo and the path that would take us there on our way back toward downtown.


G Dan Mitchell is a California photographer and visual opportunist. His book, “California’s Fall Color: A Photographer’s Guide to Autumn in the Sierra” (Heyday Books) is available directly from him.

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Arches and Columns

Arches and Columns
“Arches and Columns” — Arches and columns at Glasgow University.

Serendipity brought us to these arches and columns during our visit to Glasgow. As we often do, we headed out on foot in the morning with only a general idea of where we were headed — essentially in the direction of the West End. We knew there was a museum along the way that we wanted to visit, but that was about it. As we approached, the impressive Gothic tower at Glasgow University dominated the skyline, and we decided to investigate.

There are modern buildings here, but this central Gothic structure, built around inner courtyards, caught out attention. At first we admired it from outside, but then I saw an entrance and thought “why not?” We walked in, wandered a bit, and eventually found these arches and columns over a walkway between the courtyards.


G Dan Mitchell is a California photographer and visual opportunist. His book, “California’s Fall Color: A Photographer’s Guide to Autumn in the Sierra” is available from Heyday Books, Amazon, and directly from G Dan Mitchell.

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Houses of Parliament

Houses of Parliament
“Houses of Parliament” — The intricate facade of London’s Houses of Parliament on a cloudy day.

I made this quick photograph in London back in June, on the last full day of about four weeks of travel in (mostly) Scotland and England. We started this day by going to Westminster Cathedral. Patty has learned that you can visit many such churches simply by attending one of the regular church events. (For example, we attended evensong in York.) Advantages are that you don’t have to sign up for tickets or, in many case, pay a fee. (Though if they “pass the plate” it is appropriate to donate something, right?) However, you are expected to act as a person attending a church event, not a tourist snapping selfies! In any case, after visiting Westminster we walked back toward the Houses of Parliament.

Parliament is typically busy, with guards watching over all the entrances. But on this Sunday morning it was quiet and I don’t recall seeing anyone inside the fence. One other factor? The British snap election was about to happen, and I’m betting that every member of Parliament was out campaigning! In any case, we walked here. because I had a memory of a little pub on a nearby side street that we visited the very first time we were in London, and I wanted to see if we could locate it. And, yes, we did — just a few blocks further up the street.


G Dan Mitchell is a California photographer and visual opportunist. His book, “California’s Fall Color: A Photographer’s Guide to Autumn in the Sierra” is available from Heyday Books, Amazon, and directly from G Dan Mitchell.

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Links: Articles, Sales and Licensing, my Sierra Nevada Fall Color book, Contact Info.

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