Look Up Glasgow

A stunning coffee table book of Glasgow's world-class architectural detail, hidden in plain sight at the tops of the city's iconic buildings

Glasgow is Scotland's largest city, its streets a constant frenetic bustle of activity, but rarely do its residents take the time to stop and look up at the extraordinary architectural heritage all around. Glasgow's image belies this world-class architectural detail, comprising of stunning sculpture, ornament, friezes, gables, and decoration, the vast majority of which are hidden in plain sight above eye level. Writer Adrian Searle and specialist architectural photographer David Barbour have scoured the city, bringing together in one volume a fabulous record of the hidden jewels of "the second city of the Empire," created in a time of great wealth and virtuoso craftsmanship now long gone. The book also includes poetry from six of Scotland's leading poets, responding in very individual ways to Glasgow's extraordinary urban environment. This collection will be a beautiful surprise to residents, visitors, and non-residents alike, demonstrating that it is much more than just another post-industrial British city. It will be a book that those passionate about the city and about architecture will treasure.