Day 359: Inside the City Chambers

Day 358: Breakfast at Piccolino e Vino

Day 357: The Irvine Valley from Whiteways

Day 356: Templeton Business Centre

 

This building began life as Templeton Carpet Factory and

James Templeton from Paisley patented a chenille Axminster process

by which he could manufacture more densely patterned and richly

coloured carpets. He went on to become one of the most successful

carpet manufacturers in Britain, producing carpets for state occasions,

 great houses, luxury liners including the ‘Titanic’, as well as domestic use.

 

William Leiper's design is directly inspired by the late medieval Palazzo Ducale

(Doge’s Palace) in Venice. The flamboyant glazed brick, vitreous enamel tiles,

 red brick and terracotta of the facade evokes the rich Oriental-influenced patterns

of the carpets the factory produced. Work began in 1888 and was completed

in 1892 after a major interruption caused by a terrible accident possibly

caused by inadequate scaffolding and tying-in of the new building with the

existing one behind it. On 1 November 1889, part of a wall collapsed

under construction during high winds, trapping over 100 women

working in the weaving sheds at the back; 29 were killed.

 

 

Day 355: A Food Tech Christmas Cake

Day 354: Royal Exchange Square

Day 353: Donald Dewar, First First Minister