Our History
The Bridgegate Trust (now known as Glasgow Building Preservation Trust) was formed in response to the proposed demolition of the Category-A Listed fish market at the Briggait. This was a pivotal moment in Glasgow's history, as the city had already lost many fine buildings. The Trust's intervention led to the restoration and repurposing of the building as a high-end shopping centre and venue space in the 1980s. In 2009, Wasps Studios redeveloped the 1873 hall and parts of the adjoining market halls as artist studios and an arts venue. The rejuvenation of the Briggait complex entered another phase in 2023 as work got underway to redevelop the market halls at the rear of the complex, some forty years after the Trust's first intervention. Following the success of the Briggait, the Trust took on the renovation of the Stewart Memorial fountain in Kelvingrove Park and throughout the 1980s, began to build a portfolio of work across the city, preserving Glasgow's rich built heritage.
The Trust also plays a critical role in raising awareness about the value of Glasgow's built heritage. Inspired by European Heritage Days, we introduced the Doors Open Days festival to the UK in 1990 as part of Glasgow's term as the European City of Culture. This free, community-led festival now attracts over 30,000 visits to 100 participating venues and features a diverse programme of events, walks and talks.
In 1992, The Bridgegate Trust became Glasgow Building Preservation Trust. Over the years, we have completed 30 major restoration and renewal projects and worked in support of numerous others. We are grateful for the continued support of Glasgow City Council, National Lottery Heritage Fund, Historic Environment Scotland , Architectural Heritage Fund and many others for revenue and capital funding.
To find out more about the history of the Trust, 'It'll be Great When It's Finished' charts the birth of Glasgow Building Preservation Trust and reflects on changing attitudes and approaches to the city's built heritage over the past forty years.
The Trust also plays a critical role in raising awareness about the value of Glasgow's built heritage. Inspired by European Heritage Days, we introduced the Doors Open Days festival to the UK in 1990 as part of Glasgow's term as the European City of Culture. This free, community-led festival now attracts over 30,000 visits to 100 participating venues and features a diverse programme of events, walks and talks.
In 1992, The Bridgegate Trust became Glasgow Building Preservation Trust. Over the years, we have completed 30 major restoration and renewal projects and worked in support of numerous others. We are grateful for the continued support of Glasgow City Council, National Lottery Heritage Fund, Historic Environment Scotland , Architectural Heritage Fund and many others for revenue and capital funding.
To find out more about the history of the Trust, 'It'll be Great When It's Finished' charts the birth of Glasgow Building Preservation Trust and reflects on changing attitudes and approaches to the city's built heritage over the past forty years.
The Building Preservation Trust (BPT) Movement
BPTs are charitable organisations established to rescue historic buildings at risk by repairing and converting them for viable new uses. They usually take on market failure buildings, where the cost of repair exceeds their restored value or where the future of a building is uncertain. BPTs are part of a much wider movement established in response to the destruction and neglect of the historic built environment. The earliest BPT established in the UK was the Cambridge Preservation Society formed in 1929.
In Scotland, the National Trust for Scotland launched the Little Houses Improvement Scheme in 1960 which buys neglected or dilapidated historic properties then restores and sells them for the purpose of regeneration. This pioneering scheme is widely recognised as the main inspiration for other subsequent building preservation initiatives across the UK. One organisation pivotal in the growth of the BPT movement is the Architectural Heritage Fund (AHF) established in 1976 as an independent charity to provide readily available working capital to local preservation trusts throughout the country in order to help save historic buildings.
SAVE Britain’s Heritage has also been influential to the movement since its creation in 1975 – European Architectural Heritage Year – through its public campaigns to raise awareness of endangered historic buildings, with a special emphasis on the possibilities of alternative uses for such buildings.
The BPT movement grew significantly in the 1970s and 80s and there are now almost 300 BPTs in the UK whose common aims include the preservation and regeneration of historic buildings for the benefit of the public. Most belong to the Heritage Trust Network the membership and representative organisation for BPTs. The Scottish BPT movement is well established with the second half of the 1980s in particular being a very dynamic period when many individual trusts were set up. A few BPTS operate across the whole of Scotland, several at regional or sub-regional level with the majority of trusts delivering results at the local level.
Since 1984, over 110 buildings have been successfully restored and 43 have been removed from the Scottish Buildings at Risk Register. The majority of BPTs are run by volunteers but some trusts in Scotland have members of staff, including GBPT.
BPTs are charitable organisations established to rescue historic buildings at risk by repairing and converting them for viable new uses. They usually take on market failure buildings, where the cost of repair exceeds their restored value or where the future of a building is uncertain. BPTs are part of a much wider movement established in response to the destruction and neglect of the historic built environment. The earliest BPT established in the UK was the Cambridge Preservation Society formed in 1929.
In Scotland, the National Trust for Scotland launched the Little Houses Improvement Scheme in 1960 which buys neglected or dilapidated historic properties then restores and sells them for the purpose of regeneration. This pioneering scheme is widely recognised as the main inspiration for other subsequent building preservation initiatives across the UK. One organisation pivotal in the growth of the BPT movement is the Architectural Heritage Fund (AHF) established in 1976 as an independent charity to provide readily available working capital to local preservation trusts throughout the country in order to help save historic buildings.
SAVE Britain’s Heritage has also been influential to the movement since its creation in 1975 – European Architectural Heritage Year – through its public campaigns to raise awareness of endangered historic buildings, with a special emphasis on the possibilities of alternative uses for such buildings.
The BPT movement grew significantly in the 1970s and 80s and there are now almost 300 BPTs in the UK whose common aims include the preservation and regeneration of historic buildings for the benefit of the public. Most belong to the Heritage Trust Network the membership and representative organisation for BPTs. The Scottish BPT movement is well established with the second half of the 1980s in particular being a very dynamic period when many individual trusts were set up. A few BPTS operate across the whole of Scotland, several at regional or sub-regional level with the majority of trusts delivering results at the local level.
Since 1984, over 110 buildings have been successfully restored and 43 have been removed from the Scottish Buildings at Risk Register. The majority of BPTs are run by volunteers but some trusts in Scotland have members of staff, including GBPT.