AN appeal has been made to the Scottish Secretary to intervene to
delay the demolition of the 20-storey blocks of Gorbals flats designed
by the late Sir Basil Spence.
Docomomo-UK, an international working party for the documentation and
conservation of buildings of the modern movement, says in a letter to Mr
Ian Lang that it considers the flats to be of architectural significance
in national terms.
It argues that, even if conservation of the entire estate is
considered impractical, the smaller of the two blocks should be
conserved if possible.
The 400 flats, opened by the Queen in 1963, are due to be blown up on
September 13. They feature in the current exhibition at the Royal
Incorporation of Architects in Scotland gallery in Edinburgh.
Mr Dennis Sharp, the chairman of Docomomo-UK, urges Mr Lang not to
miss the chance of preserving at least one block as a record of a ''very
dramatic architectural conception''.
There have been attempts to find alternative users for the flats. One
possibility, the YMCA, has decided it is unable to pursue its interest.
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