Project of the week

Considered one of the grandest buildings of its kind in Britain, the Category B-listed West Boathouse was built by the Glasgow Corporation to designs by the city surveyor, Alexander Beith MacDonald. Located on the banks of the River Clyde at Glasgow Green - an ideal spot for rowing - it had remained in active use by Clydesdale Amateur Rowing Club and Clyde Amateur Rowing Club since its opening in 1905. A century later, the building was in a perilous condition. Over the years, the resident clubs had carried out essential repairs and maintenance, but by the late 2010s, the building faced significant structural problems.

In a bid to revitalise West Boathouse and open up the River Clyde to a wider range of users, Glasgow Building Preservation Trust and the resident rowing clubs partnered on a project to repair and adapt the building for broader community uses. Following a full restoration of the structure, works to increase accessibility, and the creation of a new gym, rowing training facility and flexible, multi-use spaces, the boathouse re-opened in 2023.

Today, while remaining home to multiple rowing clubs, West Boathouse has become a fully shared and accessible facility that offers a whole new programme of opportunities to encourage new audiences and local people to access and engage with the River Clyde.

“The sensitively restored West Boathouse has brought back pride in a building that had become a bit of an embarrassment. Top class training facilities give us a competitive advantage in attracting new members. Enquiries often come from local residents who watched the transformation and who then have the opportunity to join our community Learn to Row programme." 

Clydesdale Rowing Club member