Presbytery, St Teresa's R C Church, Saracen Street, Glasgow

St Teresa's Roman Catholic Church and Presbytery, Saracen Street, Glasgow

St Teresa's Roman Catholic Church was designed by Alexander McAnally and built between 1956 and 1960. It is a Romanesque church with a near T-plan and a square-plan tower to the north-west. The structure employs a steel frame with concrete casing, finished in red brick with cream dressings. Shallow buttresses divide the nave windows, and round-arched window openings are a consistent architectural feature throughout.

The north elevation contains the main entrance, marked by a three-stage tower with a helm roof to the outer right. The tower has a single opening at the first stage, single openings at the second stage flanking a dressing that rises to a round-arched louvred third stage. Single openings flank a gabled hoodmould, with an eaves course below the helm roof and a cross finial at the apex. To the left of the tower is a gabled entrance with three pairs of two-leaf timber doors set within an advanced gabled entrance. Reliefs of St Mungo and St Andrew appear within the gable, linked by a diamond frieze. A cross marks the gable apex. Above the entrance doors is a three-light round-arched window with a cross finial at its gable apex. Small single windows flank the entrance doors, and a further small single window and timber door are positioned to the outer left.

The south elevation features a strip window to the sacristy at the outer right (originally the boys' sacristy), a bowed leaded window to the priest's sacristy, single square windows to the transepts, and a five-light strip window to the chancel. Single windows of lower height flank the chancel, with a cross marking a projecting gable. Single windows occupy the re-entrant angles.

The east elevation displays an eleven-bay arrangement, grouped 3-7-1. An advanced single-storey sacristy occupies the outer left with two single windows and a strip corridor window serving a single-storey section in the penultimate bay. A timber door leads into a re-entrant angle, with a three-light window above set within a gable. A five-light strip window serves the chancel, above which is a single arched window to a lower flat-roofed section with an abbreviated pair of nave windows above. Seven pairs of nave windows dominate the central section, divided by a deep buttress, with a single window to the outer right. An advanced confessionals section to the left has three pairs of windows, while advanced function rooms to the right have four pairs of windows, accessed by steps leading to a timber door in a re-entrant angle to the left. A recessed single window occupies the outer right. Three single windows light a central recessed section.

The west elevation comprises ten bays, grouped 1-1-5-3. The three-stage tower occupies the outer left, approached by steps leading to an advanced gabled doorpiece at the first stage. A two-leaf timber door enters here, with a leaded rectangular light at the second stage. A statue of St Teresa appears at the third stage, flanked by single openings that rise to a gabled hoodmould. An eaves course runs below the helm roof. A seven-light bowed chapel bay projects to the left with an abbreviated paired nave window above. Five square openings serve lean-to aisles at ground level, with five pairs of nave windows aligned above. Three single windows light a canted mortuary bay, with a pair of nave windows above. A single window at ground level to the right aligns with a pair of nave windows above. Steps lead to an advanced gabled entrance porch at the outer right, embellished with barley-sugar arcaded railings. A two-leaf timber door opens here, with a three-light square strip opening to the right. A three-light window above this entrance sits within a gable, and a five-light strip window serves the chancel.

The church features leaded and stained glass windows throughout. The roof is grey slate, hipped to the chancel, with an aluminium helm roof to the north-west tower.

The interior contains arched braces that rise from strip pilasters dividing the nave windows, with iron lanterns positioned at each pilaster. Geometric detailing enriches the ceiling. Oak pews and a tiled floor complete the nave. A timber organ gallery spans the entrance porch, decorated with figures carved by H A Heinzeller of Oberammergau. An iron-worked screen and marble font occupy the bowed chapel bay. Marble work by Mortimer, Willison & Graham includes the pulpit and altar table, flanked by elaborate timber-panelled arched canopies over a figure of Christ on the cross with flanking round arches. Timber elders' chairs are positioned near the chancel. Iron screens separate the flanking side chapels, and a mortuary chapel lies to the west. Stations of the cross depictions appear beneath the nave windows. Stained glass is by Guthrie & Wells, and metalwork is by Thomas Bogie & Sons.

A reworking of the rear of the nave was undertaken by Page and Park in 1995, creating a stepped sequence of glazed timber barrel-vaulted function rooms. The Stations of the Cross have been incorporated into this reworking.

The site is enclosed by brick gateways to the north and south of the west section. Kneelers at the base of the gable rise from coped square-plan pillars, with crosses at the apex to the north and 'Saint Teresa's' inscribed within the arch. A coped low brick wall runs to the west, surmounted by railings with crosses within arches delineating sections. A coped brick, render and rubble wall borders the north elevation. Railings enclose the east and south elevations. Railed steps and coped piers lead to the presbytery.

The presbytery was designed by Alexander McAnally and built between 1934 and 1935. It is a two-storey, four-bay structure with a near U-plan. The construction employs horizontal brick stretchers, with cream dressings at the base course, main doorpiece, and first-floor cill course. An eaves course, window mullions, and a cornice complete the external detailing. Vertical stretchers to the ground-floor windows at cill and lintel height create band courses, with an additional dressing course breaking at the first-floor cill course. A blocking course crowns the structure.

The south elevation is the entrance front. Three bays to the right are slightly advanced at ground level. Steps approach a shallow square-headed keystoned entrance to the penultimate bay to the right. The letters 'S' and 'T' flank a cross within the keystone above a recessed glazed timber door with sidelights. A two-light window sits aligned above at first-floor level, with flanking single windows at both ground and first floors. The wall breaks the eaves line to the outer left, with a central blind opening at ground level that rises to form a wallhead stack.

The west elevation features canted three-light bay windows to the outer bays at both ground and first floors. Three-light windows serve the central recessed bays at both levels.

The north elevation contains two-light windows to the outer left and penultimate bay to the right at both floors. Single windows occupy the remaining bays at both levels. The wall breaks the eaves line to the outer right, forming a square projection with a wallhead stack rising from the centre.

The east elevation displays a six-bay arrangement, grouped 1-4-1. An advanced central canted entrance in the penultimate bay to the right sits within a recessed four-bay section. A glazed timber door provides access, with small flanking windows at ground level to the canted section and a stair window above at first-floor level. Two single windows flank at ground level with single windows aligned above at first floor. Single windows at both levels occupy an advanced corner bay to the outer left. The left re-entrant angle is blind, while a four-bay section to the right contains a re-entrant angle with a glazed timber door and a letterbox fanlight to the penultimate bay to the left, above which sits a single window at first-floor level. Flanking single windows appear at both ground and first floors. A single window at ground level and a two-light window at first floor light an advanced bay to the outer right. Two-light windows at both levels illuminate a bay to the outer left, with a boarded square opening at ground level and a stained glass window at first floor to a bay to the outer right.

The presbytery windows are four and five-pane timber sash and case windows, with some interior glazing. Textured, leaded glazing serves bathrooms and stair windows. The roof is grey slate with rooflights. Wallhead, ridge and pitch coped stacks and circular cans complete the roofscape.

The interior contains timber fireplaces, panelling and fittings to the rooms. A glazed timber stair ascends through the building. Original Art Deco tiling decorates the first-floor bathrooms.

A square-plan pillar to the south of the presbytery bears the letters 'S' and 'T' inscribed within a roundel. A garage stands to the east of the presbytery.