University Union, 14-42 University Avenue, Glasgow

The University Union, located at 14-42 University Avenue in Glasgow, is a three-storey building with a basement, designed by Alan McNaughton of Arthur & McNaughton between 1929 and 1931. This 13-bay Free Baronial students' union building features a symmetrical arrangement with drum towers on either side of the entrance bay and a corbelled balcony at the second floor. The exterior is constructed of ashlar stone, with bull-faced stone at the basement, and stugged walling accented by polished ashlar margins and quoins.

The two-storey drum towers flank an advanced central bay that has a crowstep gable and a tall arched window with mullions and transoms, some of which contain stained glass, extending through the first and second floors. A polished ashlar balcony, which has been cleaned, connects the towers above the ground floor. Below this balcony, there is a wide flight of steps leading to a recessed doorway that features slit windows and a roll-moulded architrave. The windows are either transomed or mullioned, adorned with strapwork pediments at the towers. Small angle turrets are corbelled out at the first-floor level, and a string course runs above the basement. The second-floor balcony, also corbelled, features a solid parapet and extends from the drum towers to the angle turrets. The west elevation has a two-bay design with canted projecting bays that are corbelled over the ground floor, featuring small rectangular windows.

The building has small-pane leaded lights and metal pivot windows, both vertical and horizontal. The roofs are M-shaped, covered with slate and featuring crowstep gables with scroll skewstones, along with tall axial chimney stacks.

Inside, as observed in 2010, there are numerous original details including decorative timber fireplaces, panelled walls, parquet flooring, decorative plaster cornices, and wrought-iron balusters. The interior features an imperial staircase, a pilastered first-floor stair hall, a columned dining room, and shallow vaulted roofs in the Billiard Hall and galleried Debating Chamber.

The boundary walls consist of a low stugged ashlar wall that steps down the slope to the basement. The entrance steps are flanked by a parapet and piers that support a pair of decorative wrought-iron lamp standards.