Garnethill Synagogue, 129 Hill Street, Glasgow

Garnethill Synagogue, 129 Hill Street, Glasgow

A purpose-built synagogue designed by John McLeod in association with N.S. Joseph, built between 1877 and 1879. The building is L-plan in form, comprising two storeys over a basement, constructed on a sloping site. It combines Moorish, Classical and Romanesque architectural styles with a richly detailed interior.

The exterior is built predominantly in tooled squared snecked rubble, with polished ashlar applied to the projecting entrance bay on the north elevation. An eaves cornice runs along the top of the building. The fenestration is predominantly regular with chamfered margins. On the north and south elevations, windows are bipartite with stone mullions. On the first floor, paired round-headed windows feature dividing colonnettes, cill courses and continuous hoodmoulds.

The north (entrance) elevation is six bays wide with a projecting bay to the far right. The first four bays from the left contain basement school accommodation. The advanced bay is accessed via steps leading to two-leaf timber-panelled doors set within an opening with a bracketed lintel. Above the doors is a Hebrew inscription and a rose window flanked by richly carved spandrels. An overarching giant compound arch with nook shafts topped by stylised Ionic capitals rises above these features, surmounted by decorative grotesque panels and patterned and roll moulded archivaults. Two carved roundels sit above the arch, with a corbelled blind parapet decorated with cusped ornament below a recessed Star of David panel. An ornately corniced gable end with an apex acroterion crowns this elevation. Flanking the arch are pilasters rising to colonnetted and niched finials capped with pedimented, domed tops. A two-bay section adjoins the east flank of the advanced bay.

The east elevation features a canted apse at its centre with a glazed domed roof, flanked by roundels. To the basement are a window to the left of the apse and a timber door and window serving the apse itself. To the right stands a single-storey sukkah built in 1903, with a monopitch corrugated metal roof.

The south elevation is six bays wide. The far left bay contains a tripartite window on the first floor with cills that break down to ground floor level.

The west elevation is seven bays wide and plain, with irregular fenestration. Paired round-headed windows appear on the first floor in the first, second and fifth bays from the left.

Throughout the ground and first floors, windows contain predominantly stained glass in timber frames. The basement retains predominantly six-pane timber sash and case windows. The building is roofed with pitched slates graded in size, with stone skews. An octagonal lead and timber louvred ventilator crowns the ridge. Corniced chimney stacks rise from the east gable head, the south wallhead, two on the north wallhead, and one on the ridge of the advanced bay on the north elevation. Cast iron rainwater goods serve the building throughout.

To the north, square-plan stop-chamfered gatepiers with carved roundels and semi-pyramidal caps support cast-iron lamp standards. Ornate wrought iron gates and railings are set upon an ashlar dwarf wall. The remainder of the boundary comprises a mixture of brick and snecked rubble walling with predominantly flat copes.

The interior begins with an entrance hall and inner hall paved with geometric and encaustic tiles. The lower walls are lined with lozenge-patterned timber panelling to dado height, while marble memorial tablets adorn the upper walls. Good plasterwork includes a cornice and an ornate strapwork ceiling patterned with a Star of David in the inner hall. Between the entrance hall and inner hall, two-leaf carved timber and glazed doors are set within an opening framed by columns with an ornate surround and cusped fanlight. A double-return staircase with timber balusters and newels topped by brass lamp poles ascends, with a large stained glass window above the half-landing. The room above the entrance hall, originally the Vestry, retains good plasterwork and stained glass windows, some of which have been partly replaced.

The prayer hall features good ornate plasterwork and good stained glass memorial windows throughout. Carved timber pews occupy the main space, with predominantly original light fittings including the Ner Tamid (everlasting light) suspended above the Holy Ark. The eastern end is apsidal with a glazed cupola above. The ornate Holy Ark (Aron Kodesh) is set within the apse, approached via marble steps of various coloured marbles with a pulpit in front. The walls flanking the apse are decorated with stencilled ornament. At the centre of the hall stands a carved oak bimah (raised platform) with a reader's desk. A U-plan ladies gallery, fronted by ornate bellied cast-iron railings and supported by stylised Ionic columns, runs along the sides and rear. At the west end of the gallery, ornate cast-iron railings enclose a choir gallery with a segmental window above. The gallery is arcaded with hexagonal columns bearing stiff leaf capitals and supporting round-headed arches. The ceiling is barrel-vaulted and compartmented.