Savings Bank Of Glasgow, 752 Argyle Street, Glasgow

The Savings Bank of Glasgow, located at 752 Argyle Street in Glasgow, was designed by James Salmon, junior and J Gaff Gillespie (Salmon, Son and Gillespie) and built between 1899 and 1900. This building features a striking Art Nouveau style and consists of four storeys and an attic, with the original bank occupying the ground floor. It has a prominent corner position and is characterized by three main bays across the front and five bays deep.

The Argyle Street elevation showcases a recessed entrance flanked by pilasters with sculpted, stylized capitals that support an arch with a recessed coved tympanum adorned with mosaic work. Wrought-iron gates enhance the entrance. The first bay from the west features a tripartite bowed section with intricate sculpted details. The central bays on the first and second floors have vertically linked windows, a pierced balcony, and sculpted decorations, while the third floor features two lights on a cill band. The eaves cornice is complemented by a small dormer.

On the ground floor, a dentil cornice with giant corbels supports a balcony above the entrance. The canted corner bay is corbelled out over the ground floor and features carved panels on its outer faces, rising to an octagonal shape above the eaves. Fluted architraves adorn the first and second floors, with sculpted figures at the first floor and a pediment over the second floor window. Slim, engaged columns and a sculpted panel displaying the date are also present, along with a facetted dome that is broken by gablets on alternate faces, topped with a weather vane. The upper floor windows are primarily sash and case, with multi-pane glazing in the upper sash.

The elevation facing Shaftesbury Street features three large arched windows with glazing bars on the ground floor, along with two entrances in the northern bays that have shaped pediments. The first bay from the south includes small loophole lights on each floor. The central bays are supported by four stylized pilasters beneath the eaves cornice, with the first-floor windows featuring either segmental or triangular pediments. A sculpted blind balcony on corbels is located at the central bay of the first floor.

Inside the bank, the interior boasts a geometric marble-tiled floor and a compartmented ceiling. A large Art Nouveau chimneypiece is highlighted by marble-shafted columns and sculpted figures above, accompanied by an incised frieze featuring figures. A curved timber mantel clock marked "SB 1906" adds to the decorative elements of the space.