Alumnus Ian Manson (MPhil 1983), Chief Executive of Clyde Gateway urban regeneration company which focuses on social, economic and physical transformation of an area in the East End of Glasgow, discusses their success in the restoration and re-purposing of The Olympia building at Bridgeton Cross. 

Originally opened in 1911 as a music hall, The Olympia Theatre of Varieties, the building was then converted into a much-loved cinema before closing its doors for the last time in 1974. The building then remained empty for over 10 years before other occupants moved in between 1987 and its final close in 2000. After this time, the building faced considerable dereliction, including a fire in 2004. 

Now, the building is cited as one of Glasgow's "finest examples of historical conservation and regeneration", and is home to the University of Glasgow's Olympia Social Research Hub alongside Boxing Scotland’s national high-performance centre and Bridgeton Library. It is here that researchers from UofG's College of Social Sciences and Glasgow Centre for Population Health are investigating ways to tackle inequalities within our society. The Hub is also home to the UK Collaborative Centre for Housing Evidence, an ESRC-funded consortium of eight institutions led by the University's Professor Ken Gibb. 

In discussion with the Alumni Team, Ian has expressed his feelings of accomplishment from this project, stating "Helping to make the connections and assist the University establish a permanent base within the East End of the city, near to its original site on High Street, has been an extremely gratifying experience given that I was a student at Glasgow.

The University’s presence has helped Clyde Gateway to attract many other organisations, amongst them the Glasgow Women’s Library and the Scottish Trades Union Congress headquarters, and it continues to play a key role in the transformation of the area and what we term the Bridgton Civic Hub." 

You can access more information about The Olympia building here, and find out more information about our Olympia Social Research Hub here. 

First published: 21 March 2023

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