Glasgow: Host, Turner Prize 2015 / Host, Commonwealth Games 2014 / Host, MTV Europe Music Awards 2014 / UNESCO City of Music / Friendliest City in the World, Rough Guides 2014 / Top 20 Best in the World Destinations, National Geographic Traveller 2016 / One of the safest cities in Europe, Mercer 2016
Scotland's largest city - 20% of Scotland's population live in and around the city - and one of Europe's most vibrant and cosmopolitan - Glasgow is an important creative and artistic hub with a wealth of cultural heritage to explore and inspire. A 'walkable' city, easy to navigate and famous for its friendly, hospitable people, Glasgow is rich in Victorian architecture and was home to Scotland's best known architect, Charles Rennie Mackintosh, architect of the GSA's world famous Mackintosh Building, voted Britain's Best Building in 2009.
The GSA's campuses are located in the heart of the city - home to one of the best metropolitan art galleries and museum collections in the UK and many of the national performing arts companies, including the Royal Scottish National Orchestra, Scottish Opera, Scottish Ballet, the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra and The National Theatre of Scotland.
Add to this the numerous cultural venues - the Glasgow Film Theatre, the Centre for Contemporary Arts, the Tron, the Arches, Tramway, Transmission, Street Level, The Lighthouse Centre for Architecture and Design and Glasgow Science Centre - and it's easy to see why Glasgow was voted the UK's coolest city and the best base for students and twenty-somethings by the Big Issue Magazine.
Art Glasgow
GSA alumni consistently rank highly on major art prize listings - such as our recent Turner Prize nominees Karla Black and Martin Boyce. These talents were inspired and fed by the world around them - Glasgow boasts myriad art installations and shows every night of the year in spaces such as Transmission, The Tramway, The Briggait, and festivals such as Glasgow international alongside its more famous free-access galleries like the Burrell Collection, Hunterian, Gallery of Modern Art or Kelvingrove Galleries. What is more there are also an abundance of studio spaces including WASPS, 103 Trongate and the Glasgow Sculpture Studios.
Design Glasgow
GSA has produced some of the best designers from products and interiors to fashion and beyond and the city's boutiques and shops reflect this interest in contemporary style. International successes such as Timorous Beasties - one of Britain's leading and exclusive
interior-design brands - and Jonathan Saunders have helped place Glasgow firmly on the international style map. The city is also host to an array of award-winning design, product and industrial design agencies and workshops. In a 2008 poll to mark London Fashion Week,
Glasgow was voted one of the most fashionable cities in Britain singling out the city's artistic energy and vibrant retail scene as driving its image.
Architectural Glasgow
The Glasgow School of Art's 'Mac' building is an enduring architectural icon in itself, and its creation paid homage to the city's love of art and its dedication to nurturing artistic talents. The city's architecture ranges from grand Victorian buildings to gleaming futuristic structures. From Mackintosh's legacy to Alexander 'Greek' Thompson's neo-classical works to the new works changing the skyline at the Clyde waterfront such as Zaha Hadid's breathtaking new Museum of Transport, Glasgow is also home to some of the UK's most influential architect practices, including those founded and staffed by GSA graduates - from Gareth Hoskins Architects to NORD Architects.
Digital Glasgow
Glasgow's Digital Media Quarter at Pacific Quay is the hub for Scotland's digital media industry. It is home to BBC Scotland - which features the most advanced broadcasting centre in Europe, Scottish Television, Glasgow Science Centre, Galaxy Scotland, Film City Glasgow - a filming studio and state of the art post-production facility, Shed Media, Brand Street Digital Media Centre and the GSA's own Digital Design Studio.
Visit the GSA's map of the city on google maps here
