Behind the Design — Glasgow

Tour two futuristic buildings that epitomize Glasgow’s urban renewal with an architectural historian that will elaborate on their unusual designs and construction challenges. The zig-zagging, zinc-clad roof of the Riverside Museum resembles waves, which symbolize the city’s dynamic relationship with shipbuilding and the River Clyde. That innovative, z-shaped roof design enables the interior to be free of intrusive columns that would visually separate the transportation exhibits. Construction was no easy task, as the guide will explain in detail. The Glasgow Science Museum is another marvel of engineering on the River Clyde, especially its airfoil-shaped tower, which is the world’s only building capable of rotating 360°. You will discover how it was designed with shock absorbers and huge concentric bearings at the base and how the engineers overcame the unforeseen issues that arose after the tower’s construction. While browsing this remarkable building, the highly knowledgeable guide will describe how the site on reclaimed ground complicated the construction.

• Dress in weather-appropriate clothing.
• Wear flat comfortable walking shoes.