Five of Glasgow’s iconic tower block will be blown up as part of the opening ceremony for the Commonwealth Games on 23 July.
The 1960s-built brutalist/modernist buildings in the Red Road estate have been a defining factor of the city’s skyline and been the inspiration behind a number of films and books.
The destruction of the buildings will demonstrate a city moving forwards and be shown on a 30m high and 100m wide screen within the Celtic Park stadium to launch the games.
Eileen Gallagher, Independent Director on the Glasgow 2014 Board and Chair of the Ceremonies, Culture and Queen’s Baton Relay Committee said:
“By sharing the final moments of the Red Road flats with the world as part of the Opening Ceremony of the Commonwealth Games, Glasgow is proving it is a city that is proud of its history but doesn’t stand still. A city that is constantly regenerating, renewing and re-inventing itself.
Glasgow’s story is always one of its people; their tenacity, their genuine warmth, their ambitions. Marking the end of Red Road is very much a celebration of all of those things.”
There were originally eight towers in the estate, which have been gradually demolished over the last two years, with only one remaining after the explosive opening ceremony.
