Fairfield Offices

Fairfield Offices
Fairfield Offices Main Entrance

Fairfield on Map
Location of Fairfield on Map in Glasgow council area
Location	Govan, Glasgow, Scotland
Coordinates	55°51′51.04″N 4°19′13.34″W / 55.8641778°N 4.3203722°W / 55.8641778; -4.3203722Coordinates: 55°51′51.04″N 4°19′13.34″W / 55.8641778°N 4.3203722°W / 55.8641778; -4.3203722
OS grid reference	NS5488565879

The Fairfield Offices Heritage Centre is situated at 1046–1048 Govan Road, Glasgow, Scotland. Built as the offices of Fairfield Shipbuilding and Engineering Co Ltd between 1889-1891 the building was used as the principal offices for successive owners of the adjacent shipyard until 2001 when it was vacated by BAE Systems Marine. After deteriorating unused for 8 years it was bought by social enterprise charity Govan Workspace in 2009. Following a restoration costing over £4 m it will be re-occupied as a heritage centre and commercial offices in 2012.

The Fairfield Heritage Centre will include the former boardroom, management offices and directors dining room as well as the main entrance and lobby. The 18,000 sq. m of modern office suites will be in the former drawing offices on the first floor and the former counting house on the ground floor.

The heritage area, which will be free to visit, will tell the story of nearly 150 years… and counting.. of shipbuilding at the yard using artefacts, graphic panels, interactive media and audio-visual presentations. Exhibits and information will address technical innovation, the period of building ships to contest the blue riband for fastest Atlantic crossing, the two world wars, the 1960s 'Fairfield Experiment' in management/labour relations and the Upper Clyde Shipbuilders era. In 2006, BAE launched the 750th vessel to be built at Fairfield. The yard was built on the former Fairfield farm between 1864 - 1871.

It is situated on Govan Road, Glasgow, opposite Elder Park, 200 metres west of the Pearce Institute and 300 metres west of Govan subway and bus interchange.

At the time it was built the yard was one of the leading shipbuilding yards on the River Clyde and this was reflected in a prominent exhibition stand in the Main Hall at the first Glasgow Exhibition in 1888. Amongst the early special events held in the offices were the launch parties for the Cunard liners Campania and Lucania in 1892 and 1893.

It was designed by Honeyman and Keppie, an architectural practice which was then at 140 Bath Street, Glasgow and which survives as Keppie Design and is now headquartered in 160 West Regent Street, Glasgow in the former John Ross Memorial Church.John Keppie is thought to have been the lead designer of the building.Charles Rennie Mackintosh was a junior member of staff at the firm from 1888 and is thought to have worked on the project.