A polystyrene Mexican statue on a concrete ziggurat, and an Inca-style carving atop a painted brick wall, transform the little back garden of Zandra Rhode's townhouse into a mythic retreat.

"Babylonian and Egyptian Antiquities." Encyclopédie, ou Dictionnaire Raisonné des Sciences, des Arts et des Métiers. 1776.

Sumerians: Inventors of Civilization

The Sumerians were responsible for many of the most important innovations, inventions, and concepts taken for granted in the present day. Their innovations and inventions include the first cities, writing, schools, the earliest version of the tale of the Great Flood and other biblical narratives, the oldest heroic epic, governmental bureaucracy, monumental architecture, and irrigation techniques. They were the first to conceive of so many "firsts" that they can rightly be called the "Inventors of Civilization."

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Originally built as the HQ of Britoil (later BP) in the early 1980's, and subsequently acquired by Abbey National (later Santander) in 1993, this was once the largest single-occupant building in the UK.

Though not modernist, this is the kind of modern building I enjoy. The darkened glass and brown detailing give it dramatic mood, it fits excellently into the uneven site, and the integrated nature softens it.

A planning application (filled with historical information and imagery, which I am thankful for) was filed in March/April 2024, but when I visited in October 2025, it didn't appear that any work had taken place. The application is for a full internal refurbishment as well as a new façade with a curtain system providing improved energy performance. If I knew the external appearance was at risk, I'd have taken better pictures, but hey — it might still look the same by the time I return to Glasgow.