Ca' D'Oro Glasgow

19th-century building

Caterina from Glasgow

"The "Ca' D'oro" is a really cool piece of 19th-century architecture. It was designed by the Glaswegian architect John Honeyman. Notice the reflections..."

The Ca' D'oro is a really cool piece of 19th-century architecture. It was designed by the Glaswegian architect John Honeyman.

The building is located in the heart of the city centre and it was only during a walk with my flatmate, the one who took this picture, that I noticed the cool reflections on its windows. He's an architecture student and shared a fun fact with me: there's a secret behind the reflections on the glass windows which look a lot like reflections on water and oil. Apparently, there was a mistake in their installation during the renovation works. This little mistake contributes to some distorted reflections of the opposing building of the Gordon St side. The reflections look like distorting mirrors but keep it quiet - it's an architect's secret!

There are some theories behind the name: some think it comes from the Palazzo Santa Sofia palace (Ca' D'Oro building) in Venice and others think it comes from a restaurant, the Ca d'Oro, placed on the extension on top of its original structure. This was later converted into a ballroom which was destroyed by a fire in 1987.

It's crazy to think that the original iron cast frame structure survived and it's now home to shops and offices!

Art & culture

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Glasgow Spotter Caterina

About me" My name is Caterina but most people call me Cat. I was born in Sicily, Italy and I got to live and travel all around Itlay since I was 9 months old! After high school, I moved to Glasgow where I have been living permanently since 2014. Here I have completed my master's in Product Design Engineering and I've had the chance to connect with locals and people from all over the world. I am a food lover and I enjoy the outdoors. I love going on hikes and spontaneous trips around Scotland which in most cases end up in hitchhiking to find shelter from the rain! ...

About this spot

45 Gordon Street

no-price

Nov 8, 2025

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