Soho House: Glasgow confirmed as location for first Scottish private members' club

Speculation has mounted about where in Scotland Soho House will open their first venue - with Edinburgh and Glasgow the main contenders. But now Glasgow has been named as the first Scottish location for the brand.
By Rosalind Erskine
Published 3rd Aug 2023, 13:08 GMT
Updated 16th Aug 2023, 11:15 GMT

Soho House was launched in 1995 as a private members’ club for actors and artists, but has since grown to include 27 houses in ten countries. Over the past few months, influencers from across Scotland have been attending events under the Cities Without Houses banner, in Glasgow and Edinburgh leading to questions over where the first Scottish Soho House will be based.

What is Cities Without Houses?

As the name suggests, this is a creative community membership that allows access to all Soho House locations when travelling, despite not having a house in the city you live.

A mock up of how Soho House Glasgow will look.A mock up of how Soho House Glasgow will look.
A mock up of how Soho House Glasgow will look.
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Soho House says of this: "Cities Without Houses is a unique membership helping to make the Soho House community truly global and diverse, enabling creatives from all over the world to make meaningful connections with each other; even in cities where we don’t have Houses."

Many cities that don't have a Soho House end up with one, such as Austin, Rome, Nashville, Paris, Tel Aviv, Copenhagen and Stockholm. These have been preceded by Cities Without Houses where these has been a local creative community with CWH membership.

Where will the first Scottish Soho House be located?

Late last year, our sister site GlasgowWorld revealed that plans had been submitted to Glasgow City Council planning for a Soho House in the city centre.

The complex includes 266 George Street.The complex includes 266 George Street.
The complex includes 266 George Street.

The planning application shows that the new Soho House will be based in the George Street Complex (which was once home to a range of Glasgow City Council planning buildings including the Inland Revenue building, the Parish Halls and an 80-year-old gap site and assorted small storage buildings) opposite the Glasgow City Chambers in the city centre, in the 4&5 Love Loan building - near the junction of George Street and John Street. The area is having something of a revamp as there will soon be a new 4 star Marriot Hotel opening on George Street, which is part of the development.

The application explains what will be on each level of the building, with Soho Lounge, Winter Garden and Collector’s Hall Bar on the ground level, the Soho Kitchen restaurant on the second floor, the club and supporting accommodation on the third floor, and the Soho Terrace and rooftop bar on the fourth level.

Planning has been granted, and Glasgow has been announced as the location for the new Soho House – it is expected to open in 2024.

Some may see this move as giving Glasgow an edge over Edinburgh when it comes to the creative industries, coupled with the Kelvin Hall studios and the sheer number of films using the city as a location in recent years.

Plans for Glasgow Soho House show what it'll look like from street level.Plans for Glasgow Soho House show what it'll look like from street level.
Plans for Glasgow Soho House show what it'll look like from street level.

Soho House & Co CEO Andrew Carnie said: “From its renowned School of Art to its rich architectural heritage and the city’s lively music scene, Glasgow has a creative energy which makes it an exciting choice for our first Scottish location. Over the last year, we’ve been building a diverse and creative community of members in Glasgow with Cities Without Houses and can now confirm that we’re bringing a Soho House to the city. We couldn’t be more humbled by the warm reaction we’ve received so far.”

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Glasgow-based creatives who are interested in joining Soho House’s existing community in the city can apply for Cities Without Houses membership – giving access to local events hosted by Soho House as well as entry to Soho House locations globally when they travel.

Related topics:GlasgowEdinburgh