CineWorld Glasgow: Tallest in the World

Glaswegians adore going to the movies. No matter what day, or what evening showing, the line is always long and the concessions are always packed. Come to think of it, much the same could be said for the Glaswegian urge for entertainment in general, as the pubs and restaurants are usually brimming with folks laughing and toasting their happy good fortune. It’s fitting then, that a city intent on the ultimate entertainment adrenaline rush, would be the site of the world’s tallest cinema building.

Formerly UGC Cinemas, now CineWorld following the merger of the parent companies, this beacon of a building sits squarely in the main shopping district at the corner of Renfield St. and Renfrew St. Rising an impressive 203 ft into the otherwise generally flat Glasgow skyline, the CineWorld building has the dual distinction of World’s Tallest (recognized by the Guinness Book of World Records), and Britain’s busiest, having drawn over 1.8 million moviegoers in 2003 alone.

When I lived in Scotland’s largest city, a good number of my spare student-budget pounds were spent on seeing movies at the UGC. The experience is just impressive. The view from the top floor (didn’t have a chance to get up there this time) is one of the easiest ways to get a good look at ‘Glesga’. I’ve never had to take four sets of escalators just to get up to my theatre nor had the option to recline in the licensed bar until my show started. Think of a typical North American cinema: broad, rather than tall, now stack the theatres one on top of another in a neatly designed tower, and you have the UGC. With reasonable ticket prices (3.90 with student discount) and a grand total of 19 screens, it was always a sure bet to entertain. Not to mention the fact that the concessions were like walking into the sweet shop of your dreams. You could make yourself a grab bag of “penny” candy, scooped out of big bins and sold by weight, munched on chips or ice cream or Haagen-Daz, or stuck to the traditional popcorn. A sugar addict’s dream.

Here’s what it looks like from the outside:

For more on Glasgow’s love affair with the silver screen, check out this helpful article from the Glaswegian Tourism Board.

Other Glasgow world records? World’s Largest Haggis, weighing in at a mind-boggling 668 pounds, 7 ounces. Consisting of 80 ox stomachs, this meaty behemoth was created by the Troon Round Table, Burns Country Foods, and a team of chefs at the Hilton Hotel in Glasgow, Scotland, UK, on May 24, 1993. Ew.