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Our city is blessed with wonderful architecture and buildings which have graced Glasgow for hundreds of years.

The likes of Kelvingrove Museum, Mitchell Library and Glasgow Central station immediately spring to mind.

But there's two unmistakable structures by the Clyde many of us pass on a daily basis - yet not everyone will know the history behind them and the secret Harbour Tunnel which runs under the river.

Looking down on Glasgow from a birds-eye view, the two identical domed rotundas on each bank of the Clyde are predominant features of the city, however, they weren't just built as recognisable structures.

Whilst visiting the SECC or SSE Hydro, you may have stumbled across the north rotunda building which is now a popular restaurant amongst gig-goers in the area. It also sits in the shadow of the Finnieston Crane. Across the Clyde Arc AKA the Squinty Bridge, you may have noticed an identically shaped structure tucked away next to the STV Studios.

In the late 18th century, however, the north and south rotundas in fact marked the entrances to the Harbour Tunnel, linking from Tunnel Street in Finnieston under the river to Mavisbank Quay in Govan.

(Image: CSG CIC Glasgow Museums and Libraries Collection)

The tunnel was built in the late 18th century by the Glasgow Harbour Tunnel Co. and opened for business on 15 July 1895, giving access to horse-drawn vehicles and pedestrians.

New York company Otis supplied six hydraulically powered lift cages in both rotundas, which took wheeled traffic down to the tunnels.

Pedestrians were taken down to the tunnel by a long flight of eerie, dimly lit stairs - we're not sure if we would be keen to take the trip down there ...

The tunnel flopped financially and closed in 1907 until 1913, when the Corporation reopened them as a free service to pedestrains. However, four years later the pedestrian tunnel was closed due to lack to use. Understandably, it was also a frightening place to be, with poor lighting and water spilling through the iron sides of the pipes.

Fast forward to 1986 when Bell's Bridge was built across the river, the fate of the Harbour Tunnel was sealed, with the vehicle shafts closed and shafts filled in. The pedestrian tunnel was kept open as access to water mains and remains as that today.

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As for the rotundas, The Garden Festival in 1988 injected some life into the structures and the north building was given a facelift. The south building was turned into a cafeteria by well-known ice cream maker Nardini.

The 1990s saw the transformation of the south rotunda into a Dome of Discovery as part of the Glasgow City of Culture celebrations, whereas the north building was converted into restaurant and casino.