Built in 1778 as the townhouse of William Cunninghame of Lainshaw, a wealthy Glasgow tobacco lord, this building has undergone a series of different uses but now forms the Gallery of Modern Art (GoMA). This is said to be Scotland's most-visited modern art gallery. It was bought in 1817 by the Royal Bank of Scotland who later moved onto Buchanan Street and then became the Royal Exchange. Reconstruction for this use was undertaken by David Hamilton between 1827 and 1832 and resulted in many additions to the building, namely the Corinthian pillars to the Queen Street facade, the cupola above and the large hall to the rear of the old house.
In 1954, Glasgow District Libraries moved Stirling's Library into the building. This had been founded in 1791 as a free library funded by a bequest from Walter Stirling, a Glasgow merchant. Stirling's Library is now located in the basement and is known as the Library at GoMA.
