A chainmail shell dropped on the Clyde—Foster’s Armadillo is pure event-architecture muscle memory.
Auditorium located in Glasgow, Scotland, UK.
Featured in Foster + Partners's definitive monograph, Norman Foster: A Life in Architecture.
Visitor Guide
Walk around it: the building is about profile changes and scale shift, not any single façade.
From the riverfront path, sunset for silhouette; from the pedestrian bridge angles, morning for crisp rib shadows.
Interiors open only for events. Outside is always viewable and worth a lap.
Those repeating ribs are a compromise between sculptural icon and economical fabrication—‘parametric’ vibe achieved with serial repetition.
30–60 minutes (unless attending)
Design & Structure
Form generated as a segmented shell: rationally repeated frames with cladding panels, coordinated for acoustics and crowd movement rather than bespoke one-off geometry.
Metal cladding over steel ribs: the skin reads as armor, and it’s not far off—durable, modular, and repairable.
A ribbed long-span shell creates a big column-free event space while keeping structural depth and fabrication complexity under control.
See Together
Buildings that pair well with SEC Armadillo — they're nearby or share a compelling architectural conversation.
More by Foster + Partners
View all →
University of Turin
University of Toronto
Copenhagen Zoo
Lürssen
Leslie Dan Faculty of Pharmacy
Stanford University
Nearby in Glasgow City
Frequently Asked Questions
Who designed SEC Armadillo?+
SEC Armadillo was designed by Foster + Partners and completed in 1997. It is located in Glasgow City, United Kingdom.
Where is SEC Armadillo located?+
SEC Armadillo is located in Glasgow City, United Kingdom. Its coordinates are 55.8595°, -4.2880°.
When was SEC Armadillo built?+
SEC Armadillo was completed in 1997. It was designed by Foster + Partners.
Can I visit SEC Armadillo?+
SEC Armadillo is a real building in Glasgow City that can be viewed from the outside. Check local information for interior access and visiting hours. Use the Parametric Atlas walking tour feature to plan a route that includes this building.