[1] The 1960s saw great change in Glasgow, following on from the Bruce Report with initiatives well under way to depopulate the overcrowded centre, removing slum housing and the construction of a new system of high speed roads around the central area.

The districts of Charing Cross and Anderston lay in the path of the Glasgow Inner Ring Road (now part of the M8) and consequently huge swathes of buildings were demolished to make way for its construction.

The YARD subsidiary remained the tenant until 1992 when the merger of CAP Scientific with British Aerospace to form BAeSEMA resulted in consolidation of its activities in the city and it moved to a new office building at 1 Atlantic Quay on the Broomielaw.

The building was also constructed in tandem with a replacement railway station on the subterranean section of the North Clyde Line which runs to the south of the site.

The precast concrete elements were derived from those used in Seifert's other commission for the area - the Anderston Centre a few hundred meters to the south, and were also used in a slightly different form in the Sheraton Park Tower Hotel in London, which was built around the same period.

In August 2023, the owner of the complex, London and Scottish Property Investment (LSPIM) - announced the Charing Cross Masterplan in conjunction with Glasgow City Council.

[5] The plans will entail the partial demolition of 300 Bath Street (Tay House) and the two low rise blocks of Elmbank Gardens, to make way for new offices and student accommodation.