Gillespie Kidd & Coia, Architects, Scottish Architecture, Info, Projects, Practice
Gillespie Kidd & Coia - Scottish Architects : Information
GK&C : Glasgow Buildings, Scotland, UKKey ProjectsMajor Gillespie Kidd & Coia building - St Peter's College : Catholic SeminaryLatest photo - 26 Aug 2009:  photo © Neale Smith St Charles of Borromeo Church, Glasgow  photo : Paul Weston GK&C Projects in Glasgow, alphabetical: Bellshill Hospital 1962 85 Buchanan St 1970 Cardross Seminary 1958-66 King's Park Secondary School - Our Lady & St Francis School, 58-60 Charlotte St 1964 Our Lady of Good Counsel, Craigpark St 1966 St Anne's Roman Catholic Church, Whitevale St 1931 St Charles RC Church 1960 St Columba, Hopehill Rd 1937 Gillespie Kidd & Coia - Projects in Scotland outwith Glasgow Kildrum Primary School 1961 severe concrete buildings St Paul's Roman Catholic Church, Glenrothes 1957 First major collaboration by Isi Metzstein & Andy MacMillan St Kevin's Church, Rosebank Terrace, Bargeddie, Coatbridge 1950 Long-plan church with austere exterior St David's Church, Meadowhead Road, Plains 1950 Low-budget post-war Catholic church, one of ten long-plan churches by GK&C, early and not one of the best St Bride’s Kirk, East Kilbride 1962/63 Bonar Hall, Park Place, Dundee 1975 St Benedict’s, Drumchapel demolished 1991 Gillespie Kidd & Coia - Projects outwith Scotland Halls of Residence, University of Hull, Kingston-upon-Hull 1963 with Leslie Martin Wadham College, University of Oxford, Oxford 1977 Robinson College, University of Cambridge, central-west Cambridge 1980  English GK&C building : image © adrian welch Gillespie Kidd & Coia : Robinson College Gillespie Kidd and Coia Exhibition Lighthouse, Glasgow 2007 Curator: Mark Baines, Mackintosh School of Art by Ewan Imrie / Collective Architecture Roses Design Awards 2008 Architecture Chairman's Award Graphics: ISO Contractor: Touchwood Design Build Photographer: Andrew Lee  Cardoss Seminary photo from St Peter's College Trust 2005 |
Practice Information
Studio formerly based in Glasgow, ScotlandJack Coia - Winner of RIBA Gold Medal 1969
GSA Honour Andy + Isi
Andy MacMillan and Isi Metzstein to be awarded honorary degrees by the University of Glasgow on behalf of The Glasgow School of Art. Apr 2008
GK&C Summary + Some Thoughts
I first read about Gillespie Kidd & Coia in architecture textbooks prior to leaving School, not being aware they hailed from Scotland. The project that features in most standard texts on Modern Architecture or 20th Century Architecture is Robinson College, University of Cambridge. This building's stark brick,with little other material relief, may be off-putting for some but its cranked 'street' spine inspired many, including my own student work.
In Scotland they are principally known for their Glasgow Churches and tend to be viewed through Isi Metzstein & Andy MacMillan. If one building is key, it has to be Cardross Seminary. Sadly ruinous I strongly support its being saved. Clearly a monolithic concrete building in a ruinous state is not terribly attractive to developers so some lateral thinking and inventiveness inherent in the building itself are required. The furniture and fittings are almost all lost but the structure is still mostly there.
Some will argue that the dilapidation should be arrested so the building is preserved as a ruin. Others will argue for reuse with functions dictated by the market. Alternatively the Seminary could be recreated as a shrine to GK&C. Lastly, some might argue for demolition, for Scottish architects to record the building and move on.
I have always been a firm believer in recording buildings for use by future generations - rather than blanket listing - but, for key buildings such as this, saving them (not the same as 'listing' them) is important. Why? However good the animation, pictures or 3d models, with great works you absolutely have to physically engage with them in order to fully understand them. You don't have to do this with every ruinous Scottish Castle but with key works which exhibit major innovation it is worth a level of investment to not only save a great building per se, but to allow future generations of architects and Clients to experience an exemplar.
Scotland has so few great Modern buildings - just look through the standard canons, eg Watkin's History of Western Architecture includes but two - so when we have one it should be suitably retained.
Thoughts welcome on this key issue facing Glasgow, and Scottish, Architecture.
[Adrian Welch, Architect]
Gillespie Kidd & Coia - Cardross Seminary, Scotland
Modern Architects
Cambridge Architecture
Glasgow School of Art
Gillespie Kidd & Coia building - Our Lady & St Francis School
World Architecture : e-architect - key buildings across the globe
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