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Projects in Glasgow
buchanan st, 85 - 1970
bellshill hospital 1962
cardross seminary - 1958-66
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
king's park secondary school
Major Gillespie
Kidd & Coia building - St Peter's College : Catholic Seminary

Cardoss Seminary photo from St Peter's College Trust
2005
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 Brides Kirk, East Kilbride 1962/63
Bonar Hall, Park Place, Dundee 1975
St Benedicts, Drumchapel
demolished 1991
Gillespie Kidd & Coia - Projects outwith Scotland:
Halls of Residence with Leslie
Martin, University of Hull, Kingston-upon-Hull 1963
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
Jack 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
World Architecture : e-architect
- a guide to key buildings across the globe
Gillespie
Kidd & Coia building - Our Lady & St Francis School
Comments / photos for the Gillespie Kidd & Coia Architects page welcome:
info@e-architect.co.uk
Website: www.gillespiekiddandcoia.com
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