Gillespie, Kidd & Coia: Architecture 1956-1987

29 January 2016

Gillespie, Kidd & Coia: Architecture 1956-1987

The editor of the book Johnny Rodger is a writer, critic, and Professor of Urban Literature at the 

Glasgow School of Art. His research focuses on two primary aspects:

1                     Literary and Critical writing

2                     Architecture and Urbanism

Gillespie, Kidd & Coia were a Scottish architectural firm. The origins of the firm lie with the architect James Salmon. John Gaff Gillespie was hired in 1891 when the firm known as James Salmon & Son. In 1903 the firm changed its name to James Salmon & Son & Gillespie. William Alexander Kidd joined the firm in 1898 and become a partner in 1918.  Kidd became a sole partner after Gillespie’s death in 1926. In 1915 Giacomo Antonio Coia joined the firm.

Example of their work is the St Bride’s East Kilbride 1963

St Bride’s was the largest church built by the firm and could house 800 seated worshippers. It is well known of the load bearing brick walls of the main structure support a steel framed roof with patent glazing and timber slatted ceiling. Moreover, copper clad tight light cannons, visible on the exterior roofscape, focus on light down on the sanctuary and more diffuse light also filters down through the long shafts in the eastern wall.

                                                                            Fig. 1 

From the presentation of a colleague (Tu), the major aspect of personal appeal was St Peter Church. This is because my current project ‘Intervening the City’. One of the main design themes of the church is the journey within a building as noted by Kidd and Coia. Kidd and Coia used a ramp as a main element to connect the vertical and horizontal circulation of the church. The hierarchic or narrative organization of experience to facilitate the navigation also reinforces a sense of identity within the building.

                                                                         Fig 2

Macmillan and Metzstein would agree that architecture is ‘experiential’ and can be truly evaluated by inhabitation and experience it with all the senses and the mind.

For my ‘Intervening the City’ project I considered using a ramp as a main element of the micro-museum to connect the floors. This was because I had researched the Danish Pavilion at Shanghai Expo 2010 by BIG and the Reichstag building in Berlin (dome).  Through so doing I had come to appreciate the circular form.  Is important to analyse each of these buildings and find how the space functions and is used by the visitors so I can apply those principles to my design.

                                                                                   Fig3

Fig 4

For my ‘Intervening the City’ project I considered using a ramp as a main element of the micro-museum to connect the floors. This was because I had researched the Danish Pavilion at Shanghai Expo 2010 by BIG and the Reichstag building in Berlin (dome).  Through so doing I had come to appreciate the circular form.  Is important to analyse each of these buildings and find how the space functions and is used by the visitors so I can apply those principles to my design.

 Reference:

Rodger, Johnny (ed.) (2007) Gillespie, Kidd & Coia: Architecture 1956 – 1987

Figures:

Fig.1http://www.gsaarchives.net/archon/packages/digitallibrary/files/2939/pl_GKC_CEK_2_2_21.jpg

Fig.2 photograph taken from the book by Michael ,S

Fig.3 https://tessandrews.files.wordpress.com/2013/03/denmark-pavillion.jpg

Fig.4 http://www.german-way.com/imagesGW/Berlin-Reichst-spiralvw890.jpg