Basic Biographical Details Name: | Gordon & Dey | Designation: | | Born: | 1946 | Died: | | Bio Notes: | Alexander Esmé Gordon was born on 12 September 1910, the son of Alexander Shand Gordon and Elizabeth Catherine Logan. He studied at Edinburgh College of Art from 1928. He spent his year out with Burnet Tait & Lorne in London, and returned to the same firm as a qualified assistant in 1934, working on St Andrews House, Edinburgh, Kirsop's, Glasgow and several English projects including the limited competition for a house for King George V and the Curzon Cinema. He worked mainly but not exclusively under Tait and his senior assistant Andrew D Bryce. He had won several minor scholarships which enabled him to make sketching tours of England and two month-long trips to Italy (in 1931 and 1933), and in 1934 was awarded the Owen Jones Scholarship, which he used to travel again to Italy the following year. He was admitted ARIBA on 2 December 1935, his proposers being John Begg, Alexander Lorne Campbell and Frank Charles Mears.
In 1937 Gordon commenced practice on his own account at 34 Castle Street, Edinburgh, having spent part of his time in the Edinburgh office under James Wallace and gained a part-time appointment at Edinburgh College of Art. In the same year he married Betsy McCurry, a concert pianist, and was joined in partnership by an as yet unidentified architect named Robertson, working with him as Robertson & Gordon until c.1940 when he commenced war service.
Esmé Gordon took his former assistant William Gordon Dey into partnership in 1946, after they had returned from war service. Dey had been born on 29 April 1911 and studied at Edinburgh College of Art from 1929 to 1936, where he had met Esmé Gordon. During his year out in 1933-4 he had made a tour of Norway, Denmark and Holland and worked with William Kininmonth in the office of Rowand Anderson & Paul. In 1935 he had obtained an exemption from the final exams, had undertaken a study tour of London and Paris, and had joined the first Town Planning Course introduced in that year by Frank Charles Mears, whilst helping out at times in John Begg's office on the Westfield Autocar project at Stirling. He had been admitted ARIBA on 2 December of that year, his proposers being John Begg, John Fraser Matthew and Arthur Forman Balfour Paul, and his nomination papers give a home and business address of 'Rothiemay', 22 St John's Road, Edinburgh, although it is not clear whether he undertook any work on his own account at this time. In 1936 he had joined the staff of the city architect Ebenezer James MacRae, where he worked mainly on the survey of the Canongate, but was allowed to design the recreation hall at St Cuthbert's Poorhouse. He had joined Robertson & Gordon in 1937 to help with the Glasgow Empire Exhibition Transport Pavilion. He had served in Egypt during the Second World War but had secured an early release with the assistance of Robert Matthew, to help James Shearer with the Clackmannan County Plan. Despite his affection for Shearer - 'the most delightful architect he had ever met, he learnt more from Shearer than anyone else' - Dey had returned to Esmé Gordon's office as a partner in 1946.
Dey was elected FRIBA in 1955, Gordon in 1956, by which time he had moved his office to his former home at 36 Heriot Row, and was living at 11 Greenhill Gardens. Dey retired in 1982.
In or about 1962 Gerald Wamesley had been taken into partnership followed in about 1970 by Martin Clark, about 1975 by Richard Ash and about 1983 by David Hall. The practice had moved in 1975 to 9 Park Cresent Liberton (the old telephone exchange) and then in 1991 to 23 Mitchell Street, Leith.
Esmé Gordon died on 31 May 1993. His wife had predeceased him in 1990.
N.B. The RIBA directory of 1975 states that the practice were awarded a CT Award for the Staff House of the Royal Mile but unclear what this is. | Private and Business AddressesThe following private or business addresses are associated with this : | | Address | Type | Date from | Date to | Notes | | 36, Heriot Row, Edinburgh, Scotland | Business | 1936 | After 1975 | In 1946 became the practice office when partnership commenced. | | 9, Park Crescent, Liberton, Edinburgh, Scotland | Business | 1975 | | | | 23, Mitchell Street, Edinburgh, Scotland | Business | 1991 | | |
Employment and TrainingEmployees or Pupils
Buildings and DesignsThis was involved with the following buildings or structures from the date specified (click on an item to view details): | | Date started | Building name | Town, district or village | Island | City or county | Country | Notes | | 1946 | Free High Church and Free Church College | | | Edinburgh | Scotland | Alterations. Perhaps involved in alterations including sub-division of students' common room and alterations in examination rooms | | 1946 | St Giles Cathedral | | | Edinburgh | Scotland | War memorial chapel furnishings and extensive alterations to sanctuary for State service at which HM the Queen received the Crown of Scotland | | 1947 | Leeds Premanent Building Society office | | | Edinburgh | Scotland | | | 1947 | Moray House Training College | | | Edinburgh | Scotland | Handiwork and music department added | | After 1947 | Children's Homes | | | Edinburgh | Scotland | | | After 1947 | Eventide Home | Loanhead | | Midlothian | Scotland | | | After 1947 | Eventide home | Gargunnock | | Stirlingshire | Scotland | | | After 1947 | Eventide Home | Alloa | | Clackmannanshire | Scotland | | | After 1947 | Eventide Home | Galashiels | | Selkirkshire | Scotland | | | 1949 | British Linen Bank, Head Office | | | Edinburgh | Scotland | New suite for general manager and war memorial | | 1949 | British Linen Bank, Shandwick Place | | | Edinburgh | Scotland | | | 1949 | Church Hall, Pennywell Road | West Pilton | | Edinburgh | Scotland | | | After 1949 | British Linen Bank | Hawick | | Roxburghshire | Scotland | Reconstruction | | After 1949 | British Linen Bank | Johnstone | | Renfrewshire | Scotland | Reconstruction | | After 1949 | British Linen Bank | Berwick-upon-Tweed | | Northumberland | England | Reconstruction | | 1950 | Foundry for Archibald McMillan & Co | | | Edinburgh | Scotland | Architects for demolition and erection of foundry | | 1950 | Research laboratory for Scottish Agricultural Industries | | | Edinburgh | Scotland | | | 1952 | Moray House Training College | | | Edinburgh | Scotland | Sports pavilion | | 1952 | Woodhall Paper Mill | Colinton | | Edinburgh | Scotland | Reconstruction after fire | | 1953 | British Pharmaceutical Society, exam laboratories | | | Edinburgh | Scotland | | | 1953 | Free Church | Corstorphine | | Edinburgh | Scotland | Reconstruction and furnishings | | 1953 | Oxgangs Primary School | Oxgangs | | Edinburgh | Scotland | | | 24 April 1953 | Moray House Training College | | | Edinburgh | Scotland | Scheme of restoration | | 1954 | Moray House Training College | | | Edinburgh | Scotland | Speech training department | | 1955 | Coldingham Priory | Coldingham | | Berwickshire | Scotland | Reordering of interior | | 1955 | Tenement, 176-184 Canongate | | | Edinburgh | Scotland | Reconstruction | | 1956 | 200 Canongate | | | Edinburgh | Scotland | | | 1956 | Leeds Premanent Building Society office | | | Edinburgh | Scotland | Further reconstruction | | 1956 | Lodge Dunedin | | | Edinburgh | Scotland | Reconstruction after fire | | 1956 | Tenement, Old Playhouse Close | | | Edinburgh | Scotland | Reconstruction | | c. 1956 | Heriot-Watt Technical College, new block | | | Edinburgh | Scotland | | | 1960 | Electricity office and showroom | | | Edinburgh | Scotland | | | 1960 | Moray House College of Education, Dalhousie Land | | | Edinburgh | Scotland | | | 1960 | Moray House College of Education, Dalhousie Land | | | Edinburgh | Scotland | | | 1960 | Moray House Training College | | | Edinburgh | Scotland | Alterations and additions including new gymnasium | | 1960 | Scottish Life Assurance Co | | | Edinburgh | Scotland | Rebuilding | | 1960 | St David's Church | Broomhouse | | Edinburgh | Scotland | | | 1961 | Building (neo-Georgian in style), Holyrood Road | | | Edinburgh | Scotland | | | 1963 | Allan Park UP Church | Stirling | | Stirlingshire | Scotland | Interior recast including large chancel with panelled organ pipe housings | | 1967 | Five Storey Block of Teaching Accommodation, St John Street | | | Edinburgh | Scotland | Also designed Laingwall units in collaboration with Sydney Greenwood | | Mid 1960s | Heriot-Watt University, Department of Brewing and Biochemistry | | | Edinburgh | Scotland | | | 1970 | 15-16 Abercromby Place | | | Edinburgh | Scotland | Reconstruction as offices behind facade | | 1970 | North Parish Church | Stirling | | Stirlingshire | Scotland | | | 1971 | Moray House College of Education, Charteris Land | | | Edinburgh | Scotland | | | 1974 | Upper Springland Centre | Perth | | Perthshire | | | | 1975 | Gannochy Trust Sports Complex, with Bell Sports Centre and Gannochy Sports Pavilion | Perth | | Perthshire | Scotland | The Gannochy Sports Pavilion | | 1975 | Kinnoull House and MacMillan House | Perth | | Perthshire | Scotland | | | Before 1975 | Eventide Home for the Merchant Company of Edinburgh | | | Edinburgh | Scotland | | | Before 1975 | Milton Road East Lodge, gates and scaliger railing | | | Edinburgh | Scotland | Special care unit | | Before 1975 | Moray House Training College | | | Edinburgh | Scotland | Phased rebuilding programme including teaching block, PE building, new music block and visual arts building. | | Before 1975 | Newbattle House | | | Edinburgh | Scotland | | | 1979 | 84-86 Great King Street and 2A and 2B St Vincent Street | | | Edinburgh | Scotland | Repairs | | 1980 | Christ Church Episcopal Church | | | Edinburgh | Scotland | Conversion 'into a modern idiom' | | 1980 | Inverkeithing Parish Church | Inverkeithing | | Fife | Scotland | Restoration | | 1980 | Moray House College of Education, St Mary's Land and Chessel's Land | | | Edinburgh | Scotland | | | 1980 | Perth Theatre | Perth | | Perthshire | Scotland | Re-seating, repairs, restoration | | 1980 | Saltoun Hall | | | East Lothian | Scotland | Roof repairs | | 1980 | St John's Church | Perth | | Perthshire | Scotland | Restoration | | 1982 | George Heriot's Hospital | | | Edinburgh | Scotland | Restoration |
ReferencesBibliographic ReferencesThe following books contain references to this : | | Author(s) | Date | Title | Part | Publisher | Notes | | Bailey, Rebecca M | 1996 | Scottish architects' papers: a source book | | Edinburgh: The Rutland Press | p126 | | Glendinning, Miles | 1997 | Rebuilding Scotland: The Postwar Vision, 1945-75 | | Tuckwell Press Ltd | p4 Image of Electricity Board Office and Showroom | | RIBA | 1975 | RIBA Directory of practices | | | |
Periodical ReferencesThe following periodicals contain references to this : | | Periodical Name | Date | Edition | Publisher | Notes | | Builder | 5 May 1950 | | | p612 | | Builder | 24 April 1953 | | | p664 |
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