Basic Biographical Details | Name: | Alastair Norman Leigh McQueen | | Designation: | | | Born: | 8 November 1914 | | Died: | February 1945 | | Bio Notes: | Alastair Norman Leigh McQueen was born on 8 November 1914 and studied at Glasgow School of Architecture from 1932 to 1935. He then moved to London to study at the Bartlett School of Architecture until 1939. He passed the qualifying exam in December the latter year. During his holidays he had visited Germany (in 1934), Greece and Sicily (in 1935) and the Paris Exhibition (in 1939). He was admitted ARIBA on 18 July 1938, his proposers being Martin Shaw Briggs, Albert Edward Richardson and Charles Lovett Gill. His nomination papers do not specify any office experience.
Late in 1938 or 1939 possibly through a personal connection with George McLeod, McQueen was commissioned by the Iona Community to design the rebuilding of the monastic buildings of Iona Cathedral. He was appointed in preference to Reginald Fairlie who had prepared a scheme for David Russell in 1931, and to Ian Lindsay whom Fairlie had recommended to take over the project in 1938, Lindsay having made the survey drawing for his 1931 scheme. McQueen's proposals were rejected by the Office of Works as they included modernising elements, particularly ground floor windows where none had been before: a more archaeological scheme might have been negotiated but the Office of Works was also nervous of his youth and lack of experience and McQueen felt obliged to resign the commission in March 1939,
McQueen was a Flight Lieutenant and Pilot with the RAPVR and died as a result of air operations in February 1945. | Private and Business Addresses| The following private or business addresses are associated with this : | | | Address | Type | Date from | Date to | Notes |  | Glasgow, Scotland | Private | Before 1932 | 1935 | | | London, England | Private | 1935 | After 1939 | | | Roughhills, Dalbeattie, Kirkcudbrightshire, Scotland | Private | 1938 * | | |
* earliest date known from documented sources.
RIBARIBA Proposers
Buildings and Designs| This 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 | | Late 1938 or early 1939 | Iona Abbey | | Iona | Argyll | Scotland | Scheme for rebuilding the monastic buildings - not executed |
ReferencesPeriodical References| The following periodicals contain references to this : | | | Periodical Name | Date | Edition | Publisher | Notes | | Builder | 23 February 1945 | | | Obituary |
Archive References| The following archives hold material relating to this : | | | Source | Archive Name | Source Catalogue No. | Notes | | RIBA Archive, Victoria & Albert Museum | RIBA Nomination Papers | | A no6820 (combined box 162) |
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