Basic Biographical Details

Name: Eric Walker Hall
Designation:  
Born: 10 June 1919
Died: 3 January 1999
Bio Notes: Eric Walker Hall was born on 10 June 1919 in Glasgow. He moved to London when he was five years old and was educated at Highgate School and the Architectural Association. His studies at the AA were interrupted by war service in London and in Austria where he was part of the allied forces occupation. After the war he completed his studies and was elected ARIBA in 1949.

The following year he moved to Edinburgh initially living in rented accommodation. Initially he worked for the Scottish office Health and Education Department. He resigned this post in 1955 and took up teaching part-time at Edinburgh College of Art, School of Architecture and at the same time opened his own practice. Initially the firm worked mainly on realising the post-war social building programme. He established himself in offices at Rock House, Calton Hill, Edinburgh, moving to 16 Moray Place in 1963. W Alistair Miller and E Douglas Sanderson joined him in partnership in 1960, the practice name becoming Eric Hall & Partners (sometimes Eric W Hall & Partners). By 1964 the firm had an Aberdeen office in addition to its Edinburgh one.

Hall realised that a certain size of practice was essential to achieve design excellence and in 1965, to resist competition from England, he merged his practice with that of Alan Reiach to become Reiach & Hall. The firm established a 'sound and lasting reputation; their stylish serious and light-hearted approach to the practice of architecture has left those who continue in this firm with an enduring and cherished legacy'.

Hall served as president of the EAA and as Vice President of the RIAS from 1964 to 1965. He was also a member of the Council of the RIBA with a special interest in the terms and conditions by which architects are employed. He also served on the board of Edinburgh College of Art and was chairman of the Scottish Building Contracts Committee. He chaired the committee set up under the auspices of the RIAS to examine and develop the professional indemnity insurance scheme.

Hall also was a member of the Church of Scotland's Committee on Artistic Matters and served as a member of Lothian Presbytery (when he was session clerk at Spott Church, Dunbar) and later Melrose and Peebles Presbytery.

In his spare time Hall pursued his interests in music, organ-playing, reading and gardening. He was a passionate planter of trees. He was a strong opponent of the generation of nuclear power and in particular of Torness, his home being at Bourhouse near Dunbar.

Hall retired in 1982. He moved to Lyne House Station, Peebles. He joined Stobo Church and served as session clerk for fifteen years. He died at Hay Lodge Hospital Peebles on 3 January 1999, survived by his wife, Rosemary Johnston.

Private and Business Addresses

The following private or business addresses are associated with this :
 AddressTypeDate fromDate toNotes
Item 1 of 4Lyne Station House, Peebles, Peeblesshire, ScotlandPrivate 1999 
Item 2 of 4c/o Mrs Wilson/14, Duke Street, Edinburgh, ScotlandPrivate1950 *  
Item 3 of 4Rock House, Calton Hill, Edinburgh, ScotlandBusinessc. 1953After 1956 
Item 4 of 416, Moray Place, Edinburgh, ScotlandBusinessBefore 1963After 1964 

* earliest date known from documented sources.

Employment and Training

Employers

The following individuals or organisations employed or trained this (click on an item to view details):
 NameDate fromDate toPositionNotes
Item 1 of 3Reiach Hall Blyth (Iran)  Partner 
Item 2 of 3Eric Hall & Partners (Eric W Hall & Partners)19601965Partner 
Item 3 of 3Alan Reiach Eric Hall & Partners1965 Partner 

Employees or Pupils

The following individuals were employed or trained by this (click on an item to view details):
 NameDate fromDate toPositionNotes
Item 1 of 2William Alistair MillerJuly 1957March 1959Assistant 
Item 2 of 2David Peter Ross19611962Architect 

RIBA

RIBA Proposals

This proposed the following individuals for RIBA membership (click on an item to view details):
 NameDate proposedNotes
Item 1 of 3Peter Burnett Caird16 July 1969For Fellowship
Item 2 of 3John Buchan Hall5 June 1968for Fellowship
Item 3 of 3(Professor) George Alexander Macnab (misspelt McNab)16 July 1969For Fellowship

Buildings and Designs

This was involved with the following buildings or structures from the date specified (click on an item to view details):
 Date startedBuilding nameTown, district or villageIslandCity or countyCountryNotes
Item 1 of 661951Health Centre, SighthillSighthill EdinburghScotlandAssistant Architect
Item 2 of 661959Primary SchoolCargenbridge KirkcudbrightshireScotland 
Item 3 of 661959Wick High SchoolWick CaithnessScotlandExtensions
Item 4 of 668 May 1959CraighouseCraiglockhart EdinburghScotlandaccepting tender applications per Builder p870; CHECK role
Item 5 of 661960sForres AcademyForres MorayshireScotlandAlso swimming pool, uncertain date perhaps 1970s
Item 6 of 661960sKnox Academy, Primary SchoolHaddington East LothianScotland 
Item 7 of 661960sSecondary SchoolKilmarnock AyrshireScotland 
Item 8 of 661960sSenior Secondary SchoolKilwinning AyrshireScotland 
Item 9 of 661960Currie High SchoolCurrie MidlothianScotland 
Item 10 of 661961Dornoch Higher Grade School and headmaster's houseDornoch SutherlandScotland 
Item 11 of 661962Group of houses, Longstone Road  EdinburghScotland 
Item 12 of 661962Haddington 'face-lift' improvement schemeHaddington East LothianScotlandWork begun by Eric Hall - probably continued after amalgamation with Alan Reiach
Item 13 of 661962Haddington Central Area redevelopmentHaddington East LothianScotland 
Item 14 of 661963Edinburgh Royal Infirmary, Congenital Abnormalities Research Unit  EdinburghScotlandAs senior partner
Item 15 of 661963Farm cottagesEaster Howgate MidlothianScotlandAs senior partner
Item 16 of 661963Farm cottagesBoghall West Lothian As senior partner
Item 17 of 661963Housing developmentGracemount EdinburghScotlandAs senior partner
Item 18 of 661964Fire StationHaddington East LothianScotland 
Item 19 of 661964Preparatory School for Girls, St George's School for Girls  EdinburghScotlandBegan the commission. Completed when practice amalgamated by Alan Reiach.
Item 20 of 661964Spillers Stand, Royal Highland Show  EdinburghScotlandAs senior partner
Item 21 of 661965General Post Office  EdinburghScotlandAlterations to public office
Item 22 of 661965House for Mrs LochCulross FifeScotlandAs senior partner
Item 23 of 661965St Mungo's Church and hallCumbernauld LanarkshireScotland 
Item 24 of 66After 1965Bow Yett housing developmentTorphichen West LothianScotland 
Item 25 of 66After 1965North Gate housing developmentTorphichen West LothianScotland 
Item 26 of 66After 1965University of Liverpool, Veterinary Field StationLeahurst LiverpoolEnglandAs senior partner
Item 27 of 66After 1965Western General Hospital, Medical Research Council Building  EdinburghScotlandAs senior partner
Item 28 of 661966Craigleith House  EdinburghScotlandRedevelopment
Item 29 of 661966Dumbarton Civic Theatre and Community CentreDumbarton DunbartonshireScotland 
Item 30 of 661966New Club  EdinburghScotlandRedevelopment
Item 31 of 661966Waverley Station, Booking Hall  EdinburghScotlandAs senior partner
Item 32 of 661967Denny Civic TheatreDenny StirlingshireScotland 
Item 33 of 661967German Church  EdinburghScotlandExecutant architects
Item 34 of 661967Greendykes Children's CentreCraigmillar EdinburghScotland 
Item 35 of 661968Heriot-Watt University, Maths, Physics and Chemistry departmentsRiccarton MidlothianScotland 
Item 36 of 661968Heriot-Watt University, Riccarton CampusRiccarton Midlothian  
Item 37 of 661969Bush House, Tropical Veterinary Medicine CentreRoslin MidlothianScotland 
Item 38 of 661969Office block, 2, 2A and 3 Queen Street  EdinburghScotland 
Item 39 of 661969University of Edinburgh, Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons  EdinburghScotlandAdditions
Item 40 of 66Late 1960sColeraine Technical CollegeColeraine LondonerryNorthern Ireland 
Item 41 of 661970sPolice Headquarters  EdinburghScotlandAs senior partner
Item 42 of 661970Festival Centre, Castle Terrace site  Edinburgh, MidlothianScotlandThird scheme for Festival Centre
Item 43 of 661970Housing schemes for SSHA   ScotlandWork planned.
Item 44 of 661970Office block, 10 and 12 Young Street  EdinburghScotland 
Item 45 of 661970University of Stirling, sports buildings with swimming poolStirling StirlingshireScotlandWork planned.
Item 46 of 661970Veterinary College  EdinburghScotlandWork planned.
Item 47 of 661970Western General Hospital, Human Genetics block  EdinburghScotland 
Item 48 of 661971Gannochy HouseSt Andrews FifeScotland 
Item 49 of 661971Orchard Brae House  EdinburghScotland 
Item 50 of 661971Stock Exchange premises  EdinburghScotlandInvestigation - as senior partner and demolition the year after
Item 51 of 661972Offices at North St David Street, west side  EdinburghScotland 
Item 52 of 661972SSHA housing, BranshillNew Sauchie ClackmannanshireScotland 
Item 53 of 66197347 Iona Street  EdinvburghScotlandAlterations - as senior partner
Item 54 of 661973Heriot-Watt University, Department of Civil EngineeringRiccarton MidlothianScotland 
Item 55 of 661973Heriot-Watt University, Mechanical Engineering DepartmentRiccarton MidlothianScotland 
Item 56 of 661973Office development for Alex Lawrie  GlasgowScotland 
Item 57 of 661974Inverleith HouseInverleith EdinburghScotlandExtension
Item 58 of 661974Offices for Friends Provident, Charlotte Lane  EdinburghScotland 
Item 59 of 66Before 1975Heriot-Watt University, Riccarton Campus, students' hostelsRiccarton MidliothianScotland 
Item 60 of 66Before 1975University of St Andrews, students' hostelSt Andrews FifeScotland 
Item 61 of 661976Borders General HospitalMelrose RoxburghshireScotland 
Item 62 of 661977George Wolfe HouseTorphichen West LothianScotlandAddition
Item 63 of 661978Challenger LodgeTrinity EdinburghScotlandAddition of SW wing for St Columba's Hospice
Item 64 of 661979Syntex Research CentreRiccarton MidlothianScotlandPhase I
Item 65 of 661982Warehouse, Dundas Street and Eyre Place  EdinburghScotlandConversion to Savings Bank office and computer centre
Item 66 of 661983St George's School, Arts Block  EdinburghScotland 

References

Bibliographic References

The following books contain references to this :
 Author(s)DateTitlePartPublisherNotes
Item 1 of 5Bailey, Rebecca M1996Scottish architects' papers: a source book Edinburgh: The Rutland Pressp135
Item 2 of 5Glendinning, Miles1997Rebuilding Scotland: The Postwar Vision, 1945-75  Tuckwell Press Ltdp11, p164-5 Sighthill Health Centre
p162-3 New Club
Item 3 of 5Municipal Annual1964Scottish Municipal Annual1964-1965  
Item 4 of 5RIBA1950The RIBA Kalendar 1950-1951 London: Royal Institute of British Architects 
Item 5 of 5Willis, Peter1977New architecture in Scotland  p84-7 The New Club

Periodical References

The following periodicals contain references to this :
 Periodical NameDateEditionPublisherNotes
Item 1 of 4Builder12 June 1953  p905-909
Item 2 of 4RIAS NewsletterFebruary 1999v10, no1 Death note
Item 3 of 4RIAS NewsletterMarch 1999v10, no2 Obituary
Item 4 of 4ScotsmanJanuary 1999  Obituary