Sir Basil Urwin Spence, OM, OBE, RA, (13 August 1907 – 19 November 1976) was a Scottish architect, most notably associated with Coventry Cathedral and the Beehive, but also responsible for numerous other buildings in the Modernist/Brutalist style. For other Orders see Order of Merit (disambiguation). ... Commanders Badge of the Order of the British Empire (Military division) The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by King George V. The Order includes five classes in civil and military divisions; in decreasing order of seniority... This article refers to an art institution in London. ... August 13 is the 225th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (226th in leap years), with 140 days remaining. ... 1907 (MCMVII) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Wednesday of the 13-day-slower Julian calendar). ... November 19 is the 323rd day of the year (324th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar. ... 1976 (MCMLXXVI) was a leap year starting on Thursday. ... Motto (Latin) No one provokes me with impunity Wha daur meddle wi me?(Scots)1 Anthem (Multiple unofficial anthems) Scotlands location in Europe Capital Edinburgh Largest city Glasgow Official languages English, Gaelic, Scots3 Government Constitutional monarchy  -  Queen Queen Elizabeth II  -  Prime Minister Tony Blair MP  -  First Minister Jack McConnell... This article includes a list of works cited but its sources remain unclear because it lacks in-text citations. ... The roofless ruins of the old cathedral. ... The Beehive, Wellington The Beehive is the common name for the Executive Wing of the New Zealand Parliament Buildings, located at the corner of Molesworth Street and Lambton Quay, Wellington. ... This article focuses on the cultural movement labeled modernism or the modern movement. See also: Modernism (Roman Catholicism) or Modernist Christianity; Modernismo for specific art movement(s) in Spain and Catalonia. ... Brutalism is an architectural style that spawned from the Modernist architectural movement and which flourished from the 1950s to the 1970s. ...

Training

Spence's sketch for the Beehive

Spence was born in Bombay, India but was sent back to Scotland to study. He attended George Watson's College in Edinburgh, then the architecture school of the Edinburgh College of Art, before completing his architectural studies at the Bartlett School of Architecture in London. Image File history File links Parlt-061. ... Image File history File links Parlt-061. ... The Beehive, Wellington The Beehive is the common name for the Executive Wing of the New Zealand Parliament Buildings, located at the corner of Molesworth Street and Lambton Quay, Wellington. ... This article or section should be merged with Mumbai Mumbai (previously known as Bombay) is the worlds most populous conurbation, and is the sixth most populous agglomeration in the world. ... George Watsons College is a leading co-educational independent day school in Scotland, situated on Colinton Road, in the Merchiston area of Scotlands capital city Edinburgh. ... This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... Edinburgh College of Art is an art school in Edinburgh, Scotland, providing tertiary education. ... The Bartlett is the Faculty of the Built Environment at University College London. ... This article is about the capital of England and the United Kingdom. ...

Early career

His first post was as an assistant in the London office of Sir Edwin Lutyens (whose work was to have a profound influence on Spence's style), where he worked on designs for the Viceroy's House in New Delhi, India. He subsequently joined the London office of Rowand Anderson & Paul, where he worked with Sir William Kininmonth, then returned to Edinburgh in 1930. Edwin Lutyens Sir Edwin Landseer Lutyens, OM, KCIE (29 March 1869 – 1 January 1944) was a leading 20th century English architect who is known for imaginatively adapting traditional architectural styles to the requirements of his era. ... This article is about the urban region that is the capital of India. ... The Central Hotel at Glasgow Central Station Robert Rowand Anderson (1834 – 1921) was an important Scottish Victorian architect. ... Sir William Hardie Kininmonth (November 8, 1904 - 1988) was a Scottish architect whose work mixed a modern style with Scottish vernacular. ...

Spence served in the British Army from 1939 - 1945, reaching the rank of major.

Global recognition

The New Zealand Parliament's executive wing, the Beehive

During the war, Coventry’s Anglican Cathedral had been almost completely destroyed during enemy bombing. In 1944, Sir Giles Gilbert Scott submitted a design proposal to rebuild the cathedral but this was rejected by the Royal Fine Arts Commission. In 1950, a competition was launched to find the most suitable design from a Commonwealth of Nations architect. Over 200 entries were received, but Spence's radical design was ultimately chosen. Work began in 1956 and the structure was completed in 1962. Spence was knighted in 1960 for his work at Coventry, and also served as President of the Royal Institute of British Architects (1958-1960). Download high resolution version (766x916, 93 KB)Photo of the Beehive, Parliament Buildings, Wellington, New Zealand. ... Download high resolution version (766x916, 93 KB)Photo of the Beehive, Parliament Buildings, Wellington, New Zealand. ... The Beehive (left) and Parliament House (right), Wellington New Zealand Parliament Buildings houses the New Zealand Parliament and is situated on a 45,000 square metre site in and around the northern end of Lambton Quay, Wellington. ... The Beehive, Wellington The Beehive is the common name for the Executive Wing of the New Zealand Parliament Buildings, located at the corner of Molesworth Street and Lambton Quay, Wellington. ... The roofless ruins of the old cathedral. ... Sir Giles Gilbert Scott (November 9, 1880—February 8, 1960) was an English architect known for his work on such buildings as Liverpool Cathedral and Battersea Power Station. ... The Commonwealth of Nations (CN), usually known as The Commonwealth, is a voluntary association of 53 independent sovereign states all of which are former colonies of the United Kingdom, except for Mozambique and the United Kingdom itself. ... 1956 (MCMLVI) was a leap year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... 1962 (MCMLXII) was a common year starting on Monday (the link is to a full 1962 calendar). ... The Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) is a professional body for architects in the United Kingdom. ...

He was also responsible for designing high-rise housing developments in Glasgow, Scotland. These were intended to replace the notorious slum tenements in the Gorbals area of the city. However, a combination of social deprivation and exclusion in the relevant areas, coupled to poor execution of his designs meant that the developments created as many problems as they solved. His most derided project, the Hutchesontown C scheme, was demolished in 1993. Glaswegian redirects here. ... 1993 (MCMXCIII) was a common year starting on Friday of the Gregorian calendar and marked the Beginning of the International Decade to Combat Racism and Racial Discrimination (1993-2003). ...

Lord St John of Fawsley remarked that "Basil Spence's barracks in Hyde Park ruined that park; in fact, he has the distinction of having ruined two parks, because of his Home Office building (50 Queen Anne's Gate), which towers above St James's Park." Norman Anthony Francis St John-Stevas, Baron St John of Fawsley, PC (born May 18, 1929), is a British Conservative politician, author and barrister. ... The officers quarters at Knightsbridge Barracks (as the Hyde Park Barracks was then known) in 1880. ... Hyde Park is the name of: Hyde Park, a Royal Park in London (the original location) Hyde Park in Sydney - a park some places in the United States of America: Hyde Park, Massachusetts Hyde Park, New York - a town in Dutchess County, New York Hyde Park, Vermont - a town Hyde... 50 Queen Annes Gate 50 Queen Annes Gate is an office block in Westminster, London, overlooking St Jamess Park, which was the main location for the UK Home Office department betweeen 1978 and 2004. ...

He has recently been the subject of a BBC documentary, Rebuilding Basil Spence, which revises his place in 20th Century British architecture and asks why he has been long overlooked. And in 1993 Spence's Hutchesontown C complex was listed by the international conservation organisation DoCoMoMo as one of Scotland's sixty key monuments of the post-war years; ironically the same year as it was demolished. There are very few or no other articles that link to this one. ... In 1993 the architectural conservation organisation DoCoMoMo compiled a list of buildings and monuments in Scotland from the period 1945-1970. ... This article should be transwikied to wiktionary The term post-war is generally used for the period after the end of World War II, i. ...

Other projects

• Broughton Place (a private house in the style of a 17th century Scottish tower house in Broughton, Tweeddale, Scottish Borders with decorative reliefs by architectural sculptor Hew Lorimer) (1938)
• Gribloch (a house near Kippen, Stirling) (1938-39)
• Sea and Ships Pavilions for Festival of Britain (1951)
• Duncanrig High School, East Kilbride 1953
• Thorn EMI House, 5 Upper St. Martin's Lane, London (1959) (Spence's original exterior was demolished in the 1990s; reborn as Orion House with a full-height floor plate addition and re-skinned elevations. A 60-foot-tall metal sculpture by Geoffrey Clarke for the original façade (incorporating allusions to electric lamp filaments) has been remounted onto the added lift and service riser.)
• Erasmus Building, Friars Court, Queen's College, Cambridge (1959-1960)
• Swiss Cottage Leisure Centre (originally 'Swimming Baths'), London (1962-4)

50 Queen Anne's Gate

• Spence House, near Beaulieu, Hampshire (designed 1961, for Spence's own use and listed Grade II)
• The initial campus design at the University of Sussex (1960s) including Falmer House (1962, now a Grade I listed building)
• Hutchesontown C flats, Gorbals, Glasgow (1962 – demolished in 1993)
• Nuffield Theatre, Highfield Campus, University of Southampton (1964)
• The "Beehive", the executive wing of the New Zealand Parliament Buildings Wellington, New Zealand (1964)
• St Aidan's College, University of Durham
• Library Edinburgh University
• Glasgow Airport (1966) (Spence's original façade was covered over in 1989 when an extension was built to house new check-in desks. The original structure can now only be seen from the departure gates and runway.)
• Hyde Park Barracks, London (1970)
• British Embassy, Rome (1971)
• 50 Queen Anne's Gate (the former Home Office building), London (1976)
• Civic Centre, Sunderland (1970)
• Thurso High School Thurso, Scotland (1957)

Library and physics tower at the University of Liverpool (19??) Broughton is a village in Tweeddale in the Scottish Borders. ... Scottish Borders (often referred to locally as The Borders or The Borderland) is one of 35 local government unitary council areas of Scotland. ... Our Lady of the Isles on South Uist. ... Broad Street at the heart of Stirlings Old Town area (called Top of the Town by locals) Stirling Castle (Southwest aspect) The main courtyard inside Stirling Castle. ... The Festival of Britain was a national exhibition which opened in May 1951 in London. ... Full name The Queens College of Saint Margaret and Saint Bernard, commonly called Queens College, in the University of Cambridge Motto Floreat Domus May this House Flourish Named after - Previous names - Established 1448 Sister College Pembroke College President Lord Eatwell JCR President {{{JCR President}}} MCR President {{{MCR President}}} Location... The central library of the public library service in the London Borough of Camden is housed in an architectural landmark building designed by Sir Basil Spence and first opened in 1964 at 88 Avenue Road, London NW3 3HA External links Website Grid reference TQ275841 Categories: UK buildings and structures stubs... Download high resolution version (600x907, 160 KB) The Home Office, London. ... Download high resolution version (600x907, 160 KB) The Home Office, London. ... Beaulieu is a small village located on the south eastern edge of the New Forest national park in Hampshire, England. ... Hampshire, sometimes historically Southamptonshire or Hamptonshire, (abbr. ... The University of Sussex is an English campus university located near the East Sussex village of Falmer, near Brighton and Hove. ... Buckingham Palace, a Grade I listed building. ... The Gorbals is a predominantly working-class area on the south bank of the river Clyde in the city of Glasgow, Scotland. ... Glaswegian redirects here. ... 1993 (MCMXCIII) was a common year starting on Friday of the Gregorian calendar and marked the Beginning of the International Decade to Combat Racism and Racial Discrimination (1993-2003). ... The University of Southampton is a university situated in the city of Southampton, on the south coast of Great Britain. ... The term Beehive can refer to several different things: Beehive (beekeeping) is a human-provided structure in which bees are induced to live and raise their young. ... The Beehive (left) and Parliament House (right), Wellington New Zealand Parliament Buildings houses the New Zealand Parliament and is situated on a 45,000 square metre site in and around the northern end of Lambton Quay, Wellington. ... For other uses, see Wellington (disambiguation). ... St Aidans College is a college of the University of Durham in England. ... Durham University is a university in England. ... The University of Edinburgh was founded in 1583 as a renowned centre for teaching in Edinburgh, Scotland. ... Glasgow International Airport (IATA: GLA, ICAO: EGPF), located in Renfrewshire, 8 miles (13 km) west of Glasgow, near the towns of Paisley and Renfrew, is the largest and busiest airport in Scotland, and sixth busiest in the UK [1]It was the first airport in Scotland to handle over one... The officers quarters at Knightsbridge Barracks (as the Hyde Park Barracks was then known) in 1880. ... Nickname: The Eternal City Motto: SPQR: Senatus PopulusQue Romanus Location of the city of Rome (yellow) within the Province of Rome (red) and region of Lazio (grey) Coordinates: Region Lazio Province Province of Rome Founded 21 April 753 BC  - Mayor Walter Veltroni Area    - City 1285 km²  (580 sq mi)  - Urban... 50 Queen Annes Gate 50 Queen Annes Gate is an office block in Westminster, London, overlooking St Jamess Park, which was the main location for the UK Home Office department betweeen 1978 and 2004. ... The Wearmouth Bridge Sunderland (pronounced: , or ) is a former county borough now part of the City of Sunderland, in the county of Tyne and Wear in North East England. ... This article refers to the town in Scotland. ... Motto (Latin) No one provokes me with impunity Wha daur meddle wi me?(Scots)1 Anthem (Multiple unofficial anthems) Scotlands location in Europe Capital Edinburgh Largest city Glasgow Official languages English, Gaelic, Scots3 Government Constitutional monarchy  -  Queen Queen Elizabeth II  -  Prime Minister Tony Blair MP  -  First Minister Jack McConnell...

From 1961 to 1968, Spence was Professor of Architecture at the Royal Academy. Sometimes compared with Robert Adam^{[citation needed]} for his attention to detail, particularly in incorporating bespoke furniture and other elements into interior spaces, Spence died in 1976 in Eye, Suffolk and was buried at Thornham Parva, Suffolk. This article refers to an art institution in London. ... Robert Adam Robert Adam (3 July 1728 - 3 March 1792) was a Scottish architect, interior designer and furniture designer, born in Kirkcaldy, Fife, Scotland. ... Eye is a small town in the county of Suffolk, East Anglia, England, south of Diss, and on the River Dove. ... Suffolk (pronounced ) is a large historic and modern non-metropolitan county in East Anglia, England. ...