Basic Biographical Details Name: | Robert Matthew, Johnson-Marshall & Partners (RMJM) | Designation: | | Born: | 1961 | Died: | | Bio Notes: | Robert Matthew Johnson-Marshall & Partners (RMJM) was a continuation of Robert Matthew & Johnson-Marshall, the partnership formed in 1956 by Robert Hogg Matthew and Stirrat Johnson-Marshall. It changed its name in 1961; the new partners included Tom Spaven, John Richards, Kenneth Graham, Chris Carter, Vernon Lee and Alan Whiteman. The total personnel of the London practice was 150 in 1967, while Edinburgh employed 200. Eventually, both the Edinburgh and London locations had multiple branch offices. In Edinburgh, in addition to the main office at Regent Terrace, there were offices in Hill Street, Melville Street and Alva Street, and in the 1970s further offices opened in George Street, St Andrew Square, East Fettes Avenue and Miller Row. In London, the main office was eventually located at 42-46 Weymouth Street.
The workload of RMJM was closely attuned to the increasing boom in public-sector construction with projects including schools (in Scotland and England), community facilities such as the Royal Commonwealth Pool, hospitals (Ninewells, Edinburgh Royal Infirmary, Dundee), new universities (Stirling, York, Bath and Coleraine), and housing and regeneration. Reflecting wider architectural trends in the late 1950s and early 1960s, many of these projects rejected the former humanistic vernacular orientation in favour of urban renewal and large-scale redevelopment projects, often incorporating multi-storey design solutions. This shift is apparent in the scheme of 18-storey towers and four- and three-storey terraces for Area B of Hutchesontown/Gorbals Redevelopment Area (1958-64); the controversial George Square redevelopment incorporating RMJM’s 12-storey David Hume Arts Tower (opened 1963); or the abortive scheme for a 17-storey block for the Edinburgh Royal Infirmary redevelopment.
However, Matthew’s preference for vernacular design and Geddesian principles did not disappear all together from RMJM’s output. This was kept alive, for example, in housing projects such as Cumnock in Ayrshire, Ferguson Park in Blairgowrie and Castle Street in Dunbar; the Midlothian County Buildings Extension in Edinburgh’s Old Town; and a succession of a succession of office extensions to the Standard Life Insurance Company in Edinburgh’s George Street.
From the 1960s, RMJM’s workload became increasingly international, with projects including a large-scale master-planning project in Islamabad; the development of a large suburban area of Tripoli in Libya; a commission to design Coleraine University in Northern Ireland; and a multifaceted educational building and planning programme in Nigeria. At the same time, Robert Matthew’s direct involvement in RMJM’s work began to decrease as he became more involved in ‘diplomatic’ positions such as the International Union of Architects (IUA) and the RIBA. By the 1970s, he had very little involvement with the firm.
When Matthew died on 21 June 1975, the RMJM practice carried on. Stirrat Johnson-Marshall retired in 1977, and after Tom Spaven retired, John Richards became chairman of the Edinburgh office between 1977 and 1986, and of the Scotland-London joint committee in 1983-6. In 1986 the practice became RMJM Ltd and shrank in size with all the offices being centralised in purpose-built premises in Bell's Brae. In 1996, 40 per cent of its workload was outside the UK, and the practice held the title of largest UK firm and fourteenth largest firm in the world.
| Private and Business AddressesThe following private or business addresses are associated with this : | | Address | Type | Date from | Date to | Notes | | 3, Hill Street, Edinburgh, Scotland | Business | | | | | 13, Hill Street, Edinburgh, Scotland | Business | | | | | 42-46 Weymouth Street, London, England | Business | | | | | Melville Street, Edinburgh, Scotland | Business | 1960s | | | | South Charlotte Street, Edinburgh, Scotland | Business | 1960s * | | | | 2 and 31, Regent Terrace, Edinburgh, Scotland | Business | 1964 * | | | | 10, Hawkhill Place, Dundee, Scotland | Business | 1964 * | | | | 15, Hill Street, Edinburgh, Scotland | Business | Before 1964 | After 1970 | | | George Street, Edinburgh, Scotland | Business | 1970s | | | | St Andrew Square, Edinburgh, Scotland | Business | 1970s | | | | East Fettes Avenue, Edinburgh, Scotland | Business | 1970s | | | | Miller Row, Edinburgh, Scotland | Business | 1970s | | | | Rosanne House, Bridge Road, Welwyn Garden City, Hertfordshire, England | Business | 1970 * | | | | 30, Hill Street, Edinburgh, Scotland | Business | Early 1970s | | John Richards and his team | | 111, Church Street, Inverness, Inverness-shire, Scotland | Business | 1981 * | | Branch office |
* earliest date known from documented sources.
Employment and TrainingEmployees or Pupils* earliest date known from documented sources.
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 | | | Advance Factory | Muir of Ord | | Ross & Cromarty | Scotland | | | | Conference Hall | | | Abu Dhabi | United Arab Emirates | Competition design - acting as structural and services engineers and QS. | | | Edinburgh Royal Infirmary, cardiac operating suite | | | Edinburgh | Scotland | | | | Environmental improvements | Rutherglen | | Lanarkshire | Scotland | Eight derelict sites landscaped. | | | Environmental improvements | Arbroath | | Angus | Scotland | | | | Grandstand | | | Dubai | United Arab Emirates | Acting as Structural and Services Engineers | | | Guitar Factory | Muir of Ord | | Ross & Cromarty | Scotland | | | | Headquarters for Arthur Bell & Sons, whisky blenders, Cherrybank | Perth | | Perthshire | Scotland | Second phase of landscaping | | | Housing, Barrhill | Cumnock | | Ayrshire | Scotland | | | | Life Assurance Office Development | | | Montreal | Canada | | | | Road from Dibba to Khor Fakkam | | | Sharjah | United Arab Emirates | Acted as Civil and Structural Engineers | | | Roads in Western Libya | Giosh-Nalut area | | | Libya | First phase completed. Acting as Civil Engineers. | | | Royal Victoria Infirmary, Department of Virology (or Biology?) | | | Newcastle-upon-Tyne | Scotland | | | | Royal Victoria Infirmary, nurses changing accommodation | | | Newcastle-upon-Tyne | England | | | | Ski Lodge for Cairngorm Chairlift Company | Aviemore | | Inverness-shire | Scotland | | | | Tourist villages | | | Tripoli and Benghazi | Libya | | | | University of Stirling, Pathfoot Building | | | Stirlingshire | Scotland | | | 1954 | Cashlie Hydro-Electric Power Station | Glen Lochay | | Perthshire | Scotland | Generating Station | | 1960s | 441 Corporation houses, Springburn CDA Area A | Springburn | | Glasgow | Scotland | | | 1960s | Administrative Sector Plan | | | Islamabad | Pakistan | | | 1960s | Armed Forces Musem | | | Islamabad | Pakistan | | | 1960s | Group of Cultural Buildings for Islamabad Administrative Sector | | | Islamabad | Pakistan | | | 1960s | Turnhouse Airport | | | Edinburgh | Scotland | Extensions | | 1960 | College of Nautical Studies | | | Glasgow | Scotland | Continued under subsequent practice title | | 1961 | Belfast Regional Plan | | | Belfast | Northern Ireland | | | 1961 | College of Nautical Studies | | | Glasgow | Scotland | | | 1961 | Commonwealth Institute | | | London | England | London office commission | | 1961 | Edinburgh Royal Infirmary | | | Edinburgh | Scotland | Phase I - redevelopment (begun prior to the adoption of this practice title) | | 1961 | Hutchesontown / Gorbals Area B multi-storey flats and housing | | | Glasgow | Scotland | Acted as design consultant for development of scheme (begun under previous practice title) | | 1961 | New Zealand House | | | London | England | Begun under previous practice title | | 1961 | Ninewells Hospital and Medical School | | | Dundee | Scotland | | | 1961 | St John's Boarding School | | | Singapore | Singapore | Begun under previous practice title | | 1961 | University of Edinburgh, David Hume Tower (Arts Building) and redevelopment of George Square | | | Edinburgh, Midlothian | Scotland | | | c. 1961 | Nursery School for separate Protestant and Catholic Groups | Gorbals | | Glasgow | Scotland | | | 1962 | Central Area redevelopment | Jarrow | | Northumberland | England | With Gilmour as architect. | | 1962 | Cockenzie Power Station | Cockenzie | | East Lothian | Scotland | | | 1962 | Loretto School Chapel | Musselburgh | | Midlothian | Scotland | Enlargement which replaced work by Honeyman & Keppie and Matthew. Lorimer furnishings retained. | | 1962 | Pilgrim Street development | | | Newcastle-upon-Tyne | England | | | 1962 | The Square | Cumnock | | Ayrshire | Scotland | Pedestrianisation proposed. With George Pease as job architect | | 1962 | University of York | | | York | England | | | 1962 | Victoria Street housing development | Dunbar | | East Lothian | Scotland | | | 1963 | Bath University | | | Bath | England | | | 1963 | Wheatsheaf Hotel | Swinton | | Berwickshire | Scotland | | | 1964 | Dunfermline College of Physical Education, Edinburgh | Cramond estate | | Edinburgh, Midlothian | Scotland | | | 1964 | Ferguson Park Housing | Blairgowrie | | Perthshire | Scotland | | | 1964 | Midlothian County Council Buildings | | | Edinburgh | Scotland | | | 1964 | University of Edinburgh Faculty Buildings | | | Edinburgh | Scotland | | | 1964 | University of Edinburgh, George Square Theatre | | | Edinburgh | Scotland | | | 1964 | University of Strathclyde, Colville Building (Departments of Civil Engineering and Metallurgy) | | | Glasgow | Scotland | | | 1965 | Aberdeen University Joint Agricultural Building | | | Aberdeen | Scotland | With Dennis Ashmead as supervising architect. | | 1965 | Longannet Power Station | Kincardine on Forth | | Fife | Scotland | | | 1965 | National Library | | | Islamabad | Pakistan | | | 1965 | National Museum | | | Islamabad | Pakistan | | | 1965 | Royal Commonwealth Pool | | | Edinburgh | Scotland | | | 1965 | University of Dundee, The Tower | | | Dundee | Scotland | Extension | | 1965 | University of Stirling Development Plan | Stirling | | Stirlingshire | Scotland | | | 1966 | British Home Stores, Princes Street | | | Edinburgh | Scotland | | | 1966 | New University of Ulster | Colreaine | | | Eire | | | 1966 | Office for architectural practice, Dean Village | Dean Village | | Edinburgh | Scotland | Initial designs - unexecuted (James Latimer responsible) | | 1966 | University of Edinburgh, King's Buildings, Epi-Genetics Building | | | Edinburgh | Scotland | | | 1966 | University of Stirling, including library and landscaping | Stirling | | Stirlingshire | Scotland | | | 30 September 1966 | Car Park for British Home Stores, Rose St | | | Edinburgh | Scotland | | | 2 December 1966 | University of Stirling, Teaching Building (unidentified) | Stirling | | Stirlingshire | Scotland | | | 1967 | Hunterston B Nuclear Power Station | | | Ayrshire | Scotland | with Leslie Brian Ingram | | 1968 | Firrhill Secondary School | Firrhill | | Edinburgh | Scotland | Extension | | 1968 | Meadowbank Sports Centre | | | Edinburgh | Scotland | | | 1968 | Scotstoun Park housing | South Queensferry | | West Lothian | Scotland | | | c. 1969 | Cumnock Senior Club | Cumnock | | Ayrshire | Scotland | | | c. 196 | Sports pavilion | Cumnock | | East Ayrshire | Scotland | | | Early 1960s | Selwyn College extension | Cambridge | | Cambridgeshire | England | | | Mid 1960s | National Archives Building | | | Islamabad | Pakistan | | | 1970s(?) | Leith Central Area Study | Leith | | Edinburgh | Scotland | | | 1970 | Inverkip Power Station | Inverkip | | Renfrewshire | Scotland | | | 1970 | University of Stirling, Bridge of Airthrey Loch | Stirling | | Stirlingshire | Scotland | | | c. 1970 | University of Newcastle-upon-Tyne, Department of Psychology | | | Newcastle-upon-Tyne | England | | | 1971 | British Home Stores | | | Aberdeen | Scotland | | | 1971 | British Home Stores, Princes Street | | | Edinburgh | Scotland | Extensions - with Samuel in charge | | 1971 | Industrialised Building Project (IBP) housing project | Gurgi | | Tripoli (near) | Libya | | | 1971 | Market, 8-10 Market Street | | | Aberdeen | Scotland | | | 1971 | Paisley College of Technology | Paisley | | Renfrewshire | Scotland | laboratories, workshops, etc. added | | 1971 | University of Stirling, MacRobert Arts Centre | Stirling | | Stirlingshire | Scotland | | | 1972 | 48 houses, Holmhead Road | Cumnock Road | | Ayrshire | Scotland | Layout and design proposals | | 1972 | Bottle Exchange | Dean Village | | Edinburgh | Scotland | Conversion of derelict bottle works into office for practice. | | 1972 | Dunfermline College of Physical Education, Edinburgh | Cramond estate | | Edinburgh, Midlothian | Scotland | Extension | | 1972 | Glaisnock Railway Viaduct | Cumnock | | Ayrshire | Scotland | Restoration for pedestrian use | | 1972 | Glaisnock Shopping Centre | Cumnock | | Ayrshire | Scotland | | | 1972 | Landscape plan | Cumnock | | Ayrshire | Scotland | | | 1972 | Opera House site | | | Edinburgh | Scotland | Pyramidal design | | 1972 | Stables, Bell's Brae | | | Edinburgh | Scotland | Conversion to offices | | c. 1972 | University of Newcastle-upon-Tyne, Departments of Plant Biology and Biochemistry | | | Newcastle-upon-Tyne | England | | | 1973 | Peterhead Power Station | Peterhead | | Aberdeenshire | Scotland | | | c. 1973 | Village plan | Hilton, Easter Ross | | Ross and Cromarty | Scotland | | | c. 1973 | Village plan | Balintore, Easter Ross | | Ross and Cromarty | Scotland | | | 1975 | Edinburgh Airport | | | Edinburgh | Scotland | | | 1975 | University of Edinburgh, King's Buildings, Genome Unit | | | Edinburgh | Scotland | | | 1975 | Wester Hailes Education Centre | Wester Hailes | | Edinburgh | Scotland | | | Before 1975 | Swan House offices | | | Newcastle-upon-Tyne | England | | | 1976 | Glendon Hospital | Plymouth | Montserrat | | West Indies | | | 1976 | Royal Commonwealth Pool | | | Edinburgh | Scotland | Suite suite addition | | 1976 | Valleyfield Paper Mills | Penicuik | | Midlothian | Scotland | Reuse report | | 1977 | Aberdeen Airport | | | Aberdeen | Scotland | Passenger terminal | | 1977 | Edinburgh Royal Infirmary, Reproductive Biology Building | | | Edinburgh | Scotland | | | 1977 | Large industrial estate | Monklands | | Lanarkshire | Scotland | Report - with Samuel as associate partner | | 1977 | Linkburn Housing | East Craigs | | Edinburgh | | | | August 1977 | Headquarters for Arthur Bell & Sons, whisky blenders, Cherrybank | Perth | | Perthshire | Scotland | Landscaping | | 1978 | British Home Stores, Princes Street | | | Edinburgh | Scotland | Additions and energy conservation measures | | 1979 | International Business Machines (IBM) Factory | Greenock | | Renfrewshire | Scotland | | | 1979 | Redevelopment of town | Shenzhen | | | China | | | January 1979 | Electronics Factory for Burroughs Corporation | Livingston | | West Lothian | Scotland | | | Before 1979 | Housing for the Link Housing Association | | | Edinburgh | Scotland | | | Early 1970s | Dental Hospital and School | | | Newcastle-upon-Tyne | England | | | Early 1970s | Royal Victoria Infirmary | | | Newcastle-upon-Tyne | England | | | Late 1970s | Steelworks, Glengarnock | Glengarnock | | Ayrshire | Scotland | Commissioned for many separate projects including clearance of industrial dereliction, demolition of buildings, removal of railway sidings, bridges etc and preparation of ground for factories. First project was reclamation of slag heaps bordering on Kilbirnie Loch. Some land will return to pasture, some for recreational use. | | 1980s(?) | Flyover | | | Tripoli | Libya | 12-week construction programme met. Acted as project managers | | 1980s(?) | House of Assembly | Kingstown | St Vincent | | West Indies | Acted as architects, services engineers and QS. | | 1980s(?) | Land reclamation study | Newtongrange | | Midlothian | Scotland | Report for industrial estate at Lady Victoria Colliery | | 1980s | Sports Centre | | | Sharjah | United Arab Emirates | Acted as Structural and Services Engineers and QS | | 1980 | Glengarnock and Kilbirnie villages | | | Ayrshire | Scotland | Restoration as part of a larger area of regeneration | | 1980 | Hospital project | | | | Belize | | | 1980 | Student Residences | Paisley | | Renfrewshire | | | | c. 1980 | Vehicle workshops | | | | Libya | unexecuted designs | | 1981 | Arima District Hospital | | Trinidad | | West Indies | Addition to existing hospital - with Vernon Lee as senior partner | | 1981 | Caledonian Hotel | | | Edinburgh | Scotland | Repairs and redevelopment | | 1981 | Distillers House | Murrayfield | | Edinburgh | Scotland | | | 1981 | Distribution Centre | Greenock | | Paisley | | | | 1981 | Little Parliament | | St Vincent | | West Indies | | | 1982 | Abattoir | | | Misurata | Libya | Unexecuted designs | | 1982 | John Watson's School | | | Edinburgh | Scotland | Conversion of school to gallery | | 1982 | Memorial Park | Goz-tik | | Misurata | Libya | Design completed. RMJM to act as architects, landscape architects, structural and services engineers and QS | | March 1982 | National Museum | | | Tripoli | Libya | Acting as Project Managers and Cost Control Consultants as well as Architects and Structural and Services Engineers - in succession to Henningson Durham & Richardson Inc. | | 1983 | Iona Abbey | | Iona | Argyll | Scotland | Acting as Service Engineers - installation of heat pump | | 1984 | Headquarters for Arthur Bell & Sons, whisky blenders, Cherrybank | Perth | | Perthshire | Scotland | New entrance pavilion and associated works | | 1984 | Office for architectural practice, Dean Village | Dean Village | | Edinburgh | Scotland | | | 1984 | Stables, Bell's Brae | | | Edinburgh | Scotland | Extension and upgrading of offices | | 1985 | Hospital | Anguilla | | | West Indies | With Vernon Lee as chairman of the firm | | 1987 | Glasgow Royal Concert Hall | | | Glasgow | Scotland | Executive architects | | c. 1988 | Saltire Court | | | Edinburgh | Scotland | Competition design | | 1990 | Falkirk Sheriff Court | Falkirk | | Stirlingshire | Scotland | | | 1993 | Scottish Office, Victoria Quay | Leith | | Edinburgh | Scotland | | | 1997(?) | Scottish Office, Victoria Quay | Leith | | Edinburgh | Scotland | Structural and Service engineering
| | 1997 | Usher Hall | | | Edinburgh | Scotland | Proposal and application Scottish Arts Council - not successful | | 1999 | Millennium Wheel and Aqueduct | Falkirk | | West Lothian | Scotland | In association with British Waterways | | 2008 | University of the West Of Scotland (Ayr Campus) | Ayr | | Ayrshire | Scotland | | | c. 1966 | Coleraine-Portrush-Portstewart Area Plan | | | | Northern Ireland | With Percy Johnson Marshall as planning consultant responsible for Area Plan As of September 1966 it was decided that RMJM would do the QS work |
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 | p136 | | Glendinning, M, MacInnes, R and MacKechnie, A | 1996 | A History of Scottish Architecture | | | p582 | | Glendinning, Miles | 1997 | Rebuilding Scotland: The Postwar Vision, 1945-75 | | Tuckwell Press Ltd | p16, p165-7 University of Edinburgh George Square Redevelopment, David Hume Tower p26 Hutchesontown B p29, 116, 119, 124, 127, 156, 164-5 University of Stirling p29,39,86,116,125-9,164,185 Royal Commonwealth Pool p18-19, p157, p170 Kincardine Power Station | | Glendinning, Miles | 2008 | Modern architect: the life and times of Robert Matthew | | RIBA Publishing | | | Glendinning, Miles and Muthesius, Stefan | 1994 | Tower Block: Modern Public Housing in England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland | | Yale University Press: New Haven and London | p169, p228, p368 Hutchesontown Area B | | Miles Glendinning, Diane Watters, David Whitham | | Docomomo Scotland Leaflet | | | Cover, p231 Royal Commonwealth Pool | | Municipal Annual | 1964 | Scottish Municipal Annual | 1964-1965 | | | | Pride, Glen L | 1999 | The Kingdom of Fife | 2nd Edition | The Rutland Press | p24 | | Walker, Frank Arneil | 1986 | South Clyde Estuary: An Illustrated Architectural Guide to Inverclyde and Renfrew | | | p16-17, p28, p126 | | Willis, Peter | 1977 | New architecture in Scotland | | | p7-8 p9 Cockenzie Power Station p10 p52-55 University of Stirling p76-9 Royal Commonwealth Pool p92-5 Ninewells Hospital |
Periodical ReferencesThe following periodicals contain references to this : | | Periodical Name | Date | Edition | Publisher | Notes | | Architects Journal | 1 December 1995 | | | p29-38 | | Builder | 28 August 1964 | | | p454 | | Building | 15 September 1967 | | | p132-4 | | Concrete Quarterly | 1997 | Winter | | Concrete Society Awards in the Heart of the West End, p16 |
Archive ReferencesThe following archives hold material relating to this : | | Source | Archive Name | Source Catalogue No. | Notes | | Courtesy of Euan Colam | Interview of Euan Colam by Kirsten McKee | | |
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