Basic Site Details

Name: Glasgow (Abbotsinch) Airport
Town, district or village: nr Paisley
City or county: Renfrewshire
Country: Scotland
Parish:  
Status:  
Grid ref:
Notes: Replacement for Renfrew Airport

Alternative Names

The following alternative names are associated with this building/design:
 NameCurrent name?Notes
Item 1 of 2Glasgow Airport  
Item 2 of 2Glasgow International Airport  

Building Type Classification

The building is classified under the following categories:
 ClassificationOriginal classification?Notes
Item 1 of 1Airport  

Events

The following date-based events are associated with this building:
 FromToEvent typeNotes
Item 1 of 121961(?) ProposedDecided in 1961 to create a new airport at Abbotsinch
Item 2 of 1210 April 1964 * Contract offeredContract placed with John Laing Construction Ltd, for construction of terminal building and associated facilities
Item 3 of 1218 February 1966 Build/constructionConstruction of first of hangar roofs designed by R S Harvey with Scott & Wilson, Kirkpatrick & Partners
Item 4 of 1227 June 1966 OpenedOfficially opened by Her Majesty the Queen on this date, after being in operational use since the beginning of May
Item 5 of 1220 January 1967  Included with plans and images of airport in use in 'Building.'
Item 6 of 12July 1967 Alterations and additionsAirport is to extend runway at cost of £100,000.
Item 7 of 12September 1967 AdditionAirport committee is examining £5 million plan for extension of the runway. Plan submitted by R A Read, airport director, includes doubling the terminal passenger building in 1971-72, and extending the cargo terminal in 1972.
Item 8 of 121968 Won award or awardsRIBA Civic Trust Award (Group B) for passenger terminal buildings
Item 9 of 12April 1968 Addition£2.5m extension approval by finance committee
Item 10 of 121975 Build/constructionOffices Abbotsinch Airport. Cost £80,000. Other Buildings Commissioned by Public Bodies
Item 11 of 12October 1989 Build/constructionConstruction work begun on a 110,000 sq ft three-level extension and refurbishment of Glasgow Airport [The Scotsman, 15 June 1992].
Item 12 of 1215 June 1992 OpenedNew £60 million terminal building opened by the Princess Royal [The Scotsman, 15 June 1992].

* earliest date known from documented sources.


People

Design and Construction

The following individuals or organisations have carried out design/construction work. Where architects or practices worked together, matching letters appear beside their names in the Partnership Group column.
 NameRolePartnership GroupFromToNotes
Item 1 of 31Sylvia Crowe & Associates   1967 
Item 2 of 31(Professor) Charles Calthorpe Robertson A1960s(?) Carried out background research
Item 3 of 31(Sir) Basil Urwin Spence A19611967£2m terminal building
Item 4 of 31Anne Parker (Mrs Finlay) A19611966£2 terminal building (responsible for staircase) - working in the firm of Basil Spence & Partners / Sir Basil Spence, Glover & Ferguson
Item 5 of 31Basil Spence & Partners A19611963£2m terminal building (completed in 1967 under practice title of Sir Basil Spence, Glover & Ferguson)
Item 6 of 31James Ian Haig Marshall A19611967£2 terminal building - as associate in the firm of Basil Spence & Partners / Sir Basil Spence, Glover & Ferguson
Item 7 of 31John Hardie Glover A19611967£2m terminal building
Item 8 of 31Peter Scott Ferguson A19611967£2m terminal building
Item 9 of 31Sir Basil Spence, Glover & Ferguson A19641967£2m terminal building (begun in 1961 under practice title of Basil Spence & Partners)
Item 10 of 31John Laing Construction Ltd  1966 * Main contractor for aircraft servicing buildings and hangars
Item 11 of 31Murray, Ward & Partners  1966 * working in association with R S Harvey (DA. Edin) ARIBA to provide buildings and hangars for aircraft servicing
Item 12 of 31Ronald Sinclair Harvey  1966 * British European Airways chief staff architect for aircraft servicing
Item 13 of 31Scott & Wilson, Kirkpatrick & Partners  1966 Prepared design as consulting and civil engineers for two welded steel, two-way spanning inter-locking space-frame hangar roofs, each weighing 200 tons and supported on four stanchions.
Item 14 of 31Wakeman Trower & Partners  1966 * Quantity surveyors for aircraft servicing buildings and hangars
Item 15 of 31Ove Arup & Partners  24 June 1966 Structural consultants for terminal building
Item 16 of 31Reynolds & Young  24 June 1966 Quantity surveyors for terminal building
Item 17 of 31(Professor) James Paul F1975 Offices
Item 18 of 31Alexander John Smith F1975 Offices
Item 19 of 31Alexander Steele F1975 Offices
Item 20 of 31Alistair Graham Allan F1975 Offices - may not be involved
Item 21 of 31Baxter Clark & Paul F1975 Responsible for Build/construction of Offices
Item 22 of 31David William Baxter (junior) F1975 Offices
Item 23 of 31George Cruickshank F1975 Offices
Item 24 of 31George Lindsay Bruce F1975 Offices
Item 25 of 31Ian Geoffrey Plenderleath F1975 Offices
Item 26 of 31John Stewart Clark F1975 Offices
Item 27 of 31Peter Murchie F1975 Offices
Item 28 of 31Robert Reid Black F1975 Offices
Item 29 of 31Sir Basil Spence, Glover & Ferguson BLate 1980s1992(?)Design of airport extension and refurbishment, with John Mamoch Legge as architect [The Scotsman, 15 June 1992].
Item 30 of 31John Marnoch Legge B/CLate 1980s1992Design of airport extension and refurbishment, as architect with Sir Basil Spence, Glover & Partners, then with Legge Associates Architects who completed the project [The Scotsman, 15 June 1992].
Item 31 of 31Legge Associates Architects C19921992Took over from Sir Basil Spence, Glover & Ferguson to finish the airport extension and refurbishment. With John Mamoch Legge as Partner [The Scotsman, 15 June 1992].

* earliest date known from documented sources.

Clients

The following individuals or organisations have commissioned work on this building/design:
 NameNotes
Item 1 of 1Corporation of the Royal Burgh of Glasgowinitiated by the Ministry of Aviation

Related Buildings, Structures and Designs

Child Structures

This structure or site has the following component or child structures (click on an item to view details):
 Building NameNotes
Item 1 of 3Bar and Buffet Extension at Glasgow (Abbotsinch) Airport 
Item 2 of 3International Pier (Glasgow Airport)Second stage of the extension and refurbishment of Glasgow Airport. The new two storey pier is built on a site to the west of the terminal building and is joined to the main terminal by a connector arm. Includes facilities for six wide bodied aircraft and jetties, an International Departures Lounge on the first floor with seating for 1200 passengers and retail and catering outlet, and facilities for arriving passengers at ground floor level [Glasgow Airport information leaflet].
Item 3 of 3Multi-storey Car Park, Glasgow (Abbotsinch) Airport 

References

Bibliographic References

The following books contain references to this building:
 Author(s)DateTitlePartPublisherNotes
Item 1 of 4Glendinning, Miles1997Rebuilding Scotland: The Postwar Vision, 1945-75  Tuckwell Press Ltdp98
Item 2 of 4RIBA1970RIBA Directory 1970   
Item 3 of 4RIBA1975RIBA Directory of practices   
Item 4 of 4Walker, Frank Arneil1986South Clyde Estuary: An Illustrated Architectural Guide to Inverclyde and Renfrew  p21

Periodical References

The following periodicals contain references to this building:
 Periodical NameDateEditionPublisherNotes
Item 1 of 11Builder10 April 1964  p742
Item 2 of 11Builder17 April 1964  p814 - article, with plan and model
Item 3 of 11Builder18 February 1966  p.368 with photo of hangar under construction
Item 4 of 11Building24 June 1966  p167 with photo of entrance foyer of terminal building
Item 5 of 11Building15 July 1966  p126 with aerial photo
Item 6 of 11Building20 January 1967  p77
Item 7 of 11Building21 July 1967  p164
Item 8 of 11Building29 September 1967  p159
Item 9 of 11Building26 April 1968  p178
Item 10 of 11Building7 February 1969  p6/95
Item 11 of 11Scotsman15 June 1992  p15-19 'Survey/Glasgow International Airport'

Archive References

The following archives hold material relating to this building:
 SourceArchive nameSource catalogue no.Notes
Item 1 of 3National Monuments Record of Scotland/NMRS, RCAHMSScottish Survey of Architectural Practices Project MS material  
Item 2 of 3Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of ScotlandCanmore  
Item 3 of 3Sent to DSA by emailInformation from AHRC/RCAHMS Spence project per David W Walker and Clive Fenton Clive Fenton's research notes (sent July 2010): information on James I H Marshall's involvement.