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Basic Biographic Details

Robert Matthew, Johnson-Marshall & Partners (RMJM)
Architectural practice
Year Only
1961
Date Not Known
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.

Addresses

The following private or business addresses are associated with this person:

Business Addresses

Employees or Pupils

The following individuals were employed or trained by this person (click on an item to view details):

Employees or Pupils2 classic

NameName LinkDate FromDate ToPositionNotes
Daniel Dermot Quinn4054161960sAssistant
William Norman Hunter4026211970s
Henry Sherbrooke4051091973/11Resident project director in RMJM\'s Tripoli, Libya branch office.
Gerard Johannes Bakker4029611980s1985 or 1986Associate
Tom Paton4016081980sArchitect
Gerard Johannes Bakker4029611985 or 19862000/04Partner
Kieran Breen4058541990sArchitect
Brian Stewart4058531990sArchitect
Francis ('Frank') Timpson4059841990sWorking on project development; dates unknown.
Anna Welch4058641990sDesigner
Emily Peel Yates4058631990sDesigner
David Orlowski4058611990sDesigner
Simon White4058591990sArchitect
Gary Milliner4058581990sArchitect
Stephen Hall4058571990sArchitect

Buildings and Designs

This person was involved with the following buildings or structures from the date specified (click on an item to view details):

Buildings and Designs2 classic

Building NameDate StartedTown, District or VillageIslandCity or CountyCountryNotes
Cashlie Hydro-Electric Power StationIn year 1954Glen LochayPerthshireScotlandGenerating Station
Turnhouse Airport1960sEdinburghScotlandExtensions
Group of Cultural Buildings for Islamabad Administrative Sector1960sIslamabadPakistan
Armed Forces Musem1960sIslamabadPakistan
441 Corporation houses, Springburn CDA Area A1960sSpringburnGlasgowScotland
Administrative Sector Plan1960sIslamabadPakistan
College of Nautical StudiesIn year 1960GlasgowScotlandContinued under subsequent practice title
Commonwealth InstituteIn year 1961LondonEnglandLondon office commission
New Zealand HouseIn year 1961LondonEnglandBegun under previous practice title
University of Edinburgh, David Hume Tower (Arts Building) and redevelopment of George SquareIn year 1961Edinburgh, MidlothianScotland
Hutchesontown / Gorbals Area B multi-storey flats and housingIn year 1961GlasgowScotlandActed as design consultant for development of scheme (begun under previous practice title)
St John's Boarding SchoolIn year 1961SingaporeSingaporeBegun under previous practice title
Belfast Regional PlanIn year 1961BelfastNorthern Ireland
College of Nautical StudiesIn year 1961GlasgowScotland
Ninewells Hospital and Medical SchoolIn year 1961DundeeScotland

References

Bibliographic References

The following books contain references to this person:

Bib ref classic

AuthorTitleDatePublisherPartNotes
Glendinning, MilesModern architect: the life and times of Robert Matthew2008RIBA Publishing
Pride, Glen LThe Kingdom of Fife1999The Rutland Press2nd Editionp24
Glendinning, MilesRebuilding Scotland: The Postwar Vision, 1945-75 1997Tuckwell Press Ltdp16, p165-7 University of Edinburgh George Square Redevelopment, David Hume Towerp26 Hutchesontown Bp29, 116, 119, 124, 127, 156, 164-5 University of Stirlingp29,39,86,116,125-9,164,185 Royal Commonwealth Poolp18-19, p157, p170 Kincardine Power Station
Glendinning, Miles and Muthesius, StefanTower Block: Modern Public Housing in England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland1994Yale University Press: New Haven and Londonp169, p228, p368 Hutchesontown Area B
Bailey, Rebecca MScottish architects' papers: a source book1996Edinburgh: The Rutland Pressp136
Municipal AnnualScottish Municipal Annual19641964-1965
Willis, PeterNew architecture in Scotland1977p7-8p9 Cockenzie Power Stationp10p52-55 University of Stirlingp76-9 Royal Commonwealth Poolp92-5 Ninewells Hospital
Walker, Frank ArneilSouth Clyde Estuary: An Illustrated Architectural Guide to Inverclyde and Renfrew1986p16-17, p28, p126
Miles Glendinning, Diane Watters, David WhithamDocomomo Scotland LeafletCover, p231 Royal Commonwealth Pool
Glendinning, M, MacInnes, R and MacKechnie, AA History of Scottish Architecture1996p582

Periodical References

The following periodicals contain references to this person:

Period ref classic

Periodical NamePublisherDate CircEditionNotes
Concrete Quarterly1997WinterConcrete Society Awards in the Heart of the West End, p16
Architects Journal1995/12/01p29-38
Building1967/9/15p132-4
Builder1964/08/28p454

Archive References

The following archives hold material relating to this person:

Arc ref classic

Archive NameSourceSource Cat NoBuilding IdItem NameNotes
Interview of Euan Colam by Kirsten McKeeCourtesy of Euan Colam201162