Skip to Main Content

Architects

Basic Biographic Details

Alan Reiach
Architect
Exact Date
Exact Date
23/07/1992
Alan Reiach was born in London on 2 March 1910, the son of Herbert L Reiach, a wealthy printer, amateur naval architect, and founding editor of Yachting Monthly, and Marie Barbara Federson who was Polish. He was brought up in Acton until the age of six and thereafter by his grandmother and aunt in Mill Hill until he was old enough to be sent to a prep school in Eastbourne. In 1921 his aunt moved to Edinburgh where he attended Edinburgh Academy from 1922 until 1928 when he was articled to Lorimer & Matthew: there he became a close friend of Robert Matthew who was four years older. In 1929 he made a study tour to East Anglia and to Wiltshire and Somerset the following year.

Whilst with Lorimer & Matthew he studied part-time at Edinburgh College of Art under John Begg, and he continued to study there for two years full-time after completing his apprenticeship in 1932. He obtained his diploma in June 1934, passed the Professional Practice exam the following month, and was admitted ARIBA on 3 December 1934, his proposers being Begg, John Fraser Matthew and Frank Charles Mears. During his final two years of study he won the Soane Medallion, the Tite Prize, the RIBA Silver Medal and an Andrew Grant travelling scholarship. The last of these was deferred a year while he took the postgraduate planning course, but in 1935-6 he visited France, Scandinavia, the USA (where he joined Frank Lloyd Wright for a short period at Taliesin) and the USSR. Like Robert Scott Morton and the slightly older Esmé Gordon he was a superb draughtsman and the sketches from his study tours are treasured by those fortunate enough to have them. On his return he spent about a year in London with Robert Atkinson and George Grey Wornum prior to becoming a research and teaching fellow at Edinburgh College of Art in 1938.

Reiach commenced practice in 1933 from his house in Randolph Place before completing his course at the College, his first commission being a house in Suffolk. In the years 1935 to 1937 it necessarily went into abeyance, but from 1938 he entered competitions with Robert Matthew, winning that for the baths and fire station at Ilkeston in 1938. He was also active in the Saltire Society, publishing a slim but influential volume entitled 'Building Scotland' with Robert Hurd in 1938.

In 1940 Robert Matthew brought Reiach into the Scottish Office as assistant secretary of the Scottish Housing Advisory Committee at the Department of Health. In the same year Reiach married Julie Dittmar, but the marriage did not survive wartime conditions in Scotland. His role at the Scottish Office ended in 1946 when he recommenced practice. With the help of a senior lecturing post at Edinburgh College of Art he managed to re-establish his practice in 1948, forming a single-project partnership with a colleague at the College, Ralph Cowan, to design the new College of Agriculture at the University of Edinburgh's King's Buildings site. In parallel he married a second time to Patricia Ann Duncan in 1949 and attracted an exceptionally able staff, George McNab in 1955 and Stuart Renton in 1956. By 1957 Reiach was so busy he had to resign from the College of Art and in the same year he took Renton into partnership, followed by McNab in 1958; and in the latter year John R Oberlander and Leslie D Mitchell joined the staff. Reiach was elevated to FRIBA in early 1959, his proposers being William Hardie Kininmonth, J Holt and Robert Hogg Matthew.

Reiach was a vice-president of the Edinburgh Architectural Association in 1959.

In 1965 Alan Reiach & Partners merged with Eric Hall & Partners to form the still more successful Alan Reiach, Eric Hall & Partners, the partners including Oberlander and Mitchell from 1967 onwards.

Reiach retired in 1975 but remained with the practice as part-time consultant until 1980. Because of the war years, his teaching commitments and the early involvement of partners in his university hospital and school projects, the period in which Reiach's own ability as an architect can be clearly recognised was short: but he was appointed OBE in 1964, served on the Royal Fine Art Commission from 1966 until 1980 and was elected ARSA in 1969. He was elected full academician in 1986, but by that date his elevation owed more to his exceptional skill as draughtsman and watercolourist than to architecture.

In person Reiach was small in stature but very good-looking, always stylishly dressed with a bow tie and often a black beret which gave him a mildly Frenchified appearance. His personality was hugely engaging, witty, excitable and enthusiastic in a carefully controlled way, and intellectually challenging: he was always great fun to be with. He died on 23 July 1992 after a short illness. He was survived by his wife Patricia, one son and one daughter.

Publications:
The Lesser Architecture of Scotland, 4volumes, Edinburgh (ECA library 72 (411) B73

Addresses

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

Private Addresses

Private Addresses2 classic

AddressClassDate From CharDate From TypeDate To CharDate To TypeNotes
14 Randolph Place Edinburgh ScotlandPrivate/business
20 Nelson Street Edinburgh ScotlandPrivate
7 Albert Terrace Edinburgh ScotlandPrivate/business
3 Winton Loan Edinburgh ScotlandPrivate

Business Addresses

Business Addresses2 classic

AddressClassDate From Date From TypeDate ToDate To TypeNotes
14 Randolph Place Edinburgh ScotlandPrivate/business
7 Albert Terrace Edinburgh ScotlandPrivate/business
30 Melville Street Edinburgh ScotlandBusiness
22 Ainslie Place Edinburgh ScotlandBusiness
16 Moray Place Edinburgh ScotlandBusiness
6 Darnaway Street Edinburgh ScotlandBusiness

Employment and Training

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

Employers2 classic

NameName LinkDate FromDate ToPositionNotes
Frank Lloyd Wright207616After 1935Before 1936Assistant
George Grey Wornum204760After 1936In year 1938Assistant
Lorimer & Matthew201027In year 1928In year 1932Apprentice
Robert Atkinson204351In year 1936Before 1938Assistant
Department of Health for Scotland (Scottish Board of Health; later Scottish Development Department)202045In year 1940In year 1946AssistantAssistant Secretary of the Scottish Housing Advisory Committee
Alan Reiach & Partners400376In year 1959In year 1965Partner
Alan Reiach Eric Hall & Partners400386In year 1965Partner
Reiach & Cowan404454Partner

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
(Professor) George Alexander Macnab (misspelt McNab)400378After 1954Assistant
Leslie Douglas Mitchell400388In year 1957Assistant
John ('Jack') Reid Oberlander400389In year 1958In year 1963Assistant
Robert ('Bob') Dawson405970c. 1956In year 1959

RIBA Proposers

The following individuals proposed this person for RIBA membership (click on an item to view details):

RIBA PROPOSERS2 classic

ProposerProposer LinkDate ProposedNotes
(Sir) Frank Charles Mears2024021934/12/03for Associateship
John Fraser Matthew2019831934/12/03for Associateship
John Begg2003751934/12/03for Associateship
(Sir) William Hardie Kininmonth 202942Early 1959sfor Fellowship
Robert Hogg Matthew202067Early 1959sfor Fellowship
John Holt400936Early 1959sFor Fellowship

RIBA Proposals

This person proposed the following individuals for RIBA membership (click on an item to view details):

RIBA PROPOSALS2 classic

PersonDate ProposedNotes
(Sir) Harry Anthony Wheeler (or simply Sir Anthony Wheeler)1967/07/19for Fellowship
Thomas Harley Haddow1968/06/05for Fellowship
John Herdman Reid1968/07/17For Fellowship
William Alistair Miller1968/07/17For Fellowship
(Professor) George Alexander Macnab (misspelt McNab)1969/07/16For Fellowship
Peter Burnett Caird1969/07/16For Fellowship
James Stuart Renton1969/07/16For Fellowship

References

Bibliographic References

The following books contain references to this person:

Bib ref classic

AuthorTitleDatePublisherPartNotes
Bailey, Rebecca MScottish architects' papers: a source book1996Edinburgh: The Rutland Press
Edinburgh AcademyEdinburgh Academy Register1982
Scott Morton, RobertAlan Reiach OBE RSA RSW RIBA FRIAS: A Memoir
Glendinning, MilesRebuilding Scotland: The Postwar Vision, 1945-75 1997Tuckwell Press Ltdp11p13 Photograph of Alan Reiach 1968; Whitemoss shops and houses East Kilbridep14 drawing of case study proposals for Leven Valley. Cottage and flat groupingspp32, 34 Winton Loanp162-3 New Clubp165-7 Appleton Tower, University of Edinburgh
Post Office Directories
Who Was WhoWho was WhoFor the years 1991-95
McEwan, P J MDictionary of Scottish Art and Architecture1994
RCAHMSCreating a Future for the Past: the Scottish Architects' Papers Preservation Project2004Edinburgh: Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Scotlandpp 106-9
Willis, PeterNew architecture in Scotland1977p32-3 Kildrum Parish Churchp84-7 The New Club
Frew, JohnThe Reiach Surveys 1932-421999
Frew, JohnAlan Reiach\'s Scottish Vernacular Survey 1937-432001Lowe, A D Morrison (ed)25, no2

Periodical References

The following periodicals contain references to this person:

Period ref classic

Periodical NamePublisherDate CircEditionNotes
RIBA Journal1992/11*
Scotsman1990/01/26*
Scotsman1990/02/26*
Scotsman1992/07/25*
Scotsman1994/04/04*
Trans… of the Edinburgh Architectural Association1992No 31
The Times1992/08/13*
Building Design1992/08/21*
RIAS Newsletter1992/10/11No 3
Builder1959/05/01'Edinburgh Architectural Association' p832

Archive References

The following archives hold material relating to this person:

Arc ref classic

Archive NameSourceSource Cat NoBuilding IdItem NameNotes
RIBA Nomination PapersRIBA Archive, Victoria & Albert Museum100005A no5567 (stored under F5385, combined box 75); F no5385 (combined box 75)
Professor David M Walker, notes and collection of archive materialProfessor David M Walker personal archive100041Research notes for 'Scottish Thirties'; personal recollections of David M Walker
Alan Reiach photograph collectionUniversity of St Andrews Library201358