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 NamesThe following alternative names are associated with this building/design: | | Name | Current name? | Notes | | Glasgow Airport | | | | Glasgow International Airport | | |
Building Type ClassificationThe building is classified under the following categories: | | Classification | Original classification? | Notes | | Airport | | |
EventsThe following date-based events are associated with this building: | | From | To | Event type | Notes | | 1961(?) | | Proposed | Decided in 1961 to create a new airport at Abbotsinch | | 10 April 1964 * | | Contract offered | Contract placed with John Laing Construction Ltd, for construction of terminal building and associated facilities | | 18 February 1966 | | Build/construction | Construction of first of hangar roofs designed by R S Harvey with Scott & Wilson, Kirkpatrick & Partners | | 27 June 1966 | | Opened | Officially opened by Her Majesty the Queen on this date, after being in operational use since the beginning of May | | 20 January 1967 | | | Included with plans and images of airport in use in 'Building.' | | July 1967 | | Alterations and additions | Airport is to extend runway at cost of £100,000. | | September 1967 | | Addition | Airport 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. | | 1968 | | Won award or awards | RIBA Civic Trust Award (Group B) for passenger terminal buildings | | April 1968 | | Addition | £2.5m extension approval by finance committee | | 1975 | | Build/construction | Offices Abbotsinch Airport. Cost £80,000. Other Buildings Commissioned by Public Bodies | | October 1989 | | Build/construction | Construction work begun on a 110,000 sq ft three-level extension and refurbishment of Glasgow Airport [The Scotsman, 15 June 1992]. | | 15 June 1992 | | Opened | New £60 million terminal building opened by the Princess Royal [The Scotsman, 15 June 1992]. |
* earliest date known from documented sources.
PeopleDesign and ConstructionThe 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. | | Name | Role | Partnership Group | From | To | Notes | | Sylvia Crowe & Associates | | | | 1967 | | | (Professor) Charles Calthorpe Robertson | | A | 1960s(?) | | Carried out background research | | (Sir) Basil Urwin Spence | | A | 1961 | 1967 | £2m terminal building | | Anne Parker (Mrs Finlay) | | A | 1961 | 1966 | £2 terminal building (responsible for staircase) - working in the firm of Basil Spence & Partners / Sir Basil Spence, Glover & Ferguson | | Basil Spence & Partners | | A | 1961 | 1963 | £2m terminal building (completed in 1967 under practice title of Sir Basil Spence, Glover & Ferguson) | | James Ian Haig Marshall | | A | 1961 | 1967 | £2 terminal building - as associate in the firm of Basil Spence & Partners / Sir Basil Spence, Glover & Ferguson | | John Hardie Glover | | A | 1961 | 1967 | £2m terminal building | | Peter Scott Ferguson | | A | 1961 | 1967 | £2m terminal building | | Sir Basil Spence, Glover & Ferguson | | A | 1964 | 1967 | £2m terminal building (begun in 1961 under practice title of Basil Spence & Partners) | | John Laing Construction Ltd | | | 1966 * | | Main contractor for aircraft servicing buildings and hangars | | Murray, Ward & Partners | | | 1966 * | | working in association with R S Harvey (DA. Edin) ARIBA to provide buildings and hangars for aircraft servicing | | Ronald Sinclair Harvey | | | 1966 * | | British European Airways chief staff architect for aircraft servicing | | Scott & 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. | | Wakeman Trower & Partners | | | 1966 * | | Quantity surveyors for aircraft servicing buildings and hangars | | Ove Arup & Partners | | | 24 June 1966 | | Structural consultants for terminal building | | Reynolds & Young | | | 24 June 1966 | | Quantity surveyors for terminal building | | (Professor) James Paul | | F | 1975 | | Offices | | Alexander John Smith | | F | 1975 | | Offices | | Alexander Steele | | F | 1975 | | Offices | | Alistair Graham Allan | | F | 1975 | | Offices - may not be involved | | Baxter Clark & Paul | | F | 1975 | | Responsible for Build/construction of Offices | | David William Baxter (junior) | | F | 1975 | | Offices | | George Cruickshank | | F | 1975 | | Offices | | George Lindsay Bruce | | F | 1975 | | Offices | | Ian Geoffrey Plenderleath | | F | 1975 | | Offices | | John Stewart Clark | | F | 1975 | | Offices | | Peter Murchie | | F | 1975 | | Offices | | Robert Reid Black | | F | 1975 | | Offices | | Sir Basil Spence, Glover & Ferguson | | B | Late 1980s | 1992(?) | Design of airport extension and refurbishment, with John Mamoch Legge as architect [The Scotsman, 15 June 1992]. | | John Marnoch Legge | | B/C | Late 1980s | 1992 | Design 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]. | | Legge Associates Architects | | C | 1992 | 1992 | Took 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. ClientsThe following individuals or organisations have commissioned work on this building/design: | | Name | Notes | | Corporation of the Royal Burgh of Glasgow | initiated by the Ministry of Aviation |
Related Buildings, Structures and DesignsChild StructuresThis structure or site has the following component or child structures (click on an item to view details): | | Building Name | Notes | | Bar and Buffet Extension at Glasgow (Abbotsinch) Airport | | | International 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]. | | Multi-storey Car Park, Glasgow (Abbotsinch) Airport | |
ReferencesBibliographic ReferencesThe following books contain references to this building: | | Author(s) | Date | Title | Part | Publisher | Notes | | Glendinning, Miles | 1997 | Rebuilding Scotland: The Postwar Vision, 1945-75 | | Tuckwell Press Ltd | p98 | | RIBA | 1970 | RIBA Directory 1970 | | | | | RIBA | 1975 | RIBA Directory of practices | | | | | Walker, Frank Arneil | 1986 | South Clyde Estuary: An Illustrated Architectural Guide to Inverclyde and Renfrew | | | p21 |
Periodical ReferencesThe following periodicals contain references to this building: | | Periodical Name | Date | Edition | Publisher | Notes | | Builder | 10 April 1964 | | | p742 | | Builder | 17 April 1964 | | | p814 - article, with plan and model | | Builder | 18 February 1966 | | | p.368 with photo of hangar under construction | | Building | 24 June 1966 | | | p167 with photo of entrance foyer of terminal building | | Building | 15 July 1966 | | | p126 with aerial photo | | Building | 20 January 1967 | | | p77 | | Building | 21 July 1967 | | | p164 | | Building | 29 September 1967 | | | p159 | | Building | 26 April 1968 | | | p178 | | Building | 7 February 1969 | | | p6/95 | | Scotsman | 15 June 1992 | | | p15-19 'Survey/Glasgow International Airport' |
Archive ReferencesThe following archives hold material relating to this building: | | Source | Archive name | Source catalogue no. | Notes | | National Monuments Record of Scotland/NMRS, RCAHMS | Scottish Survey of Architectural Practices Project MS material | | | | Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Scotland | Canmore | | | | Sent to DSA by email | Information 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. |
|