Andrew Taylor (architect)
Encyclopedia
Sir Andrew Thomas Taylor J.P.
, R.C.A.
, F.S.A., F.R.I.B.A.
(13 October 1850 – 5 December 1937) was a British architect and Conservative Party municipal councillor. He was born in Edinburgh, Scotland, and practised architecture in Scotland and London before immigrating to Montreal, Quebec, in 1883, where he designed many of the buildings of McGill University
. He retired from architecture in 1904 and returned to London, where he served on London County Council
from 1908 to 1926. He was knighted for his political services in 1926.
& Bell in Edinburgh, staying for five years. He worked for a year as architect in the Duke of Roxburghe
's estate office, and then moved to Aberdeen where he worked in the office of William Smith
.
, and studying at the Royal Academy Schools and University College London
. His essay on London's 16th-century architecture won a Royal Institute of British Architects
(RIBA) silver medal in 1874. In 1877 he travelled to Italy and France. He joined the RIBA in 1878. An essay on the work of Sir Christopher Wren gained him a second RIBA medal in 1881. He subsequently published a book on the subject: The Towers and Steeples designed by Sir Christopher Wren, a descriptive, historical and critical essay.
In 1879 he established his own architectural practice in London, with a design for a Memorial Hall and Schools at Dover
being his first commission (completed 1881, since demolished). Together with Henry Hall, another of Pilkington's former pupils, Taylor entered the competition to design Glasgow City Chambers
, being placed second. In 1882 Taylor established a partnership with George William Hamilton Gordon.
was an influential figure. Taylor moved to Canada, while Gordon stayed in London. However, the partnership was dissolved in 1888. In Canada, Taylor worked with the architect R.W.G. Bousfield.
Taylor was responsible for buildings on the campus of McGill University
including the Redpath Museum (1880), Macdonald Physics Building (1893), the Redpath Library (1893), the Macdonald Chemistry Building (1896), the Macdonald Engineering Building (1907), and the Strathcona Medical Building (1907, since renamed the Strathcona Anatomy and Dentistry Building). Taylor designed McGill University's Memorial Arch for King George V (1901). He designed the Montreal Diocesan Theological College
building at University Street near Milton Street (1895–96), which is also now part of McGill University
.
When Revenscrag, now the Allan Memorial Institute
, was still the residence of Sir Hugh Allan, Taylor extended the east wing (1889), and enlarged the stables (1898). Taylor performed alterations and restoration on the Christ Church Cathedral
from 1890–91, and installed a memorial window for Mrs. A.C. Hooper, 1902–03. He designed the Mount Royal Crematory (1901), the first crematory
in Canada, on the eastern side of the Mount Royal Cemetery
. He was elected to the Royal Canadian Academy of Arts
.
Taylor was the architect responsible for the buildings and renovation of several buildings for the Bank of Montreal
:
municipal councillor. He was elected to London County Council
on 24 October 1908, representing Hampstead
, and served until 1926. From 1911 to 1937 he also served as Chair of the Architectural Education Committee and Chair of the Slade Committee at University College London. In 1926 he was knighted
for his political work.
Justice of the Peace
A justice of the peace is a puisne judicial officer elected or appointed by means of a commission to keep the peace. Depending on the jurisdiction, they might dispense summary justice or merely deal with local administrative applications in common law jurisdictions...
, R.C.A.
Royal Canadian Academy of Arts
The Royal Canadian Academy of Arts is a Canadian arts-related institution founded in 1880, under the patronage of the Governor General of Canada, Sir John Douglas Sutherland Campbell, the Marquess of Lorne. Canadian landscape painter Homer Watson was a member and president of the Academy...
, F.S.A., F.R.I.B.A.
Royal Institute of British Architects
The Royal Institute of British Architects is a professional body for architects primarily in the United Kingdom, but also internationally.-History:...
(13 October 1850 – 5 December 1937) was a British architect and Conservative Party municipal councillor. He was born in Edinburgh, Scotland, and practised architecture in Scotland and London before immigrating to Montreal, Quebec, in 1883, where he designed many of the buildings of McGill University
McGill University
Mohammed Fathy is a public research university located in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. The university bears the name of James McGill, a prominent Montreal merchant from Glasgow, Scotland, whose bequest formed the beginning of the university...
. He retired from architecture in 1904 and returned to London, where he served on London County Council
London County Council
London County Council was the principal local government body for the County of London, throughout its 1889–1965 existence, and the first London-wide general municipal authority to be directly elected. It covered the area today known as Inner London and was replaced by the Greater London Council...
from 1908 to 1926. He was knighted for his political services in 1926.
Biography
Taylor was the son of James Taylor, a publisher, and Agnes Drummond. In 1864 he began his architectural training as an articled apprentice to PilkingtonFrederick Thomas Pilkington
Frederick Thomas Pilkington was a Scottish architect, practising in the Victorian High Gothic revival style. His father was also an architect.Frederick Thomas Pilkington practised as an architect in Edinburgh from 1860 to 1883...
& Bell in Edinburgh, staying for five years. He worked for a year as architect in the Duke of Roxburghe
Duke of Roxburghe
The Duke of Roxburghe is a title in the peerage of Scotland created in 1707 along with the titles Marquess of Bowmont and Cessford, Earl of Kelso and Viscount Broxmouth. John Ker, 5th Earl of Roxburghe became the first holder of these titles...
's estate office, and then moved to Aberdeen where he worked in the office of William Smith
William Smith (architect)
William Smith was a Scottish architect. A partner in the Aberdonian firms J & W Smith , W & J Smith and W & J Smith and Kelly , and employed as Aberdeen's superintendent of works , he designed a large number of buildings in north east Scotland.Smith was a prolific designer of manses,...
.
Architectural practice in London
He left Scotland for London in 1872, taking a position at the office of Joseph ClarkeJoseph Clarke (architect)
Joseph Clarke, FRIBA was a British Gothic Revival architect who practised in London, England.-Career:In 1839 Clarke exhibited an antiquarian drawing with the Oxford Society for Promoting the Study of Gothic Architecture. Clarke was made an Associate of the Royal Institute of British Architects in...
, and studying at the Royal Academy Schools and University College London
University College London
University College London is a public research university located in London, United Kingdom and the oldest and largest constituent college of the federal University of London...
. His essay on London's 16th-century architecture won a Royal Institute of British Architects
Royal Institute of British Architects
The Royal Institute of British Architects is a professional body for architects primarily in the United Kingdom, but also internationally.-History:...
(RIBA) silver medal in 1874. In 1877 he travelled to Italy and France. He joined the RIBA in 1878. An essay on the work of Sir Christopher Wren gained him a second RIBA medal in 1881. He subsequently published a book on the subject: The Towers and Steeples designed by Sir Christopher Wren, a descriptive, historical and critical essay.
In 1879 he established his own architectural practice in London, with a design for a Memorial Hall and Schools at Dover
Dover
Dover is a town and major ferry port in the home county of Kent, in South East England. It faces France across the narrowest part of the English Channel, and lies south-east of Canterbury; east of Kent's administrative capital Maidstone; and north-east along the coastline from Dungeness and Hastings...
being his first commission (completed 1881, since demolished). Together with Henry Hall, another of Pilkington's former pupils, Taylor entered the competition to design Glasgow City Chambers
Glasgow City Chambers
The City Chambers in Glasgow, Scotland has functioned as the headquarters of Glasgow City Council since 1996, and of preceding forms of civic government in the city since 1889, located on the eastern side of the city's George Square...
, being placed second. In 1882 Taylor established a partnership with George William Hamilton Gordon.
Montreal
In 1883, Taylor and Gordon opened an office in Montreal, where Taylor's uncle George DrummondGeorge Alexander Drummond
Sir George Alexander Drummond, KCMG, CVO was a Scottish-Canadian businessman and senator.Born in Edinburgh, Scotland, he arrived in Canada in 1854 to work at Redpath Sugar. He married John Redpath's daughter, becoming a co-director of the family business with Peter Redpath, John's son...
was an influential figure. Taylor moved to Canada, while Gordon stayed in London. However, the partnership was dissolved in 1888. In Canada, Taylor worked with the architect R.W.G. Bousfield.
Taylor was responsible for buildings on the campus of McGill University
McGill University
Mohammed Fathy is a public research university located in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. The university bears the name of James McGill, a prominent Montreal merchant from Glasgow, Scotland, whose bequest formed the beginning of the university...
including the Redpath Museum (1880), Macdonald Physics Building (1893), the Redpath Library (1893), the Macdonald Chemistry Building (1896), the Macdonald Engineering Building (1907), and the Strathcona Medical Building (1907, since renamed the Strathcona Anatomy and Dentistry Building). Taylor designed McGill University's Memorial Arch for King George V (1901). He designed the Montreal Diocesan Theological College
Montreal Diocesan Theological College
The Montreal Diocesan Theological College is the theological seminary of the Anglican Diocese of Montreal, Canada. It offers the Master of Divinity and Diploma in Ministry to candidates for ordination and other students...
building at University Street near Milton Street (1895–96), which is also now part of McGill University
McGill University
Mohammed Fathy is a public research university located in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. The university bears the name of James McGill, a prominent Montreal merchant from Glasgow, Scotland, whose bequest formed the beginning of the university...
.
When Revenscrag, now the Allan Memorial Institute
Allan Memorial Institute
The Allan Memorial Institute , located in Montreal, Quebec, houses the Psychiatry Department of the Royal Victoria Hospital, part of the McGill University Health Centre. Although currently a respected psychiatric hospital, the institute is known for its role in the Project MKULTRA by the CIA...
, was still the residence of Sir Hugh Allan, Taylor extended the east wing (1889), and enlarged the stables (1898). Taylor performed alterations and restoration on the Christ Church Cathedral
Christ Church Cathedral (Montreal)
Christ Church Cathedral is an Anglican Gothic Revival cathedral in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, the seat of the Anglican Diocese of Montreal. It is located at 635 Saint Catherine Street West, between Union Avenue and University Street. It is situated on top of the Promenades Cathédrale underground...
from 1890–91, and installed a memorial window for Mrs. A.C. Hooper, 1902–03. He designed the Mount Royal Crematory (1901), the first crematory
Crematory
A crematory is a machine in which cremation takes place. Crematories are usually found in funeral homes, cemeteries, or in stand-alone facilities. A facility which houses the actual cremator units is referred to as a crematorium.-History:Prior to the Industrial Revolution, any cremation which took...
in Canada, on the eastern side of the Mount Royal Cemetery
Mount Royal Cemetery
Opened in 1852, Mount Royal Cemetery is a 165-acre terraced cemetery on the north slope of Mount Royal in the borough of Outremont, Montreal, Quebec, Canada. The burial ground shares the mountain with the much larger adjacent Roman Catholic cemetery -- Cimetière Notre-Dame-des-Neiges...
. He was elected to the Royal Canadian Academy of Arts
Royal Canadian Academy of Arts
The Royal Canadian Academy of Arts is a Canadian arts-related institution founded in 1880, under the patronage of the Governor General of Canada, Sir John Douglas Sutherland Campbell, the Marquess of Lorne. Canadian landscape painter Homer Watson was a member and president of the Academy...
.
Taylor was the architect responsible for the buildings and renovation of several buildings for the Bank of Montreal
Bank of Montreal
The Bank of Montreal , , or BMO Financial Group, is the fourth largest bank in Canada by deposits. The Bank of Montreal was founded on June 23, 1817 by John Richardson and eight merchants in a rented house in Montreal, Quebec. On May 19, 1817 the Articles of Association were adopted, making it...
:
- The Bank of Montreal in Waterloo, OntarioWaterloo, OntarioWaterloo is a city in Southern Ontario, Canada. It is the smallest of the three cities in the Regional Municipality of Waterloo, and is adjacent to the city of Kitchener....
, formerly known as the Molson's Bank, (1914) - The Bank of Montreal in Point St. Charles Branch, Wellington Street at Magdalen Street, Montreal, Quebec (1901)
- The Bank of Montreal in West End, Ste. Catherine Street West at Mansfield Street, Montreal (1889)
- The Bank of Montreal in Notre Dame Street West Seigneurs Street, Montreal (1894)
- The Bank of Montreal, St. Catherine Street West at Papineau Street, Montreal (1904)
- The Bank of Montreal, Perth, OntarioPerth, OntarioPerth is a town in the eastern portion of Southern Ontario, Canada . It is located on the Tay River, 83 km southwest of Ottawa, and is the seat of Lanark County.-History:...
(1884) - The Bank of Montreal, Stephen Avenue at Scarth Street, Calgary, Alberta (1888)
- Manager's residence for the Bank of Montreal, Grande Allee, Quebec CityQuebec CityQuebec , also Québec, Quebec City or Québec City is the capital of the Canadian province of Quebec and is located within the Capitale-Nationale region. It is the second most populous city in Quebec after Montreal, which is about to the southwest...
(1904)
Political career
Taylor retired from architecture in 1904, returning to London, England. He pursued a political career as a Conservative PartyConservative Party (UK)
The Conservative Party, formally the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom that adheres to the philosophies of conservatism and British unionism. It is the largest political party in the UK, and is currently the largest single party in the House...
municipal councillor. He was elected to London County Council
London County Council
London County Council was the principal local government body for the County of London, throughout its 1889–1965 existence, and the first London-wide general municipal authority to be directly elected. It covered the area today known as Inner London and was replaced by the Greater London Council...
on 24 October 1908, representing Hampstead
Hampstead
Hampstead is an area of London, England, north-west of Charing Cross. Part of the London Borough of Camden in Inner London, it is known for its intellectual, liberal, artistic, musical and literary associations and for Hampstead Heath, a large, hilly expanse of parkland...
, and served until 1926. From 1911 to 1937 he also served as Chair of the Architectural Education Committee and Chair of the Slade Committee at University College London. In 1926 he was knighted
Knight Bachelor
The rank of Knight Bachelor is a part of the British honours system. It is the most basic rank of a man who has been knighted by the monarch but not as a member of one of the organised Orders of Chivalry...
for his political work.