John James Burnet
Encyclopedia
Sir John James Burnet was a Scottish
Edwardian
architect who was noted for a number of prominent buildings in Glasgow
, Scotland
and London
, England
. He was the son of the architect John Burnet
, and later went into partnership with his father, joining an architectural firm which would become an influential force in British Modern architecture
in the 20th Century.
, Glasgow on 31 May 1857. He was the youngest of the three sons of John Burnet and his wife Elizabeth Hay Bennet, who were a Congregationalist
family. John James was educated in Glasgow at the Collegiate School and the Western Academy, and at Blair Lodge Academy, Polmont
.
in Paris
. Burnet's parents were at first reluctant to send their son to a Catholic country which had been subject to the political turmoil of the Paris Commune
that year, but in 1872 he began studying under Jean-Louis Pascal
, Spiers's former teacher. He progressed rapidly and in 1876, gained his Diplôme du Gouvernement in architecture and engineering. He also spent time there as an assistant to François Rolland. While studying in Pascal's atleier, Burnet forged a life-long friendship with Henri Paul Nénot
.
still being in vogue in Glasgow at the time. The building also featured frieze
s by John Mossman
. Burnet was unsuccessful with his entry to design the Glasgow City Chambers
in 1882, but his Clyde Navigation Trust building (1882–86) ensured his success through a recession. In 1881 Burnet was admitted as an Associate of the Royal Institute of British Architects
(ARIBA) and in 1882, his father, John Burnet senior, took him into partnership, and the practice was renamed John Burnet & Son. John Archibald Campbell
rejoined the practice in 1886 after studying under Pascal, adding his name to the practice, Burnet Son & Campbell.
looking towards the London architectural scene to keep abreast of fashion and to increase their chances of winning national competitions (which usually had London assessors). Their dramatic shift in style did not always meet with favour; designs for the competitions to build the Central Thread Agency in Glasgow and the North British Hotel in Edinburgh were rejected. Their first success in the new style was the Glasgow Athenaeum Theatre of 1891-93, a tall American-style elevator building in a Neo-baroque
style similar to that of John Belcher
or Arthur Beresford Pite
. JJ Burnet took a study tour of Italy in 1895 to further his understanding of Baroque architecture
. "Burnet Baroque" was highly influential; their competitors quickly assimilated the new vogue for Neo-Baroque and by 1900 it was the common language of Glasgow building, and even influenced the winning design of the North British Hotel by William Hamilton Beattie. In 1896, Burnet submitted designs to the competition to build the Glasgow School of Art
; he was not successful, the commission instead being handed to a flourishing young designer called Charles Rennie Mackintosh
.
In 1896 the Burnets visited the USA, and Burnet was greatly inspired by American architecture. He began to design a number of low-profile buildings with broad eaves, including many churches and public buildings around Scotland (such as Dundas Memorial Church, Grangemouth
(1894); MacLaren Memorial Church Stenhousemuir
; Public Library and Museum in Campbeltown
). The inspiration of American structural techniques on Burnet's work reached a peak in 1905-10 with his design for McGeoch's Department Store on West Campbell Street, with its strong vertical lines and the expression of the building's structure in the facade.
Campbell left the partnership in 1897 with some suggestion of Campbell's problems with alcoholism
, and the practice name reverted to John Burnet and Son. The same year, JJ Burnet was made a Fellow of the Royal Institute of British Architects (FRIBA) and elected President of the Glasgow Institute of Architects. In 1902, Burnet recruited a promising young architect called Thomas Smith Tait
to be his assistant. Tait later became a partner in the firm and went on to be one of the most influential architects in the British Modern architecture
movement.
selected Burnet to design the Edward VII Galleries at the British Museum
in London. In 1905 Burnet opened a London office in the name of John J Burnet at 1 Montague Place (a grace-and-favour house rented to him by the Museum), taking the young Tait with him. His original ambitious plans would have extended the Museum on all four sides, demolishing Bloomsbury properties to make way for a Parisian-style British Museum Avenue on a north axis, but only the Edward VII Galleries were actually built due to lack of funds. Construction lasted from 1906 to 1914; in 1910, King Edward VII
died, and the Edward VII Galleries were opened by King George V
and Queen Mary
in 1914.
The prestigious work on the British Museum brought in new commissions for Burnet's practice: the General Buildings in Aldwych (1909–11) and the Kodak Building on Kingsway (1910–11). This latter project was a significant milestone for the firm; the American client, George Eastman
, was not afraid of a modern design, and after rejecting several design proposals drawn up by Burnet, eventually selected a design submitted by Thomas S. Tait which was to serve as a model for future developments by the firm.
In 1907, draughtsman Norman Aitken Dick joined the partnership, and around this time the Glasgow office was designing some of its most prestigious buildings, including the Alhambra Theatre and the Sick Children's Hospital at Yorkhill. Burnet continued his study visits to the United States in 1908 and 1910, looking at the design of warehouses, hospitals, museums and galleries.
Burnet was knighted in 1914 for his work in the British Museum galleries. He was also awarded the bronze medal of the Paris Salon and elected RSA
. In 1921 he was made ARA in 1921 and received the Paris gold medal in 1922. Burnet helped to found the Royal Incorporation of Architects in Scotland
.
, brought on by wartime hardship, professional disagreements and financial scandals in the Glasgow office, made it hard for him to work. Thomas Tait had returned to the practice after a reconciliation, and he began to take a leading role in the practice, working on the Daily Telegraph Building and Lloyds Bank on Cornhill. Burnet himself dealt with the redesign on Lomax Simpson's Unilever House project, but otherwise acted as a consultant and went into semi-retirement.
Burnet received the Royal Gold Medal
in 1923 and was elected RA
in 1925.
house at Rowledge
, Surrey
. He then purchased a much smaller cottage in Colinton
, Edinburgh. Although he kept in touch with developments in the Burnet Tait & Lorne office, he was unhappy in retirement. He died on 2 July 1938, and remains were cremated and buried at Warriston Cemetery
.
The Burnet Tait & Lorne practice continued to thrive after his death, and under the leadership of Thomas Smith Tait, went on to become an influential force in Modern Architecture.
Other work has been destroyed or demolished, including:
Burnet's unsuccessful competition designs for prominent building projects included:
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
Edwardian
Edwardian architecture
Edwardian architecture is the style popular when King Edward VII of the United Kingdom was in power; he reigned from 1901 to 1910, but the architecture style is generally considered to be indicative of the years 1901 to 1914....
architect who was noted for a number of prominent buildings in Glasgow
Glasgow
Glasgow is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the United Kingdom. The city is situated on the River Clyde in the country's west central lowlands...
, Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
and London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. He was the son of the architect John Burnet
John Burnet (architect)
John Burnet was a Scottish architect who lived and practised in Glasgow. He was born the son of soldier and trained initially as a carpenter, before becoming a Clerk of Works...
, and later went into partnership with his father, joining an architectural firm which would become an influential force in British Modern architecture
Modern architecture
Modern architecture is generally characterized by simplification of form and creation of ornament from the structure and theme of the building. It is a term applied to an overarching movement, with its exact definition and scope varying widely...
in the 20th Century.
Biography
John James Burnet was born in Blythswood HillBlythswood Hill
Blythswood Hill is an area of Glasgow, Scotland.It lies to the immediate west of the city centre and as the name suggests rises to a plateau before dipping again towards the west end area of Woodlands....
, Glasgow on 31 May 1857. He was the youngest of the three sons of John Burnet and his wife Elizabeth Hay Bennet, who were a Congregationalist
Congregational church
Congregational churches are Protestant Christian churches practicing Congregationalist church governance, in which each congregation independently and autonomously runs its own affairs....
family. John James was educated in Glasgow at the Collegiate School and the Western Academy, and at Blair Lodge Academy, Polmont
Polmont
Polmont is a village in the Falkirk council area of Central Scotland. It lies towards the east of the town of Falkirk, north of the Union Canal, which runs adjacent to the village....
.
Study in Paris
He trained for two years in his father’s architectural offices. His parents intended him to study at the Royal Academy Schools under Phené Spiers, but Spiers advised him instead to study at the École des Beaux-ArtsÉcole des Beaux-Arts
École des Beaux-Arts refers to a number of influential art schools in France. The most famous is the École nationale supérieure des Beaux-Arts, now located on the left bank in Paris, across the Seine from the Louvre, in the 6th arrondissement. The school has a history spanning more than 350 years,...
in Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
. Burnet's parents were at first reluctant to send their son to a Catholic country which had been subject to the political turmoil of the Paris Commune
Paris Commune
The Paris Commune was a government that briefly ruled Paris from March 18 to May 28, 1871. It existed before the split between anarchists and Marxists had taken place, and it is hailed by both groups as the first assumption of power by the working class during the Industrial Revolution...
that year, but in 1872 he began studying under Jean-Louis Pascal
Jean-Louis Pascal
Jean-Louis Pascal was an academic French architect.- Life :Born in Paris, Pascal was taught at the École nationale supérieure des Beaux-Arts by Émile Gilbert and Charles-Auguste Questel...
, Spiers's former teacher. He progressed rapidly and in 1876, gained his Diplôme du Gouvernement in architecture and engineering. He also spent time there as an assistant to François Rolland. While studying in Pascal's atleier, Burnet forged a life-long friendship with Henri Paul Nénot
Henri Paul Nénot
Henri Paul Nénot was a noted French architect.Nénot was born in Paris. After his initial training in an architectural workshop, he entered the studio of Charles-Auguste Questel at the École Nationale Supérieure des Beaux-Arts while also working for various architects, including Charles Garnier...
.
Work as an architect
At the end of the course Burnet toured France and Italy, returning to Glasgow at the end of 1876, when he assisted his father on completing the facade of the Union Bank of Scotland building in Ingram Street. In 1878 Burnet won the competition to build the Fine Art Institute in Glasgow, his first truly independent work. The brief was to combine 'Greek with modern French Renaissance', Greek Revival architectureGreek Revival architecture
The Greek Revival was an architectural movement of the late 18th and early 19th centuries, predominantly in Northern Europe and the United States. A product of Hellenism, it may be looked upon as the last phase in the development of Neoclassical architecture...
still being in vogue in Glasgow at the time. The building also featured frieze
Frieze
thumb|267px|Frieze of the [[Tower of the Winds]], AthensIn architecture the frieze is the wide central section part of an entablature and may be plain in the Ionic or Doric order, or decorated with bas-reliefs. Even when neither columns nor pilasters are expressed, on an astylar wall it lies upon...
s by John Mossman
John Mossman
John Mossman was one of a number of English sculptors who dominated the production and teaching of sculpture in Glasgow for 50 years after his arrival with his father and brothers from his native London in 1828...
. Burnet was unsuccessful with his entry to design the 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...
in 1882, but his Clyde Navigation Trust building (1882–86) ensured his success through a recession. In 1881 Burnet was admitted as an Associate of the 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:...
(ARIBA) and in 1882, his father, John Burnet senior, took him into partnership, and the practice was renamed John Burnet & Son. John Archibald Campbell
John Archibald Campbell
John Archibald Campbell was an American jurist.Campbell was born near Washington, Georgia, to Col. Duncan Greene Campbell...
rejoined the practice in 1886 after studying under Pascal, adding his name to the practice, Burnet Son & Campbell.
Burnet Baroque
John James's father retired from the practice in 1889 or 1890 at the age of seventy-five. The younger JJ Burnet and Campbell took the practice in a more adventurous direction,looking towards the London architectural scene to keep abreast of fashion and to increase their chances of winning national competitions (which usually had London assessors). Their dramatic shift in style did not always meet with favour; designs for the competitions to build the Central Thread Agency in Glasgow and the North British Hotel in Edinburgh were rejected. Their first success in the new style was the Glasgow Athenaeum Theatre of 1891-93, a tall American-style elevator building in a Neo-baroque
Neo-baroque
The Baroque Revival or Neo-baroque was an architectural style of the late 19th century. The term is used to describe architecture which displays important aspects of Baroque style, but is not of the Baroque period proper—i.e., the 17th and 18th centuries.Some examples of Neo-baroque architecture:*...
style similar to that of John Belcher
John Belcher (architect)
John Belcher was an English architect.Belcher was born in Southwark on 10 July 1841, London. His father of the same name was an established architect. The son was articled with his father, spending two years in France from 1862 where he studied contemporary architecture...
or Arthur Beresford Pite
Arthur Beresford Pite
Arthur Beresford Pite was a British architect.-The early years:Arthur Beresford Pite was born on 2 September 1861 in Newington, London to Alfred and Hephzibah. The Pite lineage originated from Woodbridge, Suffolk and has been traced back to the late 17th century...
. JJ Burnet took a study tour of Italy in 1895 to further his understanding of Baroque architecture
Baroque architecture
Baroque architecture is a term used to describe the building style of the Baroque era, begun in late sixteenth century Italy, that took the Roman vocabulary of Renaissance architecture and used it in a new rhetorical and theatrical fashion, often to express the triumph of the Catholic Church and...
. "Burnet Baroque" was highly influential; their competitors quickly assimilated the new vogue for Neo-Baroque and by 1900 it was the common language of Glasgow building, and even influenced the winning design of the North British Hotel by William Hamilton Beattie. In 1896, Burnet submitted designs to the competition to build the Glasgow School of Art
Glasgow School of Art
Glasgow School of Art is one of only two independent art schools in Scotland, situated in the Garnethill area of Glasgow.-History:It was founded in 1845 as the Glasgow Government School of Design. In 1853, it changed its name to The Glasgow School of Art. Initially it was located at 12 Ingram...
; he was not successful, the commission instead being handed to a flourishing young designer called Charles Rennie Mackintosh
Charles Rennie Mackintosh
Charles Rennie Mackintosh was a Scottish architect, designer, watercolourist and artist. He was a designer in the Arts and Crafts movement and also the main representative of Art Nouveau in the United Kingdom. He had a considerable influence on European design...
.
In 1896 the Burnets visited the USA, and Burnet was greatly inspired by American architecture. He began to design a number of low-profile buildings with broad eaves, including many churches and public buildings around Scotland (such as Dundas Memorial Church, Grangemouth
Grangemouth
Grangemouth is a town and former burgh in the council area of Falkirk, Scotland. The town lies in the Forth Valley, on the banks of the Firth of Forth, east of Falkirk, west of Bo'ness and south-east of Stirling. Grangemouth had a resident population of 17,906 according to the 2001...
(1894); MacLaren Memorial Church Stenhousemuir
Stenhousemuir
Stenhousemuir is a town in the Central Lowlands of Scotland. It lies in the Forth Valley within the Falkirk council area of Scotland. The town is north-northwest of Falkirk and directly adjoins to Larbert in the west. The villages of Carron and Carronshore adjoin Stenhousemuir to the east but...
; Public Library and Museum in Campbeltown
Campbeltown
Campbeltown is a town and former royal burgh in Argyll and Bute, Scotland. It lies by Campbeltown Loch on the Kintyre peninsula. Originally known as Kinlochkilkerran , it was renamed in the 17th century as Campbell's Town after Archibald Campbell was granted the site in 1667...
). The inspiration of American structural techniques on Burnet's work reached a peak in 1905-10 with his design for McGeoch's Department Store on West Campbell Street, with its strong vertical lines and the expression of the building's structure in the facade.
| Dates | Practice name | Partners |
|---|---|---|
| 1882–1886 | John Burnet and Son | John Burnet, JJ Burnet http://www.scottisharchitects.org.uk/architect_full.php?id=200192 |
| 1886–1897 | John Burnet, Son and Campbell | John Archibald Campbell John Archibald Campbell John Archibald Campbell was an American jurist.Campbell was born near Washington, Georgia, to Col. Duncan Greene Campbell... http://www.scottisharchitects.org.uk/architect_full.php?id=100125 |
| 1897–1919 | John Burnet and Son | reverted to old name after Campbell left http://www.scottisharchitects.org.uk/architect_full.php?id=200192 |
| 1918–1930 | Sir John Burnet & Partners | Thomas Smith Tait and David Raeside http://www.scottisharchitects.org.uk/architect_full.php?id=204644 |
| 1919-1920 or 1921 | John Burnet, Son & Partners | Thomas Harold Hughes http://www.scottisharchitects.org.uk/architect_full.php?id=203989 |
| 1921–1940 | Burnet, Son & Dick | Norman Aitken http://www.scottisharchitects.org.uk/architect_full.php?id=201684 |
| 1930-c.1949 | Sir John Burnet, Tait & Lorne | JJ Burnet, Thomas Smith Tait and Francis Lorne (later also Gordon Thomas Tait Gordon Tait Gordon Thomas Tait was a British architect, active in London.Tait was the eldest son of Scottish architect Thomas Smith Tait and Constance Hardy. He abandoned a career as a sculptor to follow in his father's footsteps. Between 1930 and 1935 he studied at the Architectural Association in London,... ) http://www.scottisharchitects.org.uk/architect_full.php?id=200089 |
Campbell left the partnership in 1897 with some suggestion of Campbell's problems with alcoholism
Alcoholism
Alcoholism is a broad term for problems with alcohol, and is generally used to mean compulsive and uncontrolled consumption of alcoholic beverages, usually to the detriment of the drinker's health, personal relationships, and social standing...
, and the practice name reverted to John Burnet and Son. The same year, JJ Burnet was made a Fellow of the Royal Institute of British Architects (FRIBA) and elected President of the Glasgow Institute of Architects. In 1902, Burnet recruited a promising young architect called Thomas Smith Tait
Thomas S. Tait
Thomas Smith Tait was a prominent Scottish Modernist architect. He designed a number of buildings around the world in Art Deco and Streamline Moderne styles, notably St...
to be his assistant. Tait later became a partner in the firm and went on to be one of the most influential architects in the British Modern architecture
Modern architecture
Modern architecture is generally characterized by simplification of form and creation of ornament from the structure and theme of the building. It is a term applied to an overarching movement, with its exact definition and scope varying widely...
movement.
British Museum
As partners, Burnet and Campbell never succeeded in English architectural competitions and it was only after Campbell's departure that Burnet extended the practice south of the Border. In 1903-04 the Office of WorksOffice of Works
The Office of Works was established in the English Royal household in 1378 to oversee the building of the royal castles and residences. In 1832 it became the Works Department within the Office of Woods, Forests, Land Revenues, Works and Buildings...
selected Burnet to design the Edward VII Galleries at the British Museum
British Museum
The British Museum is a museum of human history and culture in London. Its collections, which number more than seven million objects, are amongst the largest and most comprehensive in the world and originate from all continents, illustrating and documenting the story of human culture from its...
in London. In 1905 Burnet opened a London office in the name of John J Burnet at 1 Montague Place (a grace-and-favour house rented to him by the Museum), taking the young Tait with him. His original ambitious plans would have extended the Museum on all four sides, demolishing Bloomsbury properties to make way for a Parisian-style British Museum Avenue on a north axis, but only the Edward VII Galleries were actually built due to lack of funds. Construction lasted from 1906 to 1914; in 1910, King Edward VII
Edward VII of the United Kingdom
Edward VII was King of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions and Emperor of India from 22 January 1901 until his death in 1910...
died, and the Edward VII Galleries were opened by King George V
George V of the United Kingdom
George V was King of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions, and Emperor of India, from 6 May 1910 through the First World War until his death in 1936....
and Queen Mary
Mary of Teck
Mary of Teck was the queen consort of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions, and Empress of India, as the wife of King-Emperor George V....
in 1914.
The prestigious work on the British Museum brought in new commissions for Burnet's practice: the General Buildings in Aldwych (1909–11) and the Kodak Building on Kingsway (1910–11). This latter project was a significant milestone for the firm; the American client, George Eastman
George Eastman
George Eastman was an American innovator and entrepreneur who founded the Eastman Kodak Company and invented roll film, helping to bring photography to the mainstream...
, was not afraid of a modern design, and after rejecting several design proposals drawn up by Burnet, eventually selected a design submitted by Thomas S. Tait which was to serve as a model for future developments by the firm.
In 1907, draughtsman Norman Aitken Dick joined the partnership, and around this time the Glasgow office was designing some of its most prestigious buildings, including the Alhambra Theatre and the Sick Children's Hospital at Yorkhill. Burnet continued his study visits to the United States in 1908 and 1910, looking at the design of warehouses, hospitals, museums and galleries.
Burnet was knighted in 1914 for his work in the British Museum galleries. He was also awarded the bronze medal of the Paris Salon and elected RSA
Royal Scottish Academy
The Royal Scottish Academy is a Scottish organisation that promotes contemporary Scottish art. Founded in 1826, as the Royal Institution for the Encouragement of the Fine Arts, the RSA maintains a unique position in Scotland as an independently funded institution led by eminent artists and...
. In 1921 he was made ARA in 1921 and received the Paris gold medal in 1922. Burnet helped to found the Royal Incorporation of Architects in Scotland
Royal Incorporation of Architects in Scotland
The Royal Incorporation of Architects in Scotland is the professional body for architects in Scotland. It was founded in 1916 by Robert Rowand Anderson who donated his Georgian townhouse in Edinburgh to be used as its home, where it remains to this day. It was given its first Royal charter in...
.
The inter-war years
The advent of the First World War brought a time of hardship for Burnet's practice, and during this period a disagreement resulted in Tait leaving the practice to work in America. After the war, the London office began to receive commissions once more, including work on completing the Selfridges department store on Oxford Street. The Imperial War Graves Commission also commissioned war memorials from Burnet's firm in Gallipoli, Palestine and Suez (1919). Burnet took a leading role in the design of the memorials and in the work on Adelaide House, London Bridge. His health was deteriorating, however; stress-related eczemaEczema
Eczema is a form of dermatitis, or inflammation of the epidermis . In England, an estimated 5.7 million or about one in every nine people have been diagnosed with the disease by a clinician at some point in their lives.The term eczema is broadly applied to a range of persistent skin conditions...
, brought on by wartime hardship, professional disagreements and financial scandals in the Glasgow office, made it hard for him to work. Thomas Tait had returned to the practice after a reconciliation, and he began to take a leading role in the practice, working on the Daily Telegraph Building and Lloyds Bank on Cornhill. Burnet himself dealt with the redesign on Lomax Simpson's Unilever House project, but otherwise acted as a consultant and went into semi-retirement.
Burnet received the Royal Gold Medal
Royal Gold Medal
The Royal Gold Medal for architecture is awarded annually by the Royal Institute of British Architects on behalf of the British monarch, in recognition of an individual's or group's substantial contribution to international architecture....
in 1923 and was elected RA
Royal Academy
The Royal Academy of Arts is an art institution based in Burlington House on Piccadilly, London. The Royal Academy of Arts has a unique position in being an independent, privately funded institution led by eminent artists and architects whose purpose is to promote the creation, enjoyment and...
in 1925.
Retirement
Until 1935 he lived at Killermont, his Arts and CraftsArts and Crafts movement
Arts and Crafts was an international design philosophy that originated in England and flourished between 1860 and 1910 , continuing its influence until the 1930s...
house at Rowledge
Rowledge
Rowledge is a village in England, situated on the Surrey–Hampshire border. It lies south of the A31 running between Farnham and Alton. Neighbouring villages include Wrecclesham, Spreakley and Frensham...
, Surrey
Surrey
Surrey is a county in the South East of England and is one of the Home Counties. The county borders Greater London, Kent, East Sussex, West Sussex, Hampshire and Berkshire. The historic county town is Guildford. Surrey County Council sits at Kingston upon Thames, although this has been part of...
. He then purchased a much smaller cottage in Colinton
Colinton
Colinton is a suburb of Edinburgh, Scotland situated 6 kilometres south west of the city centre. It is bordered by Dreghorn to the south and Craiglockhart to the north-east. To the north-west it extends to Lanark Road and to the south-west to the City Bypass...
, Edinburgh. Although he kept in touch with developments in the Burnet Tait & Lorne office, he was unhappy in retirement. He died on 2 July 1938, and remains were cremated and buried at Warriston Cemetery
Warriston Cemetery
Warriston Cemetery lies in Warriston, one of the northern suburbs of Edinburgh, Scotland. It was built by the then newly formed Edinburgh Cemetery Company, and occupies around of land on a slightly sloping site...
.
The Burnet Tait & Lorne practice continued to thrive after his death, and under the leadership of Thomas Smith Tait, went on to become an influential force in Modern Architecture.
Notable works
Among his surviving work are:- Clyde Navigation Trust Building, Robertson Street, Glasgow (1883 and 1905)
- Glasgow University Students Union (1885 and 1908)
- Athenaeum, 8 Nelson Mandela Place, Glasgow (1886)
- Barony Church, High Street, Glasgow (1886)
- John McIntyre Building, University of Glasgow (1886)
- Charing Cross Mansions, Charing Cross, Glasgow (1891)
- Athenaeum Theatre, 179 Buchanan Street, Glasgow (1891)
- Royal Faculty of Physicians & Surgeons of Glasgow, St Vincent Street, Glasgow (1892)
- Glasgow Savings Bank, 177 Ingram Street, Glasgow (1896)
- Albany Chambers, Sauchiehall StreetSauchiehall StreetSauchiehall Street is one of the main shopping/business streets in the city centre of Glasgow, Scotland. Along with Buchanan Street and Argyle Street, it forms the main shopping area of Glasgow, containing the majority of Glasgow's high street and chain stores.Although commonly associated with the...
, Glasgow (1896) - King Edward VII Gallery, British MuseumBritish MuseumThe British Museum is a museum of human history and culture in London. Its collections, which number more than seven million objects, are amongst the largest and most comprehensive in the world and originate from all continents, illustrating and documenting the story of human culture from its...
, LondonLondonLondon is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
(1905) - RW Forsyth's Department Store, Gordon Street, Glasgow (1896 and 1906)
- RW Forsyth's Department Store, Princes Street, EdinburghEdinburghEdinburgh is the capital city of Scotland, the second largest city in Scotland, and the eighth most populous in the United Kingdom. The City of Edinburgh Council governs one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas. The council area includes urban Edinburgh and a rural area...
(1906) - Kodak, Kingsway, London(1909)
- General Accident Assurance, Aldwych, London (1909)
- Restoration of Duart Castle, Isle of Mull (1911)
- Wallace Scott Tailoring Institute, Cathcart, Glasgow (1913)
- Institute of Chemistry, London (1914)
- Balliol College Chapel, Oxford (1916)
- Selfridges Departmental Store, London (1919)
- Glasgow University Zoology Building (1922)
- War memorials at GallipoliGallipoliThe Gallipoli peninsula is located in Turkish Thrace , the European part of Turkey, with the Aegean Sea to the west and the Dardanelles straits to the east. Gallipoli derives its name from the Greek "Καλλίπολις" , meaning "Beautiful City"...
, and Jerusalem - CenotaphCenotaphA cenotaph is an "empty tomb" or a monument erected in honour of a person or group of people whose remains are elsewhere. It can also be the initial tomb for a person who has since been interred elsewhere. The word derives from the Greek κενοτάφιον = kenotaphion...
in George Square, GlasgowGlasgowGlasgow is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the United Kingdom. The city is situated on the River Clyde in the country's west central lowlands...
(1924) - Hunter MemorialWilliam Hunter (anatomist)William Hunter FRS was a Scottish anatomist and physician. He was a leading teacher of anatomy, and the outstanding obstetrician of his day...
, University of GlasgowUniversity of GlasgowThe University of Glasgow is the fourth-oldest university in the English-speaking world and one of Scotland's four ancient universities. Located in Glasgow, the university was founded in 1451 and is presently one of seventeen British higher education institutions ranked amongst the top 100 of the...
(1924) - Adelaide House, London BridgeLondon BridgeLondon Bridge is a bridge over the River Thames, connecting the City of London and Southwark, in central London. Situated between Cannon Street Railway Bridge and Tower Bridge, it forms the western end of the Pool of London...
Approach, London (1925) - Daily Telegraph Building, Fleet Street, London (1925)
- North British & Mercantile Assurance, 200 St Vincent Street, Glasgow (1925)
- Lloyds Bank, Lombard Street, London (1927)
- Sydney Harbour Bridge, (1929)
- Glasgow University Memorial Chapel (1929)
- Unilever HouseUnilever HouseUnilever House is a Grade II listed office building in the Neoclassical Art Deco style, located on New Bridge Street, Victoria Embankment in Blackfriars, London, UK...
, Blackfriars, London (1930–33, with James Lomax-Simpson)
Other work has been destroyed or demolished, including:
- McGeoch's, West Campbell Street, Glasgow (1904)
- Alhambra TheatreAlhambra Theatre GlasgowThe Alhambra Theatre Glasgow opened on 19 December 1910 at the corner of Waterloo Street and Wellington Street, Glasgow under the direction of Sir Alfred Butt and was acknowledged as one of the best equipped theatres in Britain, planned to accommodate 2,800 people.The Theatre was designed by...
, 41 Waterloo Street, Glasgow (1910) - Port Tewfik War MemorialPort Tewfik MemorialThe Port Tewfik Memorial was originally situated at Port Tewfik on the Suez Canal. It was unveiled in May 1926 by for the Imperial War Graves Commission and commemorated 4,000 officers and men of the Indian Army killed during the Sinai and Palestine Campaign during the First World War...
, Suez, Egypt
Burnet's unsuccessful competition designs for prominent building projects included:
- Glasgow Municipal BuildingsGlasgow City ChambersThe 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...
(1880) - Usher HallUsher HallUsher Hall is a concert hall, situated on Lothian Road, in the west end of Edinburgh, Scotland. It has hosted concerts and events since its construction in 1914 and can hold approximately 2,900 people in its recently restored auditorium, which is well loved by performers due to its acoustics...
, Edinburgh (1909) - Kelvingrove Art Gallery and MuseumKelvingrove Art Gallery and MuseumThe Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum is a museum and art gallery in Glasgow, Scotland. The building houses one of Europe's great civic art collections...
(1891)
External links
- Sir John James Burnet - biography on Dictionary of Scottish Architects
- Brief history of John Burnet & Sons practice
- Portrait of architect and elevation of Burnet's bank in Ingram Street