Gillespie, Kidd & Coia
| Company type | Architectural firm |
|---|---|
| Industry | Architecture |
| Founded | 1927 |
| Defunct | 1987 |
| Fate | Ceased operations |
| Headquarters | Glasgow , Scotland, United Kingdom |
Key people | John Gaff Gillespie, William Alexander Kidd, Giacomo Antonio Coia, Thomas Warnett Kennedy, Isi Metzstein, Andy MacMillan |
| Products | Churches, university buildings, educational institutions, offices, residential developments |
Gillespie, Kidd & Coia was a distinguished Scottish architectural firm, celebrated for its modernist approach in designing churches and university buildings, with the St Peter's Seminary in Cardross standing out as a key example. Established in 1927, the firm rose to prominence following World War II and ultimately ceased operations in 1987.
In 2007, a significant retrospective exhibition dedicated to the firm was held at The Lighthouse in Glasgow.
Origins
The origins of the practice date back to 1830 in Glasgow, when Scottish architect James Salmon (1805–1888) founded it. John Gaff Gillespie (1870–1926) became part of the firm in 1891 during its time as James Salmon & Son. By 1903, it was renamed Salmon & Son & Gillespie, reflecting the partnership between James Salmon (1873–1924) and Gillespie. William Alexander Kidd (1879–1928) joined in 1898, became Gillespie’s partner in 1918, and assumed full control after Gillespie passed away in 1926.
Giacomo Antonio ("Jack") Coia (1898–1981) entered the firm as an apprentice in 1915. Born to Italian parents in Wolverhampton and raised in Glasgow, Coia gained experience working and traveling in London before returning to Glasgow. Following Gillespie’s death, Kidd invited Coia to become a partner in 1927. After Kidd’s death in 1928, Coia took charge of the firm that came to be known as Gillespie, Kidd & Coia.
Early years
At the time Coia assumed leadership, the firm had limited commissions. He secured a teaching position at the Mackintosh School of Architecture within the Glasgow School of Art (GSA) and actively pursued new clients. His approach to Donald Mackintosh, Archbishop of Glasgow, resulted in the firm's inaugural commission for a church in 1931. The Roman Catholic Church remained their primary client up until the early 1970s. In 1938, Thomas Warnett Kennedy joined as a partner and contributed to projects such as St Peter in Chains at Ardrossan and the Roman Catholic pavilion for the Glasgow Empire Exhibition. The practice also partnered with Thomas S. Tait on planning the Exhibition’s masterplan.
Although World War II interrupted their workload, one church designed during this time—St Columba's Church—was completed in 1941. While the Dictionary of Scottish Architects suggests Coia was interned as an enemy alien during the war, Rodger challenges this claim, noting no evidence that Coia himself was interned; however, some of his Italian-born relatives were detained on the Isle of Man.
Post-war period
After World War II ended in 1945, Gillespie, Kidd & Coia resumed operations without Kennedy, who had emigrated to Canada. Coia recruited Isi Metzstein at age 17 as an apprentice and continued focusing on church designs for the Roman Catholic Church. Architectural critics often regard this era’s output as less accomplished. Rodger observes that although Coia faced difficulties completing projects personally, he excelled at managing an architectural practice by adopting an atelier model where he prioritized client engagement while delegating design responsibilities. In 1954, Andy MacMillan—Metzstein’s peer from GSA—joined from the East Kilbride Development Corporation; despite lacking full qualifications at that time, they both assumed creative leadership by 1956. Coia’s final significant project was St Charles in North Kelvinside, completed in 1959.
MacMillan and Metzstein
The initial significant commission for MacMillan and Metzstein was St Paul's in Glenrothes (1956), which represented a departure from their earlier ecclesiastical designs by incorporating the Modernist principles inspired by Le Corbusier and Frank Lloyd Wright. Their emergence coincided with demographic changes in post-war Scotland, where the establishment of new towns relocated many residents from Glasgow's inner city, generating a need for new church buildings both in these communities and within existing urban parishes. Among the few firms active during this surge in church construction was Gillespie, Kidd & Coia. MacMillan’s hands-on experience in the new town of East Kilbride, combined with their primary client—the Roman Catholic Church—embracing innovative approaches following the Second Vatican Council, facilitated their architectural contributions from 1956 through 1987.
Coia sustained the firm’s prominence through academic engagements and leadership positions, including serving as a governor at the GSA and as president of the Glasgow Institute of Architects. He was honored with a CBE in 1967 and received the prestigious RIBA Royal Gold Medal in 1969.
As the church construction boom tapered off during the 1970s, Gillespie, Kidd & Coia expanded their portfolio to include educational institutions and university commissions across England. After Coia’s passing in 1981, the practice gradually ceased operations, culminating with the 1987 transformation of the Museum of Modern Art in Oxford.
Architectural work
The body of work produced by Gillespie, Kidd & Coia can be categorized into three distinct periods reflecting their evolution. Their early projects showcased a neo-Romanesque style characterized by rounded arches and drew inspiration from both the Arts and Crafts tradition and international modernism, prominently utilizing brick in an area typically dominated by stone or rendered finishes. This stylistic approach continued after World War II but with diminished influence. The third and most influential phase (1956–1987), under Metzstein and MacMillan’s leadership, adopted design elements from Le Corbusier and Frank Lloyd Wright, integrating concrete alongside brickwork while embracing aspects of Mid-Century modernism and brutalism. The firm emerged as a leading force within the British Roman Catholic Liturgical Movement, promoting modernist church architecture consistent with Vatican II’s advocacy for ‘noble simplicity’. This movement also featured architects such as Gerard Goalen, Francis Pollen, Desmond Williams, and Austin Winkley, who utilized contemporary design philosophies and construction techniques to transform Catholic worship environments.
Churches
From the 1930s onward, the firm began producing churches influenced by modernist design principles, exemplified by St. Patrick's in Orangefield, Greenock (1934–35). Scotland hosts a significant collection of modernist religious structures predominantly designed by Gillespie, Kidd & Coia. Notable examples include geometrically inspired buildings employing innovative materials such as glued laminated timber: St Mary's in Bo'ness (1962, now demolished); St Joseph's in Faifley (1964); Our Lady of Good Counsel in Dennistoun (1965); St Benedict's in Easterhouse (1965); and St. Paul's in Glenrothes (1956). Additional churches—such as St Charles in North Kelvinside (1959); St Mary of the Angels in Falkirk (1960); St Bride's in East Kilbride (1963); St Patricks in Kilsyth (1963); and Sacred Heart in Cumbernauld (1964)—utilized rectangular load-bearing brick or exposed concrete frameworks complemented by brick curtain walls. While externally these buildings present a restrained appearance, their interiors are characterized by striking use of light.
St Peter's Seminary
Regarded as the pinnacle of Gillespie, Kidd & Coia’s architectural achievements, St. Peter's Seminary in Cardross has experienced significant decline since its closure in the 1980s. By 2019, the Archdiocese of Glasgow labeled the structure a financial liability, burdened by continuous expenses for upkeep, security, and insurance, with no feasible prospects for either sale or demolition.
Schools and colleges
The firm was responsible for designing multiple Roman Catholic educational institutions, including Our Lady's High located in Cumbernauld, Bellshill, Glasgow, as well as Notre Dame College in Bearsden (constructed in 1969; partially demolished in 2007).
Offices and other works
Among the firm's office commissions, the BOAC building on Buchanan Street in Glasgow (1970) stands out as their most prominent. Their residential portfolio was relatively modest but encompassed developments in East Kilbride, Cumbernauld (1961), Stantonbury in Milton Keynes (1976), and sheltered accommodation in Dumbarton (1967). Additionally, they completed Bellshill Maternity Hospital in 1962, which received a Civic Trust Award prior to its demolition in 2003.
University architecture
Beginning in the late 1960s, Gillespie, Kidd & Coia undertook three major university projects across England, including Bonar Hall at the University of Dundee (1976). Their initial university work was The Lawns, student housing in Cottingham, Yorkshire for the University of Hull, which earned a RIBA Bronze Regional Award in 1968 and was designated Grade II listed status in 1993. From 1971 to 1979, they expanded Wadham College, Oxford, adding undergraduate residences, a college library, and a small music retail space for Blackwell's, which the Architects' Journal commended as "a refreshing, shocking contribution to the gloomy Oxford backstreet."
Robinson College at Cambridge represented their most important project during this period and marked their final major commission. After winning a competition in 1974 to design the new college, their plan featured extensive use of brick cladding and incorporated historic gardens dating from the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The building was granted Grade II* listed status in 2022.