To celebrate the bicentenary of Alexander ‘Greek’ Thomson‘s birth a programme of events and activities have been planned to take place throughout 2017. We will continue to update this calendar throughout the year with more and more exciting events as these are confirmed so please keep checking back. You can also sign up to our e-mail newsletter here to stay up to date.

Mar
29
Wed
ATS Talks: Prof Dean Hawkes – Soane and London @ The Reid Building, Glasgow School of Art
Mar 29 @ 7:00 pm – 8:30 pm
ATS Talks: Prof Dean Hawkes - Soane and London @ The Reid Building, Glasgow School of Art

The second in our 2017 series of talks is by Professor Dean Hawkes.

His talk will focus on the work of Sir John Soane, in particular his house at Lincoln’s Inn Fields, the Law Courts at Westminster (long ago demolished, but remarkable), the Bank of England and the Dulwich Picture Gallery. When Sir John Soane died in 1837, Alexander Thomson was 20 years old. The two men were therefore, just, contemporaries. They also shared a deep engagement in applying the ‘classical language of architecture’, in Summerson’s terminology, in the transformation of two great cities, London and Glasgow. This lecture explores Soane’s response to London at the dawn of the 19th century.

We are delighted to confirm that the venue for this talk will be the Seona Reid Building at the Glasgow School of Art, providing an opportunity to experience the interior of Steven Holl’s new addition to the campus. Both Holl in Glasgow and Soane in London share a desire to manipulate and modulate light in their interiors.

Professor Dean Hawkes:
Emeritus Professor of Architectural Design, Welsh School of Architecture.
Emeritus Fellow, Darwin College, Cambridge.
Visiting Professor, Mackintosh School of Architecture, 2004-2009.
Four RIBA Awards for Architecture in partnership with Stephen Greenberg, 1983-1994.
RIBA Annie Spink Award for Architectural Education (2010),

His published works include:
The Environmental Tradition (1996)
The Environmental Imagination (2008)
Architecture and Climate (2012)
The buildings of Sir John Soane (1753-1837) are discussed in all the above.

Sep
2
Sat
Get Into Thomson: Week 1
Sep 2 @ 11:00 am – Sep 3 @ 3:00 pm
Get Into Thomson: Week 1

Booking opens to the public 6pm 28 August 2017

The Alexander Thomson Society have organised a series of special Thomson residential openings during the first two weekends in September 2017, as part of the ongoing events celebrating Alexander Thomson’s Bicentenary. This has been made possible due the generosity of the owners of the houses involved as listed below.

1 Moray Place 1859-61 (Saturday 2nd, Sunday 10th) Alexander Thomson’s former home, the first house in an exceptional terrace with a revealed painted decorative scheme.

7 Walmer Crescent 1857-62 (Saturday 2nd) Thomson’s fine crescent composed of straight elements with minimal decorative elements, built for John Hood.

Holmwood 1857-58 (Sunday 3rd) Thomson’s fine villa for James Couper of Cathcart now owned by the National Trust for Scotland, with newly reinstated painted decorative scheme in the Dining Room and Hall.

The Double Villa 25A Mansionhouse Road 1856-57 (Saturday 9th, Sunday 10th) Southern half of the ingeniously designed pair of semi detached houses that form the Double Villa or Maria Villa, built for Henry Watson.

4 Great Western Terrace 1867-77 (Saturday 9th) Thomson’s grandest terrace for William Henderson and James Whitelaw Anderson, composed of eleven terraced townhouses, completed after Thomson’s death by JJ Burnet.

Please note only booked visitors will be allowed into the houses and we would request that people arrive promptly to allow the visits to begin at the times indicated (12pm, 1pm, 2pm and 3pm for each property). Each visit will last slightly less than 1 hour.

If you book and are unable to attend it would be very helpful to let Eventbrite know this, to allow your place to be booked by someone else, as the numbers are restricted. Should you wish any further information please contact the Society at info@alexanderthomsonsociety.

Booking for all properties opens at 11am Sunday 27 August 2017, tickets will then become available to the general public from 6pm Monday 28 August 2017.

 

Sep
9
Sat
Get Into Thomson: Week 2
Sep 9 @ 11:00 am – Sep 10 @ 3:00 pm
Get Into Thomson: Week 2

Booking opens to the public 6pm 28 August 2017

The Alexander Thomson Society have organised a series of special Thomson residential openings during the first two weekends in September 2017, as part of the ongoing events celebrating Alexander Thomson’s Bicentenary. This has been made possible due the generosity of the owners of the houses involved as listed below.

1 Moray Place 1859-61 (Saturday 2nd, Sunday 10th) Alexander Thomson’s former home, the first house in an exceptional terrace with a revealed painted decorative scheme.

7 Walmer Crescent 1857-62 (Saturday 2nd) Thomson’s fine crescent composed of straight elements with minimal decorative elements, built for John Hood.

Holmwood 1857-58 (Sunday 3rd) Thomson’s fine villa for James Couper of Cathcart now owned by the National Trust for Scotland, with newly reinstated painted decorative scheme in the Dining Room and Hall.

The Double Villa 25A Mansionhouse Road 1856-57 (Saturday 9th, Sunday 10th) Southern half of the ingeniously designed pair of semi detached houses that form the Double Villa or Maria Villa, built for Henry Watson.

4 Great Western Terrace 1867-77 (Saturday 9th) Thomson’s grandest terrace for William Henderson and James Whitelaw Anderson, composed of eleven terraced townhouses, completed after Thomson’s death by JJ Burnet.

Please note only booked visitors will be allowed into the houses and we would request that people arrive promptly to allow the visits to begin at the times indicated (12pm, 1pm, 2pm and 3pm for each property). Each visit will last slightly less than 1 hour.

If you book and are unable to attend it would be very helpful to let Eventbrite know this, to allow your place to be booked by someone else, as the numbers are restricted. Should you wish any further information please contact the Society at info@alexanderthomsonsociety.

Booking for all properties opens at 11am Sunday 27 August 2017, tickets will then become available to the general public from 6pm Monday 28 August 2017.