Art historian and actor Paul O’Keeffe joins the Society to perform John Ruskin’s ‘Architecture’ lecture, from the Ruskin’s 1853 series of lectures originally delivered to the Philosophical Institution in Edinburgh.

Nominated for the Scottish Heritage Angel Awards in 2017 for his research into James Sellars and his Kelvinside Academy building, Dominic Ferrie will present his ongoing research into the life and work of Sellars, and his link to Alexander Thomson.

Iain McGillivray will discuss the ongoing and planned restoration work at Holmwood, one of Thomson’s finest interiors. Followed by Helen Kendrick who will deliver a talk drawing from her fantastic book, Glasgow Interiors, prepared in collaboration with Neale Smith.

Writer, journalist and architecture critic, Owen Hatherley, joins the Society to deliver the inaugural Gavin Stamp lecture. Owen is the author of Militant Modernism, Landscapes of Communism and A Guide to the New Ruins of Great Britain.

The Alexnder Thomson Society and National Library of Scotland present art historian Anne Lyden (Chief Curator of Photography, National Galleries of Scotland) discussing the work of influential Victorian photographer Thomas Annan.

The Save Egyptian Halls symposium brings speakers together discuss the significance of this A-listed building and how it might be saved.

Timetable tbc, speakers include:

Niall Murphy – Glasgow City Heritage Trust

Fiona Sinclair – Fiona Sinclair Architects

Scott Abercrombie / Mark Baines – The Alexander Thomson Society

Ben Adam – David Narro Associates

Andrew McConnell – Glasgow Building Preservation Trust

Dara Parsons – Historic Environment Scotland

Jamie McNamara – Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings

We are delighted that this year’s Alexander Thomson Lecture will be delivered by Amin Taha. The London-based, Stirling Prize nominated architect of buildings such as 15 Clerkenwell Close and Barrett’s Grove will deliver a talk reflecting on his work and his approach to architecture.

The Society were interested by Amin’s approach to the use of stone masonry, texture and pattern, and his abstracted use of classical forms in his Upper Street project.

Patrick is an author and historic paint consultant with a wealth of experience in unpicking the lost decorative schemes of significant buildings across the UK, including Holmwood. His books, The Anatomy of Colour and Nature’s Palette have both been met with high praise and are exceptionally well illustrated. He joins the Society to discuss his career through introducing his process and showcasing a selection of the historic buildings he’s worked on.

Amin joins the Society to deliver his long-awaiting talk which was postponed at the start of the pandemic. He heads up the London-based practice Groupwork, which has won multiple RIBA awards and been nominated for the Stirling Prize. Amin is particularly interested in the potential of structural stone in modern construction, as well as experimenting with material and decoration. He will discuss the output of Groupwork and some of his ongoing projects and research.

Max is the curator of 19th century furniture at the V&A and author of books on Christopher Dresser and Daniel Cottier. He joins us to discuss his latest book, which focuses on Cottier’s work. Cottier and Thomson were closely connected, most notably collaborating on the design of Queen’s Park Church together.