- John William Simpson (architect)
::"For the contemporary British architect, see John Simpson."
Sir John William Simpson FRIBA (born
Brighton ,9 August 1858 , diedHighgate ,Middlesex ,30 March 1933 ) was an Englisharchitect and was President of theRoyal Institute of British Architects from 1919 to 1921.Background and early life
Simpson was the eldest son of the
Brighton architect Thomas Simpson and his wife Clara Hart. He was the brother of another architect, Gilbert Murray Simpson.He was educated privately and articled to his father in 1875, but later attended the
Royal Academy Schools .Career
Simpson became an Associate of the
Royal Institute of British Architects in 1882. He was in partnership with M. P. Manning from 1881 to 1884 and subsequently with E. J. M. Manning and O. M. Ayrton, specializing in public buildings.He was an active member of the
Royal Institute of British Architects , rising to be its President, and of a number of architectural associations in other countries. He also wrote books and articles on architecture.He never married, and died at home in West Hill, Highgate, Middlesex, on 30 March 1933.
Publications
* Introduction to Sir Lawrence Weaver's "Architectural Copyright" (1911)
* "Essays and Memorials" (1923)
* "Paris Rosemary" (1927)
* "Some Account of the Old Hall of Lincoln's Inn" (1928)
* "The Architecture of the Renaissance in France" by W. H. Ward (second edition, ed. J. W. Simpson, 1926)Simpson wrote many professional papers on architecture and town planning. He edited the periodical "The Book of Book-Plates" between 1900 and 1903.
Memberships and appointments
* Secretary-general of the London Town Planning Conference, 1910
* Member of Council of theBritish School at Rome
* Corresponding member of theInstitut de France
* Member of the Sociedad Central de Arquitectos,Buenos Aires
* Member of the Centralvereinigung der Architekten,Vienna Honours
* Fellow of the
Royal Institute of British Architects , 1900
* President of the Royal Institute of British Architects, 1919
* Gold medal of theSociété des Artistes Français , 1922
* President of the Union Franco-Britannique des Architectes, 1922
* Knight Commander of theOrder of the British Empire , 1924
*Chevalier of theLégion d'honneur Major works
*Victoria Institute,
Worcester (1896) (collaboration)
*Offices of the Crown Agents for the Colonies atMillbank
*West Downs School ,Winchester (1897-98)
*Roedean School (1898–99, 1906, 1908, 1911)
*New school buildings atGresham's School (completed 1903)
*Restoration of the Old Hall ofLincoln's Inn , London
*Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum (with E.J. Milner Allen)
*New buildings forLancing College
*New buildings for Haileybury College (now called Haileybury and Imperial Service College)
*Queen Victoria memorial atBradford
*Royal Sussex Regiment memorial atBrighton
*Onslow Ford memorial inSt John's Wood
*Cartwright Memorial Hall atBradford
*Palace of Industry, Palace of Engineering and Stadium atBritish Empire Exhibition ,Wembley , 1924 (with Maxwell Ayrton)
*Grafton Street Hospital,Liverpool (collaboration)
*National Hospital for the Paralysed and Epileptic, Queen Square, London (collaboration)
*Glasgow Art Galleries for the Corporation of Glasgow (collaboration)References
* "Simpson, Sir John William (1858–1933), architect" by W. G. Allen and John Elliott in
Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (2004)
* "Sir John William Simpson" by R. Unwinetal, RIBA Journal, volume 40 (1932–33), pages 514–15 and 517
* "The Builder", volume 144 (1933), pages 568-573 and 614
* "Obituary inThe Times , 1 April 1933
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