Role Architect | Name James Craigie Occupation Architect | |
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Born 7 May 1870 ( 1870-05-07 ) Glasgow, Scotland Practice Clarke & Bell & J H Craigie Buildings Grosvenor Building, GlasgowCorona Bar, LangsideSt Mary's Parish Church, KirkintillochLewis's Department Store, Glasgow Died March 30, 1930, Glasgow, United Kingdom | ||
James Hoey Craigie TD FRIBA (7 May 1870 – 30 March 1930) was a Scottish architect. He studied at the Glasgow School of Art. In 1894 he won the Alexander Thomson travelling scholarship which he spent in France and Italy. In 1905 he was made a partner in the firm Clarke & Bell, its name changing to Clarke & Bell & J H Craigie.
James H Craigie's significant work includes the domed roof and restaurant additions to the Grosvenor Building, 72–80 Gordon Street (1902–07); Art Nouveau remodelling of early 19th century tenement, 186–188 Argyle Street (1908); the reconstruction of the Justiciary Courthouse, Jocelyn Square (1910–13); Corona Bar, Langside (1912–13); and St Mary's Parish Church, Kirkintilloch (1912–14).
In 1929 James H Craigie was commissioned to design a new Department Store with 380,000 square feet (35,000 m2) of shopping space for the firm of Lewis's Limited, who had bought over an old Glasgow firm, John Anderson's "Royal Polytechnic" known to Glaswegians as "The Poly". He worked closely with Frederick Marquis (later Lord Woolton) who subsequently became Managing Director of Lewis's. They were most thorough in their planning and James H Craigie and Mr Marquis toured the country inspecting all department stores with the object of ensuring that the new store would embrace everything that was good in its construction. They visited London, Liverpool, Manchester and Birmingham and incorporated all the knowledge acquired into the plans for the Glasgow Store. James H Craigie's biggest difficulty was to find a sure method of keeping the River Clyde out of the basement.
James H Craigie served as a captain in the Royal Engineers during the First World War, holding a commission in the 7th Battalion of the Highland Light Infantry from 1908, and was awarded the Territorial Decoration in 1917.
James H Craigie was a member of Cathcart Parish Council from 1913 and was its chairman in 1922–23. He was married three times, and had four children with his second wife. He died of liver cancer on 30 March 1930.