Alistair Fair
@alistairfair.bsky.social
Reader in Architectural History, University of Edinburgh. C20 architecture in Britain. New towns. Theatres. Book 'Building Modern Scotland' available open access. Own views. No age ID so no DMs but I can do e-mail!
Lunchtime perambulation around the University of Glasgow. The (former) Modern Languages building (now Law?), by Walter Ramsay, 1958-59, showing the often gentle modernism of the 1950s. Perhaps now overshadowed by the brutalism of the adjacent Queen Margaret Union, but I'm quite partial to it.
November 30, 2025 at 6:55 PM
Lunchtime perambulation around the University of Glasgow. The (former) Modern Languages building (now Law?), by Walter Ramsay, 1958-59, showing the often gentle modernism of the 1950s. Perhaps now overshadowed by the brutalism of the adjacent Queen Margaret Union, but I'm quite partial to it.
Stir-up Sunday. 7 hours down, 1 hour to go. (This is the pudding; the Christmas cake and mincemeat were made in September and are maturing in the cupboard.)
November 23, 2025 at 3:04 PM
Stir-up Sunday. 7 hours down, 1 hour to go. (This is the pudding; the Christmas cake and mincemeat were made in September and are maturing in the cupboard.)
Excellent news for the end of the week as @thesahgb.bsky.social recognises the monumental efforts of the Buildings of England/Scotland/Wales/Ireland team over several decades.
November 21, 2025 at 4:32 PM
Excellent news for the end of the week as @thesahgb.bsky.social recognises the monumental efforts of the Buildings of England/Scotland/Wales/Ireland team over several decades.
Alistair: let's de-centre the architect in architectural-historical writing. Meanwhile Duolingo:
November 13, 2025 at 12:11 PM
Alistair: let's de-centre the architect in architectural-historical writing. Meanwhile Duolingo:
Archive-based teaching this afternoon, on the post-war reconstruction of central Coventry.
November 13, 2025 at 9:54 AM
Archive-based teaching this afternoon, on the post-war reconstruction of central Coventry.
End of week reading. @samwetherell.bsky.social's excellent new urban history of post-war Liverpool.
October 3, 2025 at 6:17 PM
End of week reading. @samwetherell.bsky.social's excellent new urban history of post-war Liverpool.
Yesterday - teaching @edincollegeofart.bsky.social Architectural History students in the archive. Drawings of Coventry Cathedral from the Basil Spence archive, as well as many other items that showed the collaborative process by which the cathedral was designed and built.
October 3, 2025 at 8:59 AM
Yesterday - teaching @edincollegeofart.bsky.social Architectural History students in the archive. Drawings of Coventry Cathedral from the Basil Spence archive, as well as many other items that showed the collaborative process by which the cathedral was designed and built.
First day of the new academic year @edincollegeofart.bsky.social. This semester's teaching includes my course on architecture in Britain 1919-56.
September 15, 2025 at 11:11 AM
First day of the new academic year @edincollegeofart.bsky.social. This semester's teaching includes my course on architecture in Britain 1919-56.
Northampton Guildhall extension - 1991 by Stimpson Walton Bond. Contextual Gothic to echo the adjacent Victorian Gothic.
September 2, 2025 at 8:55 AM
Northampton Guildhall extension - 1991 by Stimpson Walton Bond. Contextual Gothic to echo the adjacent Victorian Gothic.
Malcolm Inglis building, Northampton (1900). Built for a leather and hide factor. A piece of Glasgow especially in the carving above the entrance, where we have St Mungo and the two salmon from the city's coat of arms.
September 2, 2025 at 7:14 AM
Malcolm Inglis building, Northampton (1900). Built for a leather and hide factor. A piece of Glasgow especially in the carving above the entrance, where we have St Mungo and the two salmon from the city's coat of arms.
Important message from today's Duolingo session
August 31, 2025 at 2:16 PM
Important message from today's Duolingo session
A morning of course admin and intranet stuff for next semester. Luna has appeared to offer moral support.
August 12, 2025 at 11:09 AM
A morning of course admin and intranet stuff for next semester. Luna has appeared to offer moral support.
Changed trains at Birmingham New St y/day. This is part of the station's Navigation Street entrance and footbridge, built in the early 1990s and now looking a little grubby. I do like this era of railway architecture.
August 8, 2025 at 10:05 AM
Changed trains at Birmingham New St y/day. This is part of the station's Navigation Street entrance and footbridge, built in the early 1990s and now looking a little grubby. I do like this era of railway architecture.
Sad news overnight of serious damage by fire to St Mungo's church, Cumbernauld - designed by Alan Reiach 1963-64. Its dedication echoed Glasgow cathedral & recognised the Glaswegian roots of many early residents in the new town, which had been begun a few years before
August 3, 2025 at 8:06 AM
Sad news overnight of serious damage by fire to St Mungo's church, Cumbernauld - designed by Alan Reiach 1963-64. Its dedication echoed Glasgow cathedral & recognised the Glaswegian roots of many early residents in the new town, which had been begun a few years before
Excellent news that the Bernat Klein studio has been bought by a coalition of heritage groups. The hard work starts here. Photo by me in 2016.
July 30, 2025 at 10:49 AM
Excellent news that the Bernat Klein studio has been bought by a coalition of heritage groups. The hard work starts here. Photo by me in 2016.
I do like the 1980s/90s tradition of having commissioned murals on the end panels of train carriages. These are by Michael Healey.
July 28, 2025 at 3:28 PM
I do like the 1980s/90s tradition of having commissioned murals on the end panels of train carriages. These are by Michael Healey.
Today has been office moving day...for the last 10 years I've been fortunate to have a very large, bright university office (pictured here in Dec 2019) but as I WFH a lot these days and there is pressure on space I've moved (willingly) to a much smaller room. A good excuse for a clear out.
July 28, 2025 at 3:23 PM
Today has been office moving day...for the last 10 years I've been fortunate to have a very large, bright university office (pictured here in Dec 2019) but as I WFH a lot these days and there is pressure on space I've moved (willingly) to a much smaller room. A good excuse for a clear out.
Al fresco working this afternoon: new towns stuff. Feline supervisor ensuring that I don't drop the pace.
July 20, 2025 at 4:32 PM
Al fresco working this afternoon: new towns stuff. Feline supervisor ensuring that I don't drop the pace.
Ghost sign, Birmingham. The former Gas showroom at Dale End.
July 3, 2025 at 6:19 AM
Ghost sign, Birmingham. The former Gas showroom at Dale End.
I quite like the decoration on the low level platforms at Glasgow Queen Street, but there's nothing (as far as I can see) to say if this was an art commission, and if so who carried it out...
June 30, 2025 at 4:59 PM
I quite like the decoration on the low level platforms at Glasgow Queen Street, but there's nothing (as far as I can see) to say if this was an art commission, and if so who carried it out...
Busy day yesterday including a podcast recording for @edincollegeofart.bsky.social with @vawright10.bsky.social and later a talk and discussion with Prof Fiona McLachlan for @archifringe.bsky.social on 1950s/60s housing research and projects in Prestonpans, Edinburgh and Cumbernauld.
June 18, 2025 at 7:27 AM
Busy day yesterday including a podcast recording for @edincollegeofart.bsky.social with @vawright10.bsky.social and later a talk and discussion with Prof Fiona McLachlan for @archifringe.bsky.social on 1950s/60s housing research and projects in Prestonpans, Edinburgh and Cumbernauld.
Doing a bit of tidying in my university office: this emerged out of a box. I'm struck by Kerry Downes' comment at the start of the 'useful reading' section. The seminar itself (just over 21 years ago now, eek!) was excellent and Kerry Downes kindly signed my copy of his seminal Hawksmoor book.
June 12, 2025 at 9:45 AM
Doing a bit of tidying in my university office: this emerged out of a box. I'm struck by Kerry Downes' comment at the start of the 'useful reading' section. The seminar itself (just over 21 years ago now, eek!) was excellent and Kerry Downes kindly signed my copy of his seminal Hawksmoor book.
Perth Leisure Pool (FaulknerBrown, 1985-88) yesterday. Vaguely postmodern in style with some good textures and the promise of fun within. Proposed by @c20society.bsky.social for listing on a couple of occasions, but as yet not listed due to 'advanced proposals' for its replacement.
June 5, 2025 at 2:39 PM
Perth Leisure Pool (FaulknerBrown, 1985-88) yesterday. Vaguely postmodern in style with some good textures and the promise of fun within. Proposed by @c20society.bsky.social for listing on a couple of occasions, but as yet not listed due to 'advanced proposals' for its replacement.
Historic signage from Network SouthEast (which hasn't existed for nearly 30 years now...)
May 29, 2025 at 9:35 AM
Historic signage from Network SouthEast (which hasn't existed for nearly 30 years now...)
Also from Hertford, the former Green Dragon Hotel of c. 1903, with carved lettering advertising stables and a 'motor pit', presumably for the inevitable running repairs and maintenance needed in the early days of the car. #carscapes
May 28, 2025 at 9:19 AM
Also from Hertford, the former Green Dragon Hotel of c. 1903, with carved lettering advertising stables and a 'motor pit', presumably for the inevitable running repairs and maintenance needed in the early days of the car. #carscapes