I enjoy observing the discussion which goes on on this forum and am very gratefull for the wealthy resource on Glasgow architecture which it brings. That said I am much more of an observer than a contributer of this forum.
I see the forum as a good place for a discussion, discourse and debate in Glasgow's contemporary architecture. I enjoy listening to the opinions of people who are interested in a subject which i am also interested and the debates that arise from them. However recently the forum appers to by a fan-club for GM-AD architects. It appears that as soon as someone critisises any of their work (i recall comments about Glasgow harbour) there is an outcry and these opinions are promptly deleted and there is a general panic that Alan will leave the forum. I find this incredibly frustrating, when this is the sort of subject where i would love to see some critical and lively debate. Im sure Alan is passionate man who would enjoy a discussion with other people of similar intrests about his work. GM-AD have strong opinions on ways to deal with the city and strong opinions should welcome critical debate.
I have to say that in my opinion the current development of Glasgow Harbour is a mistake that our future generations will have to suffer from. I find it frustrating when intelgent and well considered regeneratiosn such as the new gorbals prove to be such a sucess we do not make the most of this expirience. In new Gorbals we have seem a sensitive creation of community and a positive public realm. In Glasgow Harbour we are seeing completely inapporpriate high denisty developments.
I find it increasingly frustrating that GM-AD are given the status that they are given in Glasgow when, in my opinion, there work is detrimental to the City's Urban Fabric. Im afraid buildings such as the bewleys hotel, spectrum house and the radison are inconsiderate and incredably inappropriate brash peices of architecture. The latest development on clyde street would be a disaster for the clydeside skyline (particularly inconsidered use of color)

This a deomstration of what can happen when an immature, naive and commercial firm of architects are effectively given free roam of the city. I know many will disagree with these comments but im afraid i cannot sit and watch the sucking up to GM-AD that goes on day in day out on this forum.

Have you disabled your spellchecker or is it the drink?................ you were saying??

:laugh: :laugh: :laugh: :spam1:

First of all, welcome to the forum

I would like to draw your attention to the fact that this is a skyscraper forum, and therefore the members are inherently going to be more attracted to modern (or brash if you like) architecture such as radisson or spectrum house. As far as I'm concerned, the problem isn't the excessive support for GM & AD' plans but the lack of any input from people like you who are opposed to the designs. There were opportunities for you to comment on glasgow harbour II or the unicorn tower, but you didn't take them. That makes it especially hard to understand when you post this, weeks later moaning at the lack of criticism.

Everyone is entitled to their own opinion, Youngin. I happen to like the proposals for Glasgow harbour. I am not just saying this to appease Alan and stop him from leaving the forum. Bewleys, Spectrum and the Radisson are spectacular and symbolise Glasgow is moving forward from copy-cat "quiet" architecture, to unique, loud and exciting architecture.

youngin, youll notice though it worked both ways, aland and i both deleted comments we'd made about each other. simply good manners because we'd been quite rude to each other, when you sit back you look at things and realise "maybe i could have said that differently".
i DONT like glasgow harbour but i do like the sentinel - im not a big fan of all the gm+ad work, but i also believe when they are good they can be very good. like all busy practises they do a variety of work, some for more enlightened clients than others. glasgow harbour isnt a particularly enlightened example but that makes them no worse than any company. they are afterall out to make money, not just earn credibility.
architects though are not given a free roam of a city, they do what the developer, the man who is paying for the development wants them to do. at the end of the day if the developer doesnt like the architect's work he will drop them and go to another practise. im sure if architects were given a free reign then glasgow harbour would be a damn sight better than it is right now but they are trying to fit x number of flats into x sq m costing only x money and thats a challenge.
blame the developer, and blame the planning people for letting it through, not the architect. ive seen it happen many times though, the anger and frustration of an architect who has designed an amazing building only to have the client drop it because its too fancy or expensive and they want something cheap and bland. artistic credibility isnt something you can really run a business on except with a few choice clients and lets face it, glasgow and almost everywhere outside of the city of london lacks that kind of money where towers literally cost a billion pounds to build.
whilst they may have status in glasgow i dont hear of them much actually except in the context of glasgow. they are the latest thing, and in ten years time there'll be another latest thing practise. the question is whether they can move on from that to becoming internationally reknowned like grimshaw, wilkinson eyre and so on.
part of the reason there is so much gm+ad on this forum is they are actually posting here and not anonymously. their work is being discussed because of thisif more people posted stuff then im sure other practises would be discussed just as widely. id personally love to hear more about things coopar cromar are doing here - i know at least one of their people posts here too.

Did'nt you know we're revered and reviled in equal measure, according to the Sunday Times, youngin ?

People seem to love or work or people hate it there's no half measures and that's fine by me, seriously. Our work and our ability as architects will be assessed over time. You know our buildings and think enough about them to post on a forum that's good enough for me, for the moment.

There are new buildings in Scotland that are over rated in my view, by architects that design the same building everytime and consequently have very little to say to me and about architecture in Scotland and equally about Scotland related to Europe and indeed the rest of the world. Who knows you could be one of them, but your opinion, like mine, is fair comment

I post our work because I can't post anyone else's really.......... can't think of any other high profile architect who does the same, can you? What people make of it is up to them but it's up front and on a public forum, people can write anything they like in response, critical or praising and I'll read it. If it's a good forum, so will a lot of people.

The situation with Glasgow Harbour is entirely different, as I'm sure you will agree at least on this point , it's a multi million pound development and a lot was at stake before planning was awarded. Our client specifically instructed that nothing be released to the press or the media which they are perfectly entitled to do ............... and here it was on a website that I took part in.

I had no other choice but to remove myself from it.

Do me a favour though, go to our exhibition of new work at the Lighthouse and also see 6000 miles, then tell me you still think our work has no depth or rigour

Gothic... you are the one of the administrators of this forum are you not?.. this is a suggestion and i hope i'm not being silly about it ..i'm sure that a lot of the designers and practices are not aware of this forum.. what are the posibilities of of contacting other companies and inviting them on to the forum personaly to contribute here of their work, i'm sure that this is a good meeting ground for all in this field ..i was not aware of this forum untill i stumbled upon it through the search engine last year and its been a really good source of information for the renewel of the surounding areas of Glasgow which is very exciting to those of us who are born and bred here and are proud of our city.. and alan not blowing your horn in any way but i feel you are a modest man and do not minipulate the forum in any way as suggested.. just becuase you have a passion to illustrate your work on here does not mean that people have to swing to your side to promote your work.. all work from any designer has to go through a rigorous method from city planners, the GH2 plans were looked at for nearly a year before decisions were made to give it a go ahead and i'm sure the planners would make them go back to the drawing board again and agian if they thought that GH2 was not a viable development..thanks for listening

Mo

To be fair it should be interesting to get a different perspective on things.

Why do you not like GH2 or the Unicorn, youngin? You must have fairly strong reasons afterall!

If you'd actually presented reasons for disliking the architecture that may have provided a hinge for further discussion. As is, the rambling monologue presented doesn't hold together at all well.

The city chambers are "brash", Kelvingrove is bold, central station is flamboyant, I fail to see the distinction nor the problem. New Gorbals is an entirely different kettle of fish to Glasgow Harbour. It's pleasant, a good job has been done but it remains a pale shadow of its former grandeur. The public artworks can't quite mask the cheap yellow brick estates, the walled, gated communities aren't ideal public realm either. Contrast that with the publicly accessible community down river. Best of luck selling the old high density = bad, low density = good line.

There's a ton of criticism on here. I've criticised Glasgow harbour phase 1, Jury's, Mizu, CHQ and Blackfriars till I'm blue in the face. If I haven't criticised gm + ad projects it's because I've had no justifiable grounds to do so.

m_riaz, yes i am indeed one of the founders of ssc and whatnot. i have actually talked many people into posting ont hese forums (or at least reading them) who i have been in contact with over time. it would be wrong though, and bad manners to ask people do so if i dont know them already. id love to have more people come here and i do as ive said recommend it to people i know in the business.
plenty of people do post here under nomme de guerres, the thing is alan is the only one to do so openly really. you have people from coopar cromar and auckett posting here more discretely, people from glasgow regeneration agencies too doing the same thing. frankly though i dont caer whether people post anonymously or openly as long as they do post. i think though the likes of alan are leading this in a way, what we have here really is a bit of a viral pr campaign for his practise, just as the manchester forum has people from aedas architects and ian simpson posting on it.

I think youngin's posting is fair comment, in truth, providing he/she is not a digruntled neighbour or a competing architect ( I am always a bit suspicious when on the "eve" of important planning decisions for the practice someone who has never posted before makes themselves known, sorry)

Anyway, it's gothics response that I find the most amusing.

Our practice has grown from six to thirty in less than seven years, every project we do is a conversation piece, good and bad. We have half a billion's worth of new build work in the office at present and are starting to work in North America , Ireland and in Italy, we're growing continually yet because the anal retentives down south hav't yet heard of us much, we're somehow only the latest thing.

Frankly that says more about their ignorance and yours frankly than our ability.

Post me in ten years time, if we're not one of the world's top practices I'll eat my calvin's............. without the HP and no side salad

better make that 5 years ....................doubt if you'll be around in 10.

right now id describe ad+gm as the up and coming indie band, critically acclaimed and reasonably successful but with gold rather than multi platinum records waiting to have their real break through hit that will make them internationally famous, more franz ferdinand than coldplay. you certainly have the talent. i really hope you do get there, itd be nice if more of the worlds top practices were actually greatly talented as opposed to moderately so. sadly, for every grimshaw there's a siefert who i believe designed 480 office blocks around the world in the 60s and 70s, most of them were complete drivel. youre definitely talented and i hope you get through to that next level and do a grimshaw :)
this site by the way is 5 years old almost.

I think that YOUNGIN has a reasonable point in terms of the forum but this should not be seen as a criticism of Alan Dunlop.

People queuing up a few weeks back to boast of the letters they were writing to the COUNCIL supporting one of Alan's projects seemed to almost but perhaps not quite border on the edge of sycophancy.

The trouble is not that Alan can come over as opionated, arrogant and boastful, no the trouble is that the regular contributers have settled into a cosy club in which Alan appears to have the greatest status. Indeed in one post he was described as the forum's master architect.

The remedy would be to have a greater number of other architects whether established or starting out taking part regularly. If the Pete McGurns the Sandy Coopers the David Pages the Jon Jewitts the John Forbes the Mark Baines took part i am sure Alan would be delighted and the forum could be fantastic.

How can that come about?


By the way I really like the Radisson both visually and in terms of using it as a customer. It has added a whole new dimension to the City. I do not know whether the developer should take the credit or the architect or whether it was a meeting of minds. I do not know if the construction came within budget and if there are ongong maintenance problems. I only know that I am uplifted everytime I see it.

..............well I see us more akin to Berry Gordy and the beginings of the Motown Sound. We've had some success with Smokey Robinson, The Four Tops are beginning to break though, Marvin Gaye has just signed a new contract, a few people have heard of us out side Detroit and Diana Ross has just this second walked through the door.

Could be good?

Coldplay who the hell are they .....Chillies, REM and Springsteen , now yer cooking. Form always follows Function

I did say Murdomac that youngin was making a fair point......but those other guys you mentioned who the fuck are they :)

lol. good metaphor alan.

if people want to say alan is a master architect thats their own personal opinion, it can be easy to get starstruck by someone - thats not alans fault, for most people places like this are the only real chance they get to discuss things with an architect and if youre a fan of the work of someone like that then its no different to any other fandom thing where people go "oh wow, youre so and so!". all thats missing right now is some balance and thats the fault of alans competitors for not posting here and only lurking. *hint hint*

the master architect on skyscrapercity id say is probably ken yeang. yes, he does post and read ssc when he gets the time.

almost five years already , eh?..................does'nt give us much time.

Still, time enough I'm sure

Haha it was me who branded Alan the "Master Architect".

If you actually look at the context of the post, you people will actually realise that it was a bit of tongue and cheek.

Not that your not a stunning architect, Alan, because I genuinely do respect and admire your work, but I was only over-dramatising the regular posters status whilst the forum went quiet a week back in a somewhat half-baked attempt to get everyone posting again....

I mean come on! With names like "Forum Champion" and "Knowledgable Master" did you think I was being serious?


Duh.....

I thought it was better than "Bastard Architect", my usual nomenclature.

hmmm... I wouldnt say this place was a GM+AD fanclub, more of a Glasgow fanclub really, but certainly one that Alan's a part of. I've had my differences of opinion with Alan and would hardly say I was queuing up to boast of writing a letter of support for Unicorn (which I got no acknowledgement of so its probably been binned anyway), more a matter of supporting good architecture and the regeneration of this city.

We have a community here, one which everyone is invited to take part in. It just so happens Alan is one of the more vocal members though, with the added advantage of having active and ongoing developments: he's bound to attract attention!

Bitch-slapping the rest of us in theface with those comments isnt the way to win friends and influence people.

Crusty :)

To be fair Crusty it is after all only to be expected that on a forum called skyscrapercity that contributers should rally round and support high rise initiatives from bold and experienced top home grown architects. I hope Alan's building in Clyde Street gets the go ahead and I'm sure letters like your own will help.
Fair enough that Alan talks about and promotes his own projects. It is just that without similar input from other key figures the forum begins to look a little like the gm + ad show.

That's not Alan's fault just a reflection that either the forum is not a resource that has been widely exposed to the "industry" or that figures of comparitive standing to Alan choose not to be involved.

If it is the former is there not some remedy?

i personally think its great that GM+AD are 'off the wall'. At least it will make Glasgow different to the other UK cities. It is good to be different, life would be boring if it werent for differences.That is one of the reasons that I think anyway, buildings are of a higher spec than in other cities.

Having home grown architects is important, maybe it's a touch incestuous but it breeds identity. In that sense I wouldn't be comfortable if gm+ad were to become "british" or "global". RMJM are widely recognised and respected but if you look at their work it's apparent that it's just a job or solution to a problem, I don't see any passion there. (although i may eat my words when qd2 is unwrapped).

In any case it's hardly surprising gm+ad feature prominently on the boards, whether alan posted or not. There are only 5 practices building on a large scale in Glasgow, Cooper Cromar, gm+ad, Jewitt Aschavair and Wilkie, Page and Park and RMJM. For good or ill these get the most attention.

Elphinstone Place is easily the most discussed/idolised project on this forum.

.................see the backlash has started already. One minute you're a master architect, the next you're lumped in with this crew.

Throw in Keppies, gleegie, whydon'tcha and really make my day :)

"bitchslapping", crusty. Sounds interesting................... does that involve a dog ?

One minute its invites for everybody!!! the next its "lumped in wi this crew"... you're a fickle creature Alan Dunlop :colgate: As for the bitch-slapping, I meant the people who regularly contribute to this forum, whether or not any of you are dogs remains to be seen ;)

The bitch-slap thing wasnt directed at you murdomac, more at youngins approach and tact, both of you do make valid points though. How did you all get to find this site? I did through google, its hardly rocket science really. Although if Gothic were to send out a few emails to some certain practices inviting them to review the forum and possibly contribute it could only do good?

Crusty :)

I thought it was better than "Bastard Architect", my usual nomenclature.
to be fair, on site thats every architect. not just you. as in 'that bastard architect thinks things build themselves'
some good points about clients earlier. they are all for top quality design and construction, till they have to pay for it. how many nice buildings look rank now because the client can't even keep it clean?
and while im about it, i actually build the bastard things, so how about some adulation for me?!?!?!? my boots are filthy and need licked clean!?!?!?!?!? :hahaha:

i actually build the bastard things, so how about some adulation for me?!?!?!? my boots are filthy and need licked clean!?!?!?!?!?

Yeah, its these^ bastards that balls up your surface finishes and bodge your fancy detailing... Any takers? Anyone?? :laugh:

Im just kiddin Engineer ;) Im with you on this, lets here it for the unsung heroes that do the practical stuff and make things happen! ...like lunchtime for example.

Crusty :)

Yeah, its these^ bastards that balls up your surface finishes and bodge your fancy detailing... Any takers? Anyone?? :laugh:
Crusty :)

who've you been talking to? WHO!!?? :)

:lol: You know Im just kidding right? See it made me laugh so I automatically wrote it down ...now I have 'posting remorse'. No offence mate.

Crusty :)

I'm posting this with some trepidation, but I found youngin's posting very interesting and I have to say that I found it matched some of my own perceptions of this Forum. I very much 'wanted' to like the Forum and become more of an active member, but I have not ever really quite managed to settle into what it's all about. There again, maybe one is not meant to 'settle into' into it.

I think I know what youngin means about the perception of a bit of a club of the familiars. It does also feel sometimes as though there is a strong and subjective presumption in favour of the superiority of architects and all things architectural (and it seems mostly brand new)... and little constructive referencing to other interests or sectors on the urban scene. Having said that, I would want to immediately say that I'm sure that it's not meant to be that way, and that several of the excellent contributors would feel a wee bit black-affronted by these comments. But there again maybe I have got the point of it all wrong and that this is the ambience that the regular contribuors want.

I think the, shall we say lopsided, ambience of the Forum, if it is unintended, is down to some of the factors that that others have mentioned, including the lack of other contributing architects of varying dispositions. But I would add as a factor, the lack of other players, such as more of those who work on the developer side; and frankly I think many people active in the wider regeneration sector would find the Forum just too introspective. I appreciate that there are at times threads on matters such as the Glasgow economy, but these threads came across as incidental and outwith the core interest of the Forum.

Having agreed with much of what youngin says, can I strongly disagree with him on the radisson... I think it's superb in itself, its location is ideal and pivotal and there is something intangible about how it, together with the adjacent Central station, shouts out about the Glasgow attitude across the centuries. However, I do agree with his positive comments about New Gorbals; the comments made in response about something like 'artsworks cannot hide the cheap litle yellow brick housing' does', I suggest, underline my comments about the introspective tendency of the Forum and an apparent lack of linkages with something more than 'just' architecture/design.

I better stand back now with prior apologies for any unintended insults, and to say that the longer the Forum goes on and the wider the range of contributors, then the more valuable the dialogue will get.... But just one extra last comment in view of the comments about youngin's bad spelling - I don't find it the easiest board to post on (but there again I'm definately IT challanged :) )

the two projects we take the most flak for are Bewleys and Spectrum House, yet these two projects are among the best examples we have in the office of making architecture out of nothing and for Bewleys hotel in particular for a very tight budget.
http://www.murraydunloparchitects.com/casestudies/110bathst/index.htm

Consevationists tend to forget, intentionally or otherwise, that Bewleys was originally an eight storey building and the headquarters of Tennents Caledonian. It was this building that ruptured the original georgian street frontage, not the hotel.

our brief was to take this non descript original building and turn it into an immediatly recognisable flagship building for an Irish company trying to start up in the UK. By any measure, whether you like the building or not, we did that. The only sad thing for us is that it is poorly finished and it is beginning to show. Our details were well considered but largly ignored by the Irish Contractors under this design and build contract. So for example the render finish is less than we specified and the slot in the roof which guides the window cleaning hoist is cut be a hack saw on site rather than being specially machine cut in the factory.

Spectrum House is also made from an existing 1960's building which I would defy even gleegie to tell us what it looked like. Yet it has become now one of the most talked about buildings in Glasgow and regularly features in European architectural magazines. It is one of our best exports.
http://www.murraydunloparchitects.com/casestudies/spectrum/index.htm

i'd echo escotregen's post. can't remember how i came by here, think it was via hidden glasgow, but i was a wee bit put off by some the feting of The Architects. The construction of anything takes many organisations and the process of realising a concept is arduous to say the least. i suppose as the forum grows we might see more contractors, developers, engineers and even some cooncil members. only then will a balanced view of glasgow's construction and development be established.

all of which isn't gm+ad's fault. it is good to have someone here who has a hand in 'the business'.but as long as it's just AD here, then it seems obvious that there will be a lot of his company's work and ride all else. i wouldn't expect him to promote (or dirtbag) a rival practice work.

bewleys and radisson are buildings that got my attention. and even if i don't like a structure (i DO like these 2) i appreciate that it made me look at it.

if i stayed in a little yellow brick house and found it to provide good accommodation then i wouldn't give a shit if anyone found it architectually moribund. artwork is to look at, buildings are to live and work in. a building's inhabitants being adversley affected by the design is far worse than a passer by having to avert his or her glare

Perhaps the reason that a more diverse range of characters do not contribute more to the forum is that architects are so darned clever.

By and large they are intelligent, educated, informed, well travelled and artistically creative. Some are even business-like.

Sure a few are somewhat egotistical (R.M. Edinburgh) but most are relatively modest when you consider the contribution they make.

The trouble is that they assume that everyone else is on the same cerebral level as they are.

Poor developers for example are so busy finding the development opportunities, putting together the land parcels which are very often in different ownership, raising the finance (often putting up persaonal gaurantees), dealing with the intricacies of a disparate design team (or should that be desperate), trying to get planning permission, dealing with local nimbys (and perhaps the local councillor) and then signing an agreement with a tough as old boots contractor.

And that is before any work gets started. After that the developer spenda 16 hours a day co-ordinating everything and trying not to go bankrupt.

After all that he has to deal with the erudite Jsweeneypm writing about the 'feel of transparency and permeability endemic in the structures and the site' which is followed by 'Congratulations Alan it looks to be a truly masterful piece of work.'

No please do not dumb down Jsweenypm such prose can be almost poetic.

Just remember that there are others out there who may be ever so slightly hesitant to contribute if they feel they are intruding a little into an architectural mensa debating society.

Teapot is correct here.

This is supposed to be quite a light hearted forum, not an intense, mental work-out that some of you guys think it should be.

The name of this site is Skyscrapercity.com. I joined here for the sole reason of finding out more about Elphinstone place. But the staggering level of information available about Glasgow and its continued regeneration and re-invention kept me posting here.

I found its discussions interesting, and the mild mannered yet challenging exchanges between Gweilo and Aland at the end of last year were at the very least entertaining, not to mention extremely learned and informative. (Who says no-one challenges Alan?!)


But this is not the place to get all intense about architecture. If I remember correctly there is also an Architecture forum that SpaceInvader, Alan and Gweilo post on that is much more suited to in-depth discussions.

If you look at the other sub-forums in the UK part of this site you will see that the quailty and substance of discussion up here is already worlds apart from our neighbours down south (sorry guys!).

This is a good forum, and I enjoy posting here. But I like it because it isnt too formal. If it was, it would keep the "Joe Public's" like me away from the forum, and I would lose a valuable source of information.


Apologies for the long winded post, but I believe that this forum should be taken lightly, and used for a casual mix of reliable information and some good ol' Glesga banter :)


I would love to see more architects here, though. And I have to echo what teapot has said: Dont dumb down your posts Jsweenypm - you are the last of a dying breed of people with a proper grasp of the English language :)

Jings haven't you lot grasped the concept of a public holiday!

Step away from the computer....

If you look at the other sub-forums in the UK part of this site you will see that the quailty and substance of discussion up here is already worlds apart from our neighbours down south (sorry guys!).
this is sadly often the case. some of the sub forums are populated entirely by teenagers.

I can see where youngin is coming from here. I have noticed a bit of sucking up to Alan on this forum recently but at the same time, he has recieved his fare share of criticism.
Personally, i'm not a fan of everyhing gm+ad have produced over the years, especially Bewley's hotel and River heights but at least they are out there doing something new and challenging and not just following the well trodden path of dull, white, rendered blocks.
Perhaps in time the people of Glasgow will learn to like many of the more controversial buildings they have designed such as the Raddisson and Spectrum house. Personally, I think they are two of the finest and most unique developments this city has seen in a while and are a real step above most of the stuff I have seen coming out of the other smaller cities down south.
I like the way in which Glasgow is focusing more on quality design and density right now rather than going hell for leather and trying to keep up with the battle of the talls. I was in Birmingham last week and the low rise developments there are just fillers with little or no architectural merit.
Glasgow will be a far finer looking city in the end the way it is going right now.

Blah blah blah, Skye.

that's ok skye, you don't have to like everything we do.

Give River Heights a chance though, when it's completed in a few months time I doubt if you'll find a residential scheme on the river that is more redolent of the warehouses and monumental structures that once filled the Clyde side. It's a building absolutely associated with it's location and with it's city.

Trust me.

where did youngin go then?

a wee suggestion on the Clyde Bridges thread alan see what you think :)

Mo

Perhaps Zaha could be tempted to post in the not so near future ...

Oscar Ekdahl Memorial (http://capd.ksu.edu/event-details/1249)

http://*************************/architects/alan_dunlop_gordon_murray_gmad100309tb.jpg

The spring 2009 Oscar Ekdahl Memorial Lecture of the Kansas State University College of Architecture, Planning and Design will be given by a distinguished Scottish architect, Alan Dunlop.

Big Ideas from a Small Place

will be presented at 4:00 p.m. Monday, April 6, 2009, in Forum Hall of the K-State Student Union. The lecture is open to the public without charge.

Alan Dunlop is a partner in Gordon Murray and Alan Dunlop Architects (gm+ad) based in Glasgow, Scotland. He is a Fellow of the Royal Incorporation of Architects in Scotland and was educated in London and at the Mackintosh School of Architecture in Glasgow. He is a committed educator and is currently visiting Professor at Robert Gordon University, Scott Sutherland School of Architecture in Aberdeen. He has taught in schools of Architecture in Manchester, Liverpool and Glasgow and lectured internationally. Widely published in the architectural press and in national broadsheets, he is an established commentator on architecture, design and social issues on television and radio.

Alan is acknowledged as a gifted draughtsman and his drawings have been exhibited at the Royal Academy in London and since 1996 at the Royal Scottish Academy. In 2008, his drawings were awarded the Royal Gold Medal in Architecture from the Royal Scottish Academy. His work has been exhibited at the Royal Institute of British Architects, the Royal Scottish Academy, the Royal Incorporation of Architects in Scotland, the Lighthouse in Glasgow, in Europe and at the Venice Biennale.

The firm gm+ad is recognised for the innovative nature of its projects. In the twelve years that the partnership has been established it has won over thirty five national and international awards, including Europa Nostra; Royal Institute of British Architects Awards; the Scottish Design Awards: Grand Prix for Architecture; a Special Award from the Royal Institute of the Architects of Ireland; a British Construction Industry: Best Practice Award; a DesignShare Honor Award and two International Architecture Awards from the Chicago Athenaeum.

Of special note is the firm’s recent design of the Hazelwood School in Glasgow for children that are deaf and blind. This multi-award winning design has seen wide publication including Architectural Record, http://archrecord.construction.com/schools/08_Extra_Sensory.asp

The work of the practice regularly features in the architectural press and other international publications and the partnership has published two monographs; Challenging Contextualism in 2001 and Curious Rationalism in 2006.

Founded nearly 40 years ago as a memorial honoring Topeka architect and KSU alumnus Oscar Ekdahl, the Ekdahl Lectures bring practitioners, teachers, critics, theorists and artists to the campus for interaction with students, faculty and alumni. A concern for issues affecting the quality of the physical environment and the leadership roles played by the speakers characterize the Ekdahl series, which is meant to inform and to challenge, to reinforce and to complement the educational programs of the College of Architecture, Planning and Design.

Attendance at the lecture can be submitted as continuing education credit by design professionals by contacting Diane Potts.

For more information, contact:
Peter Magyar, 785.532.5953
Diane Potts, 785.532.1090

Mo, you've given this thread quite the Lazarus like resurrection.

I thought i'd give the Big man a wee mention. :)

I think youngin's posting is fair comment, in truth, providing he/she is not a digruntled neighbour or a competing architect ( I am always a bit suspicious when on the "eve" of important planning decisions for the practice someone who has never posted before makes themselves known, sorry)

Anyway, it's gothics response that I find the most amusing.

Our practice has grown from six to thirty in less than seven years, every project we do is a conversation piece, good and bad. We have half a billion's worth of new build work in the office at present and are starting to work in North America , Ireland and in Italy, we're growing continually yet because the anal retentives down south hav't yet heard of us much, we're somehow only the latest thing.



Some of your stuff is good, and some of it is guff. I welcome your thoughts on architecture of this city.



Frankly that says more about their ignorance and yours frankly than our ability.

Post me in ten years time, if we're not one of the world's top practices I'll eat my calvin's............. without the HP and no side salad

:toilet:
Thats a pretty gay and poncey thing to say. Are you one of these "modern men" types?

The posts are from 4 years ago, I think your response may be a bit late:)

GLASGOW ARCHITECTURE (http://www.glasgowarchitecture.co.uk/glasgow_news.php) are reporting that GM+AD have dissolved their partnership.

http://lh3.ggpht.com/_Fn9mxLooHz0/Rk0pISwoEbI/AAAAAAAAAkg/nrI4-V-ZbdY/s640/Blown%20Tire%202.JPG

An email from Alan.

From: Alan Dunlop [mailto:ad@alandunloparchitects.com]
Sent: 19 April 2010 17:30
To: 'M Riaz'
Subject: RE: gm+ad partnership dissolved. 19 Apr

Mo

“I can’t say anything about the background to the dissolution, Gordon and I expect to agree and release a formal statement for our clients and the press early this week.

I’m willing though to talk about my own future and confirm that at the moment I’m in the USA, at the University of Washington giving the Mahlum Endowment Lecture and I’ve other teaching and lecturing commitments and offers in the USA and Europe which will take me through until September/October at least. It’s my intention to start my own office but have an offer already to take a Directorship in a UK practice. I can’t confirm the name of the outfit, it’s commercially sensitive and they’ve asked me to keep it confidential. I’ll take a few more weeks before I finally decide.”

A
www.alandunloparchitects.com

Edit: I note that the Mods have been quick to change the Thread title from a + to a -

http://img210.imageshack.us/img210/4066/gmad.jpg

from bd
http://www.bdonline.co.uk/story.asp?sectioncode=426&storycode=3162121&channel=783&c=1
Gordon Murray and Alan Dunlop part company

20 April, 2010

By Will Hurst

One of Scotland’s best known practices, GM&AD Architects has been dissolved.

The two partners of the Glasgow firm, Gordon Murray and Alan Dunlop, formed the practice more than a decade ago but have now split as a partnership.

Neither was available for comment, but the firm is now operating as Gordon Murray Architects. Dunlop is in the United States teaching and lecturing, and said he had been approached to run an existing practice.

GM&AD worked mainly in scotland but gained an international reputation with over 30 awards for architecture, including Europa Nostra, RIBA, British Construction Industry, BCO, RIAS, RIAI and Scottish Design Awards.

Its profile was also raised by Murray’s stint as RIAS president.

Dunlop – who has become increasingly involved in academia in recent years – told the website Urban Realm: “I can’t say anything about the background to the dissolution. Gordon and I expect to agree and release a formal statement for our clients and the press early this week.

“I’m willing though to talk about my own future and confirm that at the moment I’m in the USA, at the University of Washington giving the Mahlum Endowment Lecture and I’ve other teaching and lecturing commitments and offers in the USA and Europe which will take me through until September/October at least.

“It’s my intention to start my own office, but have an offer already to take a directorship in a UK practice. I can’t confirm the name of the outfit, it’s commercially sensitive and they’ve asked me to keep it confidential. I’ll take a few more weeks before I finally decide.”
Related articles

* Murray and Pert join Strathclyde
* Murray Dunlop's massive tower block scheme for River Clyde approved - images
* Murray and Dunlop scoop Glasgow hotel
* Scottish design watchdog names new review panel


Read more: http://www.bdonline.co.uk/story.asp?sectioncode=426&storycode=3162121&channel=783&c=1#ixzz0ldn9FHB5

Todays herald - the paper copy has mistakenly included a picture of andy burrell instead of dunlop.

http://www.heraldscotland.com/news/home-news/abrupt-end-to-top-architects-partnership-1.1022516

Abrupt end to top architects’ partnership

* 8870339

* Murray and Dunlop forged a reputation on innovative projects such as the Radisson SAS in Glasgow

EXCLUSIVE: Brian Donnelly
Share 0 comments

23 Apr 2010

They are credited with pushing back the boundaries of Scottish architecture with their bold and provocative designs.

But one of the most successful, celebrated and internationally renowned partnerships in the UK, namely Gordon Murray and Alan Dunlop, is no more.

Mr Murray, a past president of the Royal Incorporation of Architects in Scotland, and Mr Dunlop told The Herald last night that they had dissolved the partnership of gm+ad, which in the last 10 years has designed key buildings in their home base of Glasgow.

Neither would reveal why they dissolved the partnership but Mr Murray said yesterday the practice was now “moving on”.

He added that clients had been told of the split and existing contracts would be met by the remaining 18 staff under a company title of Gordon Murray Architects.

Mr Dunlop is in North America and has been prevented from flying home because of the volcanic ash. He has launched a new website under the name Alan Dunlop Architects.

He said: “I am not in a position to make any further comment other than to confirm that the practice is dissolved.”

The two had planned to release a statement this week but the news was leaked before they could make the split public.

Mr Dunlop added: “I was expecting to have returned by now to agree a formal statement for release to our clients and the press because I feel that that is the professional approach to take. I am conscious, too, that ours has been a high-profile partnership and the split was always likely to attract press interest and speculation.”

Mr Murray said he could not pinpoint the leak.

He said: “Gordon Murray Architects will continue with the staff of the former practice and existing projects and clients on an ongoing basis. All our clients have been informed. Alan and I were in the process of agreeing a public statement.”

The pair are behind projects at Anderston Quay, the Radisson SAS hotel in Glasgow, 9 George Square in the city centre and the £16m Clyde Street Hotel, due to be completed this summer. They have won dozens of awards for designs such as Hazelwood School, The Sentinel Building, The Spectrum Building, Central Station and Bewleys Hotel in the city, as well as Glasgow Harbour.

Industry insiders were said to be shocked by the split. Adrian Welch, editor of the online journal e-architect, said: “This is sad news. It is another sign of volatility within the sector.”

He said the practice’s work was “frequently vigorous, even shocking to some”.

“Whatever your view, it would be hard to deny that the practice and its two partners have breathed life into Scottish architecture and pushed boundaries that needed pushing,” he said.

Mr Murray studied at the School of Architecture at Strathclyde University. Mr Dunlop was educated in London and at the Mackintosh School of Architecture in Glasgow.

AD has history. Not the first partnership of his to be dissolved from memory.

At least GM's previous partners simply retired.

http://www.alandunloparchitects.com/main.html

Phone: 07814 509 013

Email: ad@alandunloparchitects.com

Studio;
13 James Morrison Street
Merchant City
Glasgow
G15PE

Is that the same building as Page \ Park?

Is that the same building as Page \ Park?

Nieghbours, P&P are #20.

is he allowed to call himself architects if it's just him?

no he contravenes the arb code of conduct. on his website it just says architect though.

Alan Dunlop Architects (http://www.alandunloparchitects.com/lectures/pollockshields-heritage-thought-lines)



Pollockshields Heritage Thought lines:
Wednesday 27th April

Alan Dunlop will talk about working in Glasgow; his architecture, teaching and the importance of hand drawing.

By request, the lecture will focus on the design development of Hazelwood School but also include details of his most recent projects.

Fotheringay Centre, following Pollockshields Heritage AGM




Rotunda-Interior

http://www.alandunloparchitects.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/Rotunda-Interior-1-1.jpg

was walking past GMADs Glasgow Harbour this morning after dropping my car off at the local garage for a service

Amazing how may cladding panels have fallen off the building

Looks pretty poor

Amazing how may cladding panels have fallen off the building

That's an appropriate metaphor for the entire Glasgow Harbour project.

http://www.architectsjournal.co.uk/

Drawing with Dunlop – the forgotten art of sketching?
23-Mar-2011 | By Simon Hogg

[Video] Watch Alan Dunlop pen an accurate hand-drawn view of the Clyde Waterfront, from memory, in just over three minutes.

Some pretty cool art worK from Alan Dunlop's Sketchbook (https://www.yousendit.com/transfer.php?action=download&ufid=T2dlWmd0bThUME94djhUQw). :)

http://i1112.photobucket.com/albums/k484/mori786/ADSketchbook.jpg