James Thomson (1852–1927) was the City Engineer, City Architect, and Housing Director of

Dundee Dundee (; sco, Dundee; gd, Dùn Dè or ) is Scotland's fourth-largest city and the 51st-most-populous built-up area in the United Kingdom. The mid-year population estimate for 2016 was , giving Dundee a population density of 2,478/km2 or ...

Scotland Scotland (, ) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Covering the northern third of the island of Great Britain, mainland Scotland has a border with England to the southeast and is otherwise surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean to the ...

. He originally planned an immense Beaux Arts style Civic Centre covering the centre of Dundee. At the onset of

First World War World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

, his plans were scaled down and he retired in 1924. Thomson was the designer behind the "Kingsway" City Bypass, combined road widening and

slum clearance Slum clearance, slum eviction or slum removal is an urban renewal strategy used to transform low income settlements with poor reputation into another type of development or housing. This has long been a strategy for redeveloping urban communities; ...

, the Craigie Garden City Estate and the first ever district heated housing scheme at Logie. After Thomson's death in 1927 his former assistant,

James MacLellan Brown James MacLellan Brown (21 September 1886 – 25 December 1967) was a Scottish architect who was the city planner of Dundee, Scotland, known for remodelling of Sir John James Burnet's designs (1931) and designing the Mills Observatory (1935). B ...

, as Deputy City Architect, remodelled Burnet's designs in 1931.

Early life

Caird Hall and Caird Hall Square, Dundee

A native of

Edinburgh Edinburgh ( ; gd, Dùn Èideann ) is the capital city of Scotland and one of its 32 Council areas of Scotland, council areas. Historically part of the county of Midlothian (interchangeably Edinburghshire before 1921), it is located in Lothian ...

, he got professional training in

Architecture Architecture is the art and technique of designing and building, as distinguished from the skills associated with construction. It is both the process and the product of sketching, conceiving, planning, designing, and constructing building ...

and

Civil Engineering Civil engineering is a professional engineering discipline that deals with the design, construction, and maintenance of the physical and naturally built environment, including public works such as roads, bridges, canals, dams, airports, sewage ...

. As a young man, he came to Dundee to join the staff of the Burgh

Surveyor Surveying or land surveying is the technique, profession, art, and science of determining the terrestrial two-dimensional or three-dimensional positions of points and the distances and angles between them. A land surveying professional is ca ...

. Soon after taking the duty he was employed in connection with major schemes then being executed under the Improvement Act of 1871. Those undertakings, which, to a large extent, transformed the central area of the city, were carried under his personal supervision. The construction of the Perth Road and the first

tram A tram (called a streetcar or trolley in North America) is a rail vehicle that travels on tramway tracks on public urban streets; some include segments on segregated right-of-way. The tramlines or networks operated as public transport are ...

way lines in Dundee were accomplished under his direction.

Career

Thomson became the Assistant Burgh Engineer after the constructions of Perth Road and tramlines. After the death of William Alexander in 1904, he was appointed as City Architect, and in August 1906, he was given the post of City Engineer in succession to Mackison, becoming, in pursuance of the council's Policy of Consolidation, the joint holder of the offices of City Architect and Engineer. In October 1922, the

Town Council A town council, city council or municipal council is a form of local government for small municipalities. Usage of the term varies under different jurisdictions. Republic of Ireland Town Councils in the Republic of Ireland were the second ti ...

decided to separate the offices of City Engineering and City Architect, which the latter office embraced the duties of Housing Director. Thomson was relieved of the office of City Engineer and became City Architect and Housing Director. Thomson retired in May 1924, but was retained in the capacity and continued to engage in professional life in association with his son Frank Thomson. He spent 55 years in the service of the corporation. His fondest hope and expressed desire was to have the Caird Hall Square completed "in his time".

Visionary

The media referred to Thomson as the "creator of innumerable schemes to make Dundee the City Beautiful."The Courier, Pioneer in Town Planning Mr. James Thomson Dies in Caird Hall, Friday 10 November 1927 Thomson's report on the development of the city issued in 1918 was an example of his visions and daring conceptions. He was the man behind the construction of Kingsway City

Bypass Bypass may refer to: * Bypass (road), a road that avoids a built-up area (not to be confused with passing lane) * Flood bypass of a river Science and technology Medicine * Bypass surgery, a class of surgeries including for example: ** Heart bypas ...

, combined road widening and

slum A slum is a highly populated urban residential area consisting of densely packed housing units of weak build quality and often associated with poverty. The infrastructure in slums is often deteriorated or incomplete, and they are primarily inh ...

clearance, which was proposed, "…so that the city might expand advantageously and scientifically and get away from the old fashioned methods." He planned the Craigie Garden City Estate and the first ever district heated housing scheme at Logie.Thomson's ideas for extending City Square were developed again in 1924, when the Ecole de Beaux Arts trained

Sir John James Burnet Sir John James Burnet (31 May 1857 – 2 July 1938) was a Scottish Edwardian architect who was noted for a number of prominent buildings in Glasgow and London. He was the son of the architect John Burnet, and later went into partnership with ...

was commissioned to produce designs for the east and west wings to City Square. James Thomson's work enjoyed an international reputation and he was the first engineer of a Scottish municipality to be elected as the President of the Institution of Municipal and County Engineers.

Death

On 10 November 1927, in one of the corridors of Caird Hall, Thomson collapsed and died. A woman who had been waiting to see the Lord Provost saw him fall in the main corridor. She informed Lord Provost High and S. G. Fraser, with whom he was engaged at the moment, and they ran to his assistance. Thomson made a vain effort to speak but died in the arms of Fraser. Dr. Hunter, who was called, certified that the death to have been due to

heart failure Heart failure (HF), also known as congestive heart failure (CHF), is a syndrome, a group of signs and symptoms caused by an impairment of the heart's blood pumping function. Symptoms typically include shortness of breath, excessive fatigue, a ...

. At the time of death he was engaged on some of the minor details relating to the scheme for the erection of the East Wing. His funeral took palace in

Balgay Balgay ( Gaelic: ''Baile (na) Gaoithe'') is a suburb in the west end of Dundee, Scotland. The name, derived from Gaelic, seems to mean '' 'stead of the marsh/wind' ''.Nicolaisen, W.F.H. ''Scottish Place Names'' pp139 During the 17th century, B ...

Cemetery on 14 November 1927.The Courier, Funeral of Mr. James Thomson, Nove. 15, 1927

Sources

* McKean, Charles and David Walker, ''Dundee: Illustrated Architectural Guide'', Royal Incorporation of Architects in Scotland, Pillans & Wilson Ltd., Reprint 1993. * Dundee public Library Archives. * The Courier, Pioneer in Town Planning Mr. James Thomson Dies in Caird hall, Friday 11 Nov. 1927 * The Courier, Funeral of Mr. James Thomson, Nove. 15, 1927

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Thomson, James Architects from Edinburgh Architectural theoreticians 1852 births 1927 deaths History of Dundee People associated with Dundee