John Renwick McAslan (born 16 February 1954) is a British architect.

Education and career

John McAslan was educated at

Dunoon Grammar School Dunoon Grammar School is a secondary school in Dunoon, Cowal Peninsula, Argyll and Bute, Scotland. It was founded in 1641. It is currently a non-denominational comprehensive school which covers all stages from S1 to S6 (ages 12–18). Building ...

Dollar Academy Dollar Academy, founded in 1818 by John McNabb, is an independent co-educational day and boarding school in Scotland. The open campus occupies a site in the centre of Dollar, Clackmannanshire, at the foot of the Ochil Hills. Overview As of 20 ...

and

University of Edinburgh The University of Edinburgh ( sco, University o Edinburgh, gd, Oilthigh Dhùn Èideann; abbreviated as ''Edin.'' in post-nominals) is a public research university based in Edinburgh, Scotland. Granted a royal charter by King James VI in 15 ...

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 ...

, obtaining an MA 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 ...

in 1977 and a Diploma in 1978. He trained in

Boston, USA Boston (), officially the City of Boston, is the state capital and most populous city of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, as well as the cultural and financial center of the New England region of the United States. It is the 24th- most p ...

, with

Cambridge Seven Associates Cambridge Seven Associates, Inc. (stylized as CambridgeSeven, and sometimes as C7A) is an American architecture firm based in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Buildings designed by the firm have included academic, museum, exhibit, hospitality, transpo ...

before joining

Richard Rogers and Partners RSHP is a British architectural firm, founded in 1977 and previously known as the Richard Rogers Partnership which became Rogers Stirk Harbour + Partners. in 2007. The firm rebranded from Rogers Stirk Harbour + Partners to simply RSHP on 30 Ju ...

in 1980. He founded John McAslan + Partners in 1996, where he remains as Executive Chairman and is active in all of the practice's work. King's Cross Station

While much of McAslan's work focuses on new buildings, he is also well known for his careful restoration and redevelopment of historic buildings in the UK and overseas, including iconic

London London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...

landmarks such as the Roundhouse. Such work typically brings both new form and function to old structures; the 2012 western concourse at London's King's Cross station, for example, combines striking design with efficient and practical central purpose, allowing large numbers of people to move freely between platforms at the busiest times of day. McAslan has taught and lectured widely and is a

trustee Trustee (or the holding of a trusteeship) is a legal term which, in its broadest sense, is a synonym for anyone in a position of trust and so can refer to any individual who holds property, authority, or a position of trust or responsibility to t ...

of a number of cultural bodies.

Philanthropy

In 1997 McAslan established the John McAslan Family Trust, a registered

charity Charity may refer to: Giving * Charitable organization or charity, a non-profit organization whose primary objectives are philanthropy and social well-being of persons * Charity (practice), the practice of being benevolent, giving and sharing * Ch ...

which provides support for arts and educational projects both in the UK and overseas. In 2008 the Trust acquired the Burgh Hall at

Dunoon Dunoon (; gd, Dùn Omhain) is the main town on the Cowal peninsula in the south of Argyll and Bute, Scotland. It is located on the western shore of the upper Firth of Clyde, to the south of the Holy Loch and to the north of Innellan. As well ...

from a property developer for the token sum of £1, with the aim of restoring the building and creating a new community-focused centre for contemporary arts. The final phase of this project was completed in 2017. In 2004, John McAslan + Partners, the

Royal Institute of British Architects The Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) is a professional body for architects primarily in the United Kingdom, but also internationally, founded for the advancement of architecture under its royal charter granted in 1837, three suppl ...

(RIBA) and the

Institution of Civil Engineers The Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE) is an independent professional association for civil engineers and a charitable body in the United Kingdom. Based in London, ICE has over 92,000 members, of whom three-quarters are located in the UK, whi ...

(ICE) jointly established a new bursary to recognise and support innovative design projects. In recent years, the bursary has strengthened its focus on the role of design as an instrument for positive change, particularly in projects addressing

environmental A biophysical environment is a biotic and abiotic surrounding of an organism or population, and consequently includes the factors that have an influence in their survival, development, and evolution. A biophysical environment can vary in scale f ...

and community issues. In 2015, the

Environment Agency The Environment Agency (EA) is a non-departmental public body, established in 1996 and sponsored by the United Kingdom government's Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, with responsibilities relating to the protection and enha ...

contributed £10,000 to the bursary scheme to support projects demonstrating progress towards sustainable climate change solutions. In 2019 John McAslan + Partners and the

American Institute of Architects The American Institute of Architects (AIA) is a professional organization for architects in the United States. Headquartered in Washington, D.C., the AIA offers education, government advocacy, community redevelopment, and public outreach to su ...

jointly launched the McAslan Architecture Travel Fellowship which awarded two US Architecture students annually with a study and travel scholarship to work with the

World Monuments Fund World Monuments Fund (WMF) is a private, international, non-profit organization dedicated to the preservation of historic architecture and cultural heritage sites around the world through fieldwork, advocacy, grantmaking, education, and trainin ...

in the restoration program for the Madame Gauthier Villa in Port-au-Prince, Haiti.

Honours and awards

John McAslan + Partners was named World Architect of the Year in 2009 by

Building Design Building design refers to the broadly based architectural, engineering and technical applications to the design of buildings. All building projects require the services of a building designer, typically a licensed architect. Smaller, less complica ...

magazine. The practice's work has been extensively exhibited and has received more than 170 international design awards, including 29 RIBA international, national, regional and special awards. McAslan was appointed

Commander of the Order of the British Empire The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding contributions to the arts and sciences, work with charitable and welfare organisations, and public service outside the civil service. It was established o ...

in the New Year Honours 2012, for his services to

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 ...

. He was also appointed

Honorary Consul A consul is an official representative of the government of one state in the territory of another, normally acting to assist and protect the citizens of the consul's own country, as well as to facilitate trade and friendship between the people ...

of The Republic of Haiti (to the

Court of St James's The Court of St James's is the royal court for the Sovereign of the United Kingdom. All ambassadors to the United Kingdom are formally received by the court. All ambassadors from the United Kingdom are formally accredited from the court – & ...

) in the United Kingdom between 2012–13, following the practice's work and assistance in the wake of the

2010 Haiti earthquake A disaster, catastrophic Moment magnitude scale, magnitude 7.0 Mw earthquake struck Haiti at 16:53 local time (21:53 UTC) on Tuesday, 12 January 2010. The epicenter was near the town of Léogâne, Ouest (department), Ouest department, a ...

. In 2014 he was appointed Regent to the University of Edinburgh, and was awarded an honorary degree of Doctor honoris causa in 2015. In 2019 McAslan was elected a Fellow of the

Royal Society of Edinburgh The Royal Society of Edinburgh is Scotland's national academy of science and letters. It is a registered charity that operates on a wholly independent and non-partisan basis and provides public benefit throughout Scotland. It was established i ...

Projects

File:Sydney Central Station, John McAslan + Partners.jpg, Sydney Central Station File:The Roundhouse Theatre by John McAslan + Partners.jpg, The Roundhouse, London File:Olympic Energy Centre.jpg, Olympic Energy Centre, London File:The Burrell Collection.jpg, The Burrell Collection File:Said Business School, Oxford John McAslan + Partners.jpg, Said Business School File:Sacred Heart Cathedral of Kericho Kenya by John Macaslan and Partners Image edmund sumner.jpg, Sacred Heart Cathedral, Kericho File:Jumaa Mosque.jpg, Msheireb Mosque, Doha File: Iron Market, Haiti.jpg, Iron Market, Port-au-Prince, Haiti File:Msheireb Doha.jpg, Msheireb Doha

References

External links

John McAslan + Partners websiteArch DailyArchelloDezeen
{{DEFAULTSORT:McAslan, John 1954 births Living people People educated at Dollar Academy Architects from Glasgow Commanders of the Order of the British Empire Alumni of the University of Edinburgh