Robert Alexander Bryden (7 July 1841 – 14 April 1906) was a Scottish

architect An architect is a person who plans, designs and oversees the construction of buildings. To practice architecture means to provide services in connection with the design of buildings and the space within the site surrounding the buildings that h ...

, prominent in the second half of the 19th century. He was mainly active in the west of Scotland, where he designed schools, churches and municipal buildings.

Early life

Bryden was born in

Glasgow Glasgow ( ; sco, Glesca or ; gd, Glaschu ) is the most populous city in Scotland and the fourth-most populous city in the United Kingdom, as well as being the 27th largest city by population in Europe. In 2020, it had an estimated popul ...

, Scotland, on 7 July 1841, the son of Robert Bryden and Margaret Ramage.Robert Alexander Bryden
at ScottishArchitects.org.uk He was educated at Arthur's Academy in

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 ...

Argyll Argyll (; archaically Argyle, in modern Gaelic, ), sometimes called Argyllshire, is a historic county and registration county of western Scotland. Argyll is of ancient origin, and corresponds to most of the part of the ancient kingdom of ...

, and Kirkcaldy Grammar School.

Career

In the 1860s, he was an apprentice at Glasgow-based practice

Clarke & Bell Clarke & Bell & R. A. Bryden was a major Scottish architectural firm based in Glasgow, created by William Clarke (1809–1889), George Bell (1814–1887) and Robert Alexander Bryden (1841–1906) around 1875. The practice dissolved in 1902,

, of whom he became a partner around 1875.Clarke & Bell & R. A. Bryden
–

Dictionary of Scottish Architects The Dictionary of Scottish Architects is a publicly available online database that provides biographical information about all architects known to have worked in Scotland between 1660 and 1980, and lists their works. Launched in 2006, it was comp ...

He was elected a

Fellow of the Royal Institute of British Architects A fellow is a concept whose exact meaning depends on context. In learned or professional societies, it refers to a privileged member who is specially elected in recognition of their work and achievements. Within the context of higher education ...

in 1878.

Selected works

Selected works include:

Dunoon Burgh Hall Dunoon Burgh Hall is a municipal structure in Argyll Street, Dunoon, Scotland. The structure, which is used as an events venue, is a Category B listed building. History Following significant population growth, largely associated with the fishin ...

(1873) * St Cuthbert's Church, Dunoon (1874; now demolished) * St John's Church, Dunoon (1876) * Dunoon Infants' School (1880) * Broughton Parish Church (rebuilding; 1886) *

Seafield Children's Hospital The Seafield Children's Hospital was a health facility in Doonfoot Road, Ayr, South Ayrshire, Scotland. It is a Category B listed building. History Seafield House, which was originally commissioned by Sir William Arrol for use as his home, wa ...

(rebuilding; 1888) *Lanarkshire Regimental Drill Hall, Glasgow (1894) *

Dunoon Pier Dunoon Pier is a Victorian pier in the Scottish town of Dunoon, Argyll and Bute. Completed in its current form in 1898, and reaching out into the Firth of Clyde, its earliest parts date back to 1835. It is now a Category A listed structure (upgr ...

and offices (rebuilding; 1896) *Sir

Charles Cameron Memorial Fountain The Charles Cameron Memorial Fountain is a statue ensemble and drinking fountain in Glasgow, Scotland. Dating to 1896 and standing at the junction of Woodside Crescent and Sauchiehall Street, it is a Category B listed structure. The fountain, ...

, Glasgow (1896) – the clocktower dome of the fountain

Personal life

Bryden married Elizabeth Robertson, daughter of Alexander Robertson. They had at least one child, a son named Andrew Francis Stewart Bryden (21 October 1876 – 23 February 1917), who also became a noted architect and a Fellow of RIBA. For the final few years of Bryden Sr.'s life, the two worked as partners.

Death

Bryden died in Glasgow on 14 April 1906, aged 64. He is interred in Dunoon Cemetery,Hooray - Dunoon Burgh Hall
June 2017 half a mile to the north of

, one of his designs. He is believed to be the subject of the building's

stained-glass window Stained glass is coloured glass as a material or works created from it. Throughout its thousand-year history, the term has been applied almost exclusively to the windows of churches and other significant religious buildings. Although tradition ...

.Stained Glass
– Dunoon Burgh Hall

References

;Specific ;General
Acknowledgment of Bryden as the architect of the former Pearl Association Building (now the Radisson Glasgow)Quarriers Homes CAA Draft Report
-

Inverclyde Council Inverclyde Council is one of the 32 local authorities of Scotland. Created in 1995, its administrative centre is based in Greenock and its territory covers the area of Inverclyde in the west of Scotland, taking over from the local government distr ...

{{DEFAULTSORT:Fraser, William 20th-century Scottish architects 19th-century Scottish architects Fellows of the Royal Institute of British Architects 1841 births 1906 deaths Architects from Glasgow