Robert Hamilton Macintyre TD RIBA ARIAS (2 February 1940 – 18 September 1997) was a Scottish architect with a particular interest in church architecture and in the work of

Charles Rennie Mackintosh Charles Rennie Mackintosh (7 June 1868 – 10 December 1928) was a Scottish architect, designer, water colourist and artist. His artistic approach had much in common with European Symbolism. His work, alongside that of his wife Margaret Macdo ...

. He was a champion of causes to improve the arts facilities and architecture of

Inverness Inverness (; from the gd, Inbhir Nis , meaning "Mouth of the River Ness"; sco, Innerness) is a city in the Scottish Highlands. It is the administrative centre for The Highland Council and is regarded as the capital of the Highlands. Histori ...

, the Highland capital.

Biography

Born 2 February 1940,

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 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 ...

, Robert Hamilton Macintyre (Nic) attended the

Irvine Royal Academy Irvine Royal Academy is a six-year non-denominational secondary school in Kilwinning Road, Irvine, North Ayrshire, Scotland. History In 1572, King James VI provided funds to found the King's School of Irvine at Kirkgatehead. A new building was e ...

after his family moved to

Kilwinning Kilwinning (, sco, Kilwinnin; gd, Cill D’Fhinnein) is a town in North Ayrshire, Scotland. It is on the River Garnock, north of Irvine, about southwest of Glasgow. It is known as "The Crossroads of Ayrshire". Kilwinning was also a Civil Pa ...

Ayrshire Ayrshire ( gd, Siorrachd Inbhir Àir, ) is a historic county and registration county in south-west Scotland, located on the shores of the Firth of Clyde. Its principal towns include Ayr, Kilmarnock and Irvine and it borders the counties of Re ...

. He studied at the

University of Strathclyde The University of Strathclyde ( gd, Oilthigh Shrath Chluaidh) is a public research university located in Glasgow, Scotland. Founded in 1796 as the Andersonian Institute, it is Glasgow's second-oldest university, having received its royal chart ...

and at the

Mackintosh School of Architecture The Mackintosh School of Architecture (MSA) is one of the five schools which make up the Glasgow School of Art, situated in the Garnethill area of Glasgow, Scotland. The Mackintosh School of Architecture is the Glasgow School of Art's only acad ...

Glasgow School of Art The Glasgow School of Art (GSA; gd, Sgoil-ealain Ghlaschu) is a higher education art school based in Glasgow, Scotland, offering undergraduate degrees, post-graduate awards (both taught and research-led), and PhDs in architecture, fine art, and ...

. Macintyre began his career in the Glasgow offices of Keppie, Henderson and Partners, the successors to Charles Rennie Mackintosh's practice. He then joined

Gillespie, Kidd and Coia Gillespie, Kidd & Coia was a Scottish architectural firm famous for their application of modernism in churches and universities, as well as at St Peter's Seminary in Cardross. Though founded in 1927, they are best known for their work in the ...

(1966) where he worked alongside

Andy MacMillan Andrew MacMillan OBE RSA FRIAS RIBA (11 December 1928, Maryhill, Glasgow - 16 August 2014, Inverness) was a Scottish architect, educator, writer and broadcaster. He served as head of the Mackintosh School of Architecture in Glasgow between 19 ...

and Isi Metzstein on ''St Margaret's RC Church'', Clydebank (1970–72). He had a longstanding interest in

ecclesiastical architecture Church architecture refers to the architecture of buildings of churches, convents, seminaries etc. It has evolved over the two thousand years of the Christian religion, partly by innovation and partly by borrowing other architectural styles as ...

with numerous commissions for the RC Diocese of

Aberdeen Aberdeen (; sco, Aiberdeen ; gd, Obar Dheathain ; la, Aberdonia) is a city in North East Scotland, and is the third most populous city in the country. Aberdeen is one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas (as Aberdeen City), and ...

, and later became Diocesan Architect for the Episcopal Diocese of

Moray Moray () gd, Moireibh or ') is one of the 32 local government council areas of Scotland. It lies in the north-east of the country, with a coastline on the Moray Firth, and borders the council areas of Aberdeenshire and Highland. Between 1975 ...

Ross Ross or ROSS may refer to: People * Clan Ross, a Highland Scottish clan * Ross (name), including a list of people with the surname or given name Ross, as well as the meaning * Earl of Ross, a peerage of Scotland Places * RoSS, the Republic of Sou ...

and

Caithness Caithness ( gd, Gallaibh ; sco, Caitnes; non, Katanes) is a historic county, registration county and lieutenancy area of Scotland. Caithness has a land boundary with the historic county of Sutherland to the west and is otherwise bounded by ...

. Macintyre took a position as architect with John Laing Design Associates (1972) overseeing a housing development in

Belfast Belfast ( , ; from ga, Béal Feirste , meaning 'mouth of the sand-bank ford') is the capital and largest city of Northern Ireland, standing on the banks of the River Lagan on the east coast. It is the 12th-largest city in the United Kingdo ...

. He then joined William Holford and Partners (1973), followed by Lobbing and Mullineux (1974), before moving to

to run an office for Parr and Partners (1974). He set up his own practice there in 1978. In 1990c Macintyre began work on '' The Artist's Cottage'' in Farr by Inverness for his clients Peter and Maxine Tovell - the realisation of a speculative drawing, ''An Artist's Cottage and Studio (1901),'' by Charles Rennie Mackintosh (CRM). The house was completed in 1992. An account of the project was published by the CRM Society. ''North House'' and ''South House'', from CRM's ''Gate Lodge, Auchinbothie (1901)'' sketches, were added later. Macintyre was a founder member of the Inverness Arts Forum and a campaigner in civic redevelopment projects such as Rose Street Hall in Inverness. He worked on these schemes in association with James Steel, an Inverness artist and retired city planner (Halford Associates, Glasgow). In 1992, Macintyre formed ''Mackintosh Galleries Ltd'', the parent company of the ''Scottish Fine Art Group'', with Peter Tovell and gallery owner, Ken Hardiman, to launch a contentious plan to put CRM's unexecuted ''A Town House for an Artist (1901)'' as centrepiece to an arts, heritage and tourist centre for the town. Despite support ("It would be a great shame if such a worthwhile addition to the town were allowed to slip from our grasp," editorial, ''The Inverness Courier''), and sympathetic modifications ("In short, it sounds the sort of environment that would make humans happy and comfortable, improving the quality of life and enhancing the town," editorial, ''The Inverness Courier''), the proposals were rejected. After Mackintosh Galleries Ltd was dissolved, Macintyre, Tovell and Hardiman continued to support arts events through the Scottish Fine Art Group. In 1993, Macintyre took the post of lecturer in architecture and building science at Inverness College, University of the Highlands and Islands. He served as secretary of the Inverness Architectural Association and as chairman of RIAS Services Ltd. He was a major in the Territorial Army and awarded the

Territorial Decoration __NOTOC__ The Territorial Decoration (TD) was a military medal of the United Kingdom awarded for long service in the Territorial Force and its successor, the Territorial Army. This award superseded the Volunteer Officer's Decoration when the Te ...

in 1976. Whilst a student in Glasgow he was an active member of a drama workshop run by fellow students, Alex Gourlay and

Bill Bryden William Campbell Rough Bryden (12 April 1942 – 5 January 2022) was a Scottish stage and film director and screenwriter. Early life and career He worked as a trainee with Scottish Television before becoming assistant director at the Belgrad ...

, an interest in the performing arts he continued throughout his life. He was a

Scout Commissioner In the Scout Movement, a commissioner is the person whose role it is to oversee a Scout association's programs, usually within a particular geographic area. Normally, commissioners are volunteers. In some Scout associations, the term Executive Co ...

and a member of the Inverness Chamber of Commerce.Macintyre, Robert Hamilton (1940-97)
Dictionary of Scottish Architects
/ref> Macintyre died suddenly on 18 September 1997. His colleague, Hector MacDonald, described him as 'a passionate man (who) did nothing in half measures'.van Beelan, Sandie (22 September 1997). "Tributes to leading architect who was devotee of Rennie Mackintosh". ''Press and Journal'' (Aberdeen).

References

External links

Alex Gourlay

Robert Hamilton Macintyre

Architectural designs in ''The Hunterian's'' Mackintosh online catalogue
and see catalogue numbers 41142-45 and 41860 for specific designs {{DEFAULTSORT:Macintyre, Robert Hamilton 20th-century Scottish architects 1940 births 1997 deaths Architects from Glasgow