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

Scotland Scotland (, ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. Covering the northern third of the island of Great Britain, mainland Scotland has a Anglo-Scottish border, border with England to the southeast ...

. He originally planned an immense Beaux Arts style

Civic Centre A civic center or civic centre is a prominent land area within a community that is constructed to be its focal point or center. It usually contains one or more dominant public buildings, which may also include a government building. Recently, the ...

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

Early life

Caird Hall and Caird Hall Square, Dundee

A native of

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, 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, sewa ...

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

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, combined road widening and slum 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 A town square (or square, plaza, public square, city square, urban square, or ''piazza'') is an open public space, commonly found in the heart of a traditional town but not necessarily a true geometric square, used for community gatherings. ...

were developed again in 1924, when the Ecole de Beaux Arts trained Sir John James Burnet was commissioned to produce designs for the east and west wings to

. 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 Caird Hall is a concert auditorium located in Dundee, Scotland. It is a Category A listed building. History The site currently occupied by the building was occupied by a series of closes and tenements. The foundation stone for the building was ...

, 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. 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 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