[architects]

VOLUME 2 PETER WOMERSLEY

[2] Architects

Charles Peter Womersley (1923-1993), known as Peter Womersley, is widelyconsidered to be one of the most visionary architects working in Scotland in the laterhalf of the 20th century. His legacy rests on a relatively small but diverse body of work,moving from modular timber houses in the early years through to sculptural use ofreinforced concrete in his later career. All his work shows great attention to detail.Following a thematic study carried out by Historic Scotland in 2007, some of the bestexamples of his work in Scotland have been recognised through listing.

[EARLY YEARS]Born and raised in Yorkshire, PeterWomersley served as an infantrymanduring World War II. His family and tutorshad discouraged the choice of a career inarchitecture, but lack of military actionnevertheless gave Womersley theopportunity to take the ArchitecturalAssociation entrance exam in 1945. He leftthe AA with a diploma five years later at theage of 27 and spent the next six monthshelping to design a palace in Kuwait. On his return to Britain he immediately began work on his very first commission, Farnley Hey (1952-54). This house in Huddersfield for his brother was an early triumph ofcontemporary domestic architecture bringing two further house commissions in theScottish Borders where he set up his solo practice a year or so later.

[A HOME IN SCOTLAND]In 1956 he completed his first domestic commissionin Scotland, ‘The Orchard’ in Gattonside village nearMelrose. He was then able to move his practice intothe home he had designed for himself, ‘The Rig’, alsoin Gattonside. Drawing inspiration widely,Womersley’s early work was influenced by theEuropean houses of Mies van der Rohe and the greatAmerican architect Frank Lloyd Wright who placedgreat importance on his houses having a definable‘heart’. Many of Womersley’s houses were open-planwith the fireplace tending to be the focus of

attention. Variations in floor level, wall and ceiling finish, and strategically placedunits and furniture, all served to demarcate the interior spaces and their function.

Peter Womersley at home at The Rig, Gattonside

© Architectural Design

The Orchard, Gattonside

[PETER WOMERSLEY]

Architects [3]

[EXPANSION AND EXPERIMENTATION]Basing his early practice solely aroundcommissions for private houses wassustainable and an invitation to design asports centre for the University of Hullenabled him to expand. By the early1960s his practice included five juniorarchitects and was winning largercontracts such as the Church Squarehousing development in Galashiels. Theremarkable Gala Fairydean FootballStadium (1965) was an early example of afunctional building type treated in ageometrically sculptural way in Scotlandand was well regarded internationally.Womersley won the competition for theRoxburgh County Offices in Newtown StBoswell in 1968. Only ‘phase one’ of hisdesign was completed. This comprised alarge square-plan shuttered concreteoffice block with a prominent concretetower. Patterns of circulation andmovement through a building were a keypreoccupation that returned throughouthis work and the “racetrack” corridor planfor the County Offices is a good example.By 1969 the practice received their

biggest commission to date for schools of Town Planning and Sculpture at Edinburgh’sCollege of Art although this scheme was never executed.

[AN ARCHITECTURAL LEGACY]Peter Womersley was one of a relatively small group of architects, builders andengineers who were keen to push beyond accepted ideas and challenge how theircontemporaries viewed the design of homes, offices and public buildings. The periodin which he was producing work was one of great optimism and commitment in thefield and this is reflected in Womersley’s best works, all of which are genuine ‘one-offs’ which largely eschew system building and prefabrication. In 1972, the architectwas commissioned by the artist Bernat Klein to create a studio near to the house hehad designed for the artist 15 years earlier. Together, these two very differentbuildings exemplify the artistic vision of the architect and his contribution to 20thcentury architecture in Scotland.

Roxburgh County Offices, Newtown St Boswells

[PETER WOMERSLEY]

[4] Architects

[KEY BUILDINGS IN SCOTLAND]

Gala Fairydean Football Stadium, Galashiels, 1963-5 Working with renowned engineering practice Ove Arup, Womersley created thisshuttered concrete and brick structure at a cost of a modest £25,000, most of whichwas raised through a public lottery. It was referred to in the Architectural Review(March 1965) as a‘geometricalcomposition of unusualinterest and subtlety’.The bold formalistdesign accentuates theessential elements of thefootball stand, a buildingtype that had, up untilthat point, beenexclusively functional inits construction. Thisapproach to sportsstadium design hasbecome more commonin recent times.

[PETER WOMERSLEY]

Architects [5]

High Sunderland, Selkirk, 1956-7High Sunderland was built in 1956-7 for the textile designer and artist Bernat Klein(b.1922) who has described the house as “a unique and practical example ofintellectual awareness applied to daily living”. This modular timber-framed house hasfine bespoke interior details and contemporary finishes and features two separateareas: one for guests and children’s bedrooms and one for the master bedroom andmain living area. The house includes a carport, two terraces and a courtyard.

Peter Womersley, Preparatory Watercolour. © Bernat Klein

[PETER WOMERSLEY]

[6] Architects

Bernat Klein Studio, Selkirk, 1972Working again with structural engineersOve Arup, Womersley designed thisremarkable concrete assembly ofcantilevered floors with a central core ofengineering brick to be used as aworkspace, meeting clients and fordisplaying textiles. Finely framed glazingallows views of the secluded tree-linedsetting. The ground floor received guestswhilst the first floor studio was accessed via a bridge which linked to a wooded path leading to High Sunderland.

In 1973 the Klein Studio won both an RIBAaward and the Edinburgh ArchitecturalAssociation Centenary Medal. The successof the design was instantly recognised bythe architectural press and made the coverof the acclaimed Japanese journal,Architecture and Urbanism and was morerecently voted fifth in a list of the 100 bestpost-war buildings in Scotland.

All images © Crown Copyright: RCAHMS. Licensor www.rcahms.gov.uk

[PETER WOMERSLEY]

Architects [7]

The Rig, Gattonside, Melrose, 1958Built as his own home, The Rig is a compact design centred around a timber-clad coregiven over entirely to the services, or the “gubbins” as he called it, with a continuouscircuit of spaces flowing around them, carefully delineated by changes in floor leveland ceiling finish. The interior survives largely in its original form and is of particularimportance in that it provided a prototype of the architecture he hoped to producein future commissions.

© Architectural Design

[PETER WOMERSLEY]

[8] Architects

Edenside Surgery, Kelso, 1967 The late 1960’s design of the Edenside Group Practice Surgery on Inch Road in Kelsofocused on the consulting rooms which are arranged in pairs within four oval-shapeddrums or pods. These were set around a sunken waiting area with a timber-ribbedceiling and two smaller drums forming an entrance porch. The design features moretraditional elements such as slated roofs and white harling. As the medical practiceexpanded, additional buildings were added in 1982 by Aitken and Turnbull Architectsin a style sympathetic to the earlier work. A further major refit in 2006 resulted in theloss of the original consulting and waiting rooms.

Peter Womersley, Plan of Kelso Medical Practice, 1967

Consulting rooms, 1968 © Morton, R.S. Licensor www.rcahms.gov.uk

[PETER WOMERSLEY]

Architects [9]

Garlton Unit, Herdmanflat Hospital, Haddington, 1965

This building is a fine example of a mid1960’s residential hospital admission unit,surviving in a largely unaltered conditionand remaining in its original use (2010). Itsmodular elevations, cantilevered sections,strong vertical ribs and striking grid patternset it apart as an example of its type. Thebuilding is set on sloping ground in a cornerof the hospital grounds overlooking anapple orchard. The building received a CivicTrust Award in 1968.

[PETER WOMERSLEY]

[10] Architects

Dingleton Boiler House, Melrose, 1977 A monolithic landmark offunctionality, the boiler house wasbuilt to serve the adjacent DingletonHospital near Melrose. Womersleyused concrete increasingly in his laterworks which gave him freedom toexperiment with more sculpturalforms. The building received theFinancial Times Industrial ArchitectureAward on completion in 1978. Morerecently, Studio DuB Architects havereceived permission to convert thebuilding into five residentialapartments.

© Studio DuB

[PETER WOMERSLEY]

Architects [11]

Nuffield Transplant Unit,Western General Hospital,Edinburgh, 1963Womersley began with thequestion “What on earth does abuilding devoted to surgicaltransplantation of human organslook like?” and spent four yearsproducing this iconic hospitalbuilding in Edinburgh whichsought to fuse services, structureand appearance into aconvincing unity. Alteredsignificantly in 2007, thebuilding continues todemonstrate a remarkablesculptural presence within thewider hospital complex.

© Royal Incorporation of Architects in Scotland. Licensor www.scran.ac.uk

[HISTORIC SCOTLAND]This booklet is the second in a series focusing on some of the leading architects who workedextensively in Scotland. Each gives a brief overview of the architect, their approach to design andtheir influences and focuses on a number of key buildings, giving an indication of what makes themspecial.

Historic Scotland is an executive agency of the Scottish Government charged with ensuringthat our historic environment provides a strong foundation in building a successful future forScotland. Amongst the duties of Historic Scotland is to compile and maintain statutory lists ofbuildings of special architectural or historic interest. We have a dedicated listing and designedlandscapes team which researches and assesses listing proposals.

To find out more about Peter Womersley and his listed buildings in Scotland you can searchonline at www.historic-scotland.gov.uk or contact the Listing and Designed Landscapes Teamat hs.listing@scotland.gsi.gov.uk

WEBLINKS AND FURTHER SOURCES OF INFORMATIONwww.scottisharchitects.org.uk – Charles Peter WomersleyRIBA Journal (May 1969) “Architects’ Approach to Architecture – PeterWomersley” pp189-196Architectural Perspectives No12 (Winter 1958) “Five Houses – Peter Womersley”pp17-22Kitty Cruft, John Dunbar, Richard Fawcett, “The Buildings of Scotland – Borders”(2002) pp301, 319, 376-7, 550Historic Scotland (2009) “Guide to the Protection of Scotland’s Listed Buildings –What Listing Means to Owners and Occupiers”www.historic-scotland.gov.uk

ILLUSTRATIONSIllustrations unless otherwise stated are supplied by Historic Scotland(www.historicscotlandimages.gov.uk) and are covered by © Crown copyright.

Cover illustration: Peter Womersley, preparatory watercolour of High Sunderland reproduced courtesy ofBernat Klein.

Please note that not all buildings mentioned in this booklet are listed, nor does their inclusion meanthat they are open to the general public. Please respect an owner’s privacy when exploringScotland’s architecture.

APS Group Scotland250324 (12/12)