Bradshaw Gass & Hope
Encyclopedia
Bradshaw Gass & Hope is an English
firm of architect
s founded in 1862 by Jonas James Bradshaw (1837–1912). The style "Bradshaw Gass & Hope" was adopted after J. J. Bradshaw’s death and referred to the remaining partners John Bradshaw Gass
and Arthur John Hope
.
, but branch offices were set up in Edinburgh
and London
when major projects were undertaken.
Although Bradshaw was capable of designing fine Gothic Revival houses, like Watermillock (1880–86) near Bolton, he mainly produced industrial buildings. The technical challenges of early iron and concrete framed factories led Bradshaw to employ engineers and quantity surveyor
s and thus founded one of the first multidisciplinary practices. The emphasis on engineering in the practice seems to have benefited John Parkinson
(1861–1935), Bradshaw’s apprentice from 1877 to 1882, who immigrated to America where he designed a number of high-rise buildings including Los Angeles City Hall
(1928).
In the early twentieth century, Bradshaw Gass & Hope gained national prominence after winning a number of architectural competitions; the firm built seven town halls between 1928 and 1939 and extended Bolton Town Hall. During this period, Bradshaw Gass & Hope attracted many architecture students; half a dozen of these students would later head council architects departments across the country.
Until the 1960s most of the firm's work was in the Classical idiom.
Sir George Grenfell-Baines
, the founder of Building Design Partnership
, worked in the Bolton office from 1930 to 1934; he was impressed by the firm’s multidisciplinary nature but dismayed by its strict hierarchical
structure (at that time).
Bradshaw Gass & Hope operates from its Bolton office. In 2007 it was the subject of a monograph and its archive drawings were exhibited in London and Manchester.
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
firm of architect
Architect
An architect is a person trained in the planning, design and oversight of the construction of buildings. To practice architecture means to offer or render services in connection with the design and construction of a building, or group of buildings and the space within the site surrounding the...
s founded in 1862 by Jonas James Bradshaw (1837–1912). The style "Bradshaw Gass & Hope" was adopted after J. J. Bradshaw’s death and referred to the remaining partners John Bradshaw Gass
John Bradshaw Gass
John Bradshaw Gass British Architect and Artist. Gass was a nephew of J. J. Bradshaw, the founder of Bradshaw Gass & Hope. He received the Ashbury Prize for Civil Engineering at Owens College . He assisted Sir Ernest George in London before, in 1880, becoming a pupil of his uncle in Bolton...
and Arthur John Hope
Arthur John Hope
Arthur John Hope, known as “AJ” was an architect and president of the Manchester Society of Architects . He was born in Atherton, Greater Manchester, then in the historic county of Lancashire....
.
History
The firm’s principal office is in BoltonBolton
Bolton is a town in Greater Manchester, in the North West of England. Close to the West Pennine Moors, it is north west of the city of Manchester. Bolton is surrounded by several smaller towns and villages which together form the Metropolitan Borough of Bolton, of which Bolton is the...
, but branch offices were set up in Edinburgh
Edinburgh
Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland, the second largest city in Scotland, and the eighth most populous in the United Kingdom. The City of Edinburgh Council governs one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas. The council area includes urban Edinburgh and a rural area...
and London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
when major projects were undertaken.
Although Bradshaw was capable of designing fine Gothic Revival houses, like Watermillock (1880–86) near Bolton, he mainly produced industrial buildings. The technical challenges of early iron and concrete framed factories led Bradshaw to employ engineers and quantity surveyor
Quantity surveyor
A quantity surveyor is a professional working within the construction industry concerned with building costs.The profession is one that provides a qualification gained following formal education, specific training and experience that provides a general set of skills that are then applied to a...
s and thus founded one of the first multidisciplinary practices. The emphasis on engineering in the practice seems to have benefited John Parkinson
The Parkinsons
John B. and Donald D. Parkinson were a father-and-son architectural team operating in Los Angeles in the early 20th century.-Early years:...
(1861–1935), Bradshaw’s apprentice from 1877 to 1882, who immigrated to America where he designed a number of high-rise buildings including Los Angeles City Hall
Los Angeles City Hall
Los Angeles City Hall, completed 1928, is the center of the government of the city of Los Angeles, California, and houses the mayor's office and the meeting chambers and offices of the Los Angeles City Council...
(1928).
In the early twentieth century, Bradshaw Gass & Hope gained national prominence after winning a number of architectural competitions; the firm built seven town halls between 1928 and 1939 and extended Bolton Town Hall. During this period, Bradshaw Gass & Hope attracted many architecture students; half a dozen of these students would later head council architects departments across the country.
Until the 1960s most of the firm's work was in the Classical idiom.
Sir George Grenfell-Baines
George Grenfell Baines
Professor Sir George Grenfell-Baines OBE DL was an English architect and town planner. Born in Preston, as George Baines, his family’s humble circumstances forced him to start work at the age of fourteen. Both George and his younger brother, Richard , were prodigiously gifted mathematicians and...
, the founder of Building Design Partnership
Building Design Partnership
Building Design Partnership is a firm of architects and engineers employing over 1200 staff in the UK and internationally.-Foundation:The firm was founded in 1961 by George Grenfell Baines with architects Bill White and John Wilkinson, quantity surveyor Arnold Towler and eight associate partners:...
, worked in the Bolton office from 1930 to 1934; he was impressed by the firm’s multidisciplinary nature but dismayed by its strict hierarchical
Hierarchy
A hierarchy is an arrangement of items in which the items are represented as being "above," "below," or "at the same level as" one another...
structure (at that time).
Bradshaw Gass & Hope operates from its Bolton office. In 2007 it was the subject of a monograph and its archive drawings were exhibited in London and Manchester.
Jonas James Bradshaw with Leigh Hall
- Eaves Lane Workhouse (now Hospital), ChorleyChorleyChorley is a market town in Lancashire, in North West England. It is the largest settlement in the Borough of Chorley. The town's wealth came principally from the cotton industry...
(1869–72)
J. J. Bradshaw
- ClitheroeClitheroeClitheroe is a town and civil parish in the Borough of Ribble Valley in Lancashire, England. It is 1½ miles from the Forest of Bowland and is often used as a base for tourists in the area. It has a population of 14,697...
WorkhouseWorkhouseIn England and Wales a workhouse, colloquially known as a spike, was a place where those unable to support themselves were offered accommodation and employment...
(now Hospital) (1870) - Greenthorne, Edgworth, private residence (enlarged 1880)
- The Spinners’ Hall, Bolton (1880 and later enlargements)
- Watermillock, Bolton (1880–86)
Bradshaw & Gass
- Mather Lane Mill, Leigh (1882)
- Rutland Mills, Adelaide Street, Bolton (1883–1920)
- Lincoln Mill, Washington Street, Bolton (1883–1920)
- Bolton Evening News offices (1890–1907)
- The Victoria Hall, Bolton (1898–1900)
- College of Art, Hilden Street, Bolton (1901-3)
- Grand Central HallGrand Central HallGrand Central Hall is a Grade II listed building located in Liverpool, England. It is a former Methodist church that is now used as accommodation for many alternative shops of the type formerly based at Quiggins, Liverpool.-History:...
, Liverpool (1905)
Bradshaw, Gass & Hope
- Leysian WesleyanMethodist Church of Great BritainThe Methodist Church of Great Britain is the largest Wesleyan Methodist body in the United Kingdom, with congregations across Great Britain . It is the United Kingdom's fourth largest Christian denomination, with around 300,000 members and 6,000 churches...
Mission, FinsburyFinsburyFinsbury is a district of central London, England. It lies immediately north of the City of London and Clerkenwell, west of Shoreditch, and south of Islington and City Road. It is in the south of the London Borough of Islington. The Finsbury Estate is in the western part of the district...
(1902-4) - ManchesterManchesterManchester is a city and metropolitan borough in Greater Manchester, England. According to the Office for National Statistics, the 2010 mid-year population estimate for Manchester was 498,800. Manchester lies within one of the UK's largest metropolitan areas, the metropolitan county of Greater...
Stock Exchange (1904–06) - Library, York Street, AthertonAtherton, Greater ManchesterAtherton is a town within the Metropolitan Borough of Wigan, in Greater Manchester, England, historically a part of Lancashire. It is east of Wigan, north-northeast of Leigh, and northwest of Manchester...
(1904-5) - BaptistBaptistBaptists comprise a group of Christian denominations and churches that subscribe to a doctrine that baptism should be performed only for professing believers , and that it must be done by immersion...
Church, Market Street, FarnworthFarnworthFarnworth is within the Metropolitan Borough of Bolton in Greater Manchester, England. It is located southeast of Bolton, 6 miles south-west of Bury , and northwest of Manchester....
(1906) - Tollard Royal Hotel, Southampton RowSouthampton RowSouthampton Row is major thoroughfare running northwest-southeast in Bloomsbury, Camden, central London, England. The road is designated as part of the A4200.- Location :To the north, Southampton Row adjoins the southeast corner of Russell Square...
, London (1907) - Queen's Hall Methodist Mission, Market Street, WiganWiganWigan is a town in Greater Manchester, England. It stands on the River Douglas, south-west of Bolton, north of Warrington and west-northwest of Manchester. Wigan is the largest settlement in the Metropolitan Borough of Wigan and is its administrative centre. The town of Wigan had a total...
(1907-8) - Croal Mill, Callis Road, Bolton (1908)
- Astley Bridge Branch Library, Bolton (1909–12)
- Great LeverGreat LeverGreat Lever is mainly a residential suburb of Bolton in Greater Manchester, England. Historically within Lancashire, it is about 2½ miles south of Bolton town centre and the same distance north of Farnworth town centre. Great Lever has many shops and services serving the local community...
Branch Library (1909–12) - StockportStockportStockport is a town in Greater Manchester, England. It lies on elevated ground southeast of Manchester city centre, at the point where the rivers Goyt and Tame join and create the River Mersey. Stockport is the largest settlement in the metropolitan borough of the same name...
Central Library (1912–13) - Leigh Mill otherwise known as Leigh Spinners, Leigh (1913)
Bradshaw Gass & Hope
- Miners Hall, Bolton (1913–14)
- Royal Exchange, ManchesterRoyal Exchange, ManchesterThe Royal Exchange is a grade II listed Victorian building in Manchester, England. It is located in the city centre on the land bounded by St Ann’s Square, Exchange Street, Market Street, Cross Street and Old Bank Street...
(1914–21) - Workshops for the Blind, Marsden Road, Bolton (1914)
- Methodist College, MedakMedakMedak , is a municipality in Medak District in the state of Andhra Pradesh, India. It is 100 km to the north of Hyderabad.-Geography:Medak is located at . It has an average elevation of 442 metres .-Demographics:...
, IndiaIndiaIndia , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
(1917–25) - Sir John Holden's Mill, Blackburn Road, Astley Bridge, Bolton (1920–27)
- Miners' Convalescent HomeMiners' Convalescent Home, BlackpoolThe Miners' Convalescent Home was a convalescent home for miners in the seaside resort of Blackpool, Lancashire, England. It was built 1925–27 for Lancashire and Cheshire miners and was opened by Edward, Prince of Wales...
, Promenade, BlackpoolBlackpoolBlackpool is a borough, seaside town, and unitary authority area of Lancashire, in North West England. It is situated along England's west coast by the Irish Sea, between the Ribble and Wyre estuaries, northwest of Preston, north of Liverpool, and northwest of Manchester...
(1925–27) - UMISTUMISTThe University of Manchester Institute of Science and Technology was a university based in the centre of the city of Manchester in England. It specialised in technical and scientific subjects and was a major centre for research...
, Manchester (1927–57) - War Memorial, Bolton (1928)
- Co-Op, Victoria Square, Bolton (1928)
- Catford/Lewisham Town HallBroadway Theatre, CatfordThe Broadway Theatre, Catford is a theatre on Rushey Green, Catford in the London Borough of Lewisham. A grade II* listed building, the theatre was built in 1932 and is an outstanding example of Art Deco design...
(1928–32) - LeithLeith-South Leith v. North Leith:Up until the late 16th century Leith , comprised two separate towns on either side of the river....
Town Hall and Library (1929–31) - Bolton Civic Centre and Town Hall Extension (1930–39)
- WimbledonWimbledon, LondonWimbledon is a district in the south west area of London, England, located south of Wandsworth, and east of Kingston upon Thames. It is situated within Greater London. It is home to the Wimbledon Tennis Championships and New Wimbledon Theatre, and contains Wimbledon Common, one of the largest areas...
Town Hall (1931) - Trafford Town Hall (1932–33)
- Boothstown Mines Rescue StationBoothstown Mines Rescue StationBoothstown Mines Rescue Station which served the collieries of the Lancashire and Cheshire Coal Owners on the Lancashire Coalfield opened in November 1933 on a site in Boothstown, close to the East Lancashire Road...
1933 - Luton Town HallLuton Town HallLuton Town Hall is situated at the junction between Manchester Street, Upper George Street and George Street, Luton, England; the current building was completed in 1936 on the site of the older Town Hall which was burnt down 19 July 1919, following the Peace Day Riots.-First town hall:...
(1934–38) - ChesterfieldChesterfieldChesterfield is a market town and a borough of Derbyshire, England. It lies north of Derby, on a confluence of the rivers Rother and Hipper. Its population is 70,260 , making it Derbyshire's largest town...
Town Hall (1937–38) - PadihamPadihamPadiham is a small town and civil parish on the River Calder, about west of Burnley and south of Pendle Hill, in Lancashire, England. It is part of the Borough of Burnley but also has its own town council with varied powers.-History:...
Town Hall (1938) - Turton High School, Bromley CrossBromley CrossBromley Cross is a suburb of the unparished area of South Turton in the Metropolitan Borough of Bolton, Greater Manchester, England. Historically a part of Lancashire, it lies on the southern edge of the West Pennine Moors....
(1939–53) - Completion of Bolton SchoolBolton SchoolBolton School is an independent day school in Bolton, in the North-West of England. It comprises a co-educational Nursery and Infant School and single sex Junior and Senior Schools . With almost 2,400 pupils it is one of the largest independent day schools in the country.-History:Bolton School...
(1945–65) - Police Station and Magistrates Court, BurnleyBurnleyBurnley is a market town in the Burnley borough of Lancashire, England, with a population of around 73,500. It lies north of Manchester and east of Preston, at the confluence of the River Calder and River Brun....
(1951–55) - Police Headquarters, SalfordCity of SalfordThe City of Salford is a city and metropolitan borough of Greater Manchester, England. It is named after its largest settlement, Salford, but covers a far larger area which includes the towns of Eccles, Swinton-Pendlebury, Walkden and Irlam which apart from Irlam each have a population of over...
(1958) - Methodist Chapel, HalliwellHalliwell, Greater ManchesterHalliwell is predominantly a residential area of Bolton, Greater Manchester, England. It gives its name to an electoral ward of the wider Metropolitan Borough of Bolton. Halliwell lies about to the north west of Bolton town centre and is bounded by Tonge Moor to the east and Heaton to the south...
, Bolton (1959) - ICIImperial Chemical IndustriesImperial Chemical Industries was a British chemical company, taken over by AkzoNobel, a Dutch conglomerate, one of the largest chemical producers in the world. In its heyday, ICI was the largest manufacturing company in the British Empire, and commonly regarded as a "bellwether of the British...
-Alkali Division Headquarters, Winnington, NorthwichNorthwichNorthwich is a town and civil parish in the unitary authority of Cheshire West and Chester and the ceremonial county of Cheshire, England. It lies in the heart of the Cheshire Plain, at the confluence of the rivers Weaver and Dane...
(1959–60) - Girls School, Broughton, LancashireBroughton, LancashireBroughton is a village and civil parish in the City of Preston, Lancashire, England, about north of Preston city centre. According to the 2001 census it had a population of 1,735...
(1962) - Municipal Offices in Newcastle-under-LymeNewcastle-under-LymeNewcastle-under-Lyme is a market town in Staffordshire, England, and is the principal town of the Borough of Newcastle-under-Lyme. It is part of The Potteries Urban Area and North Staffordshire. In the 2001 census the town had a population of 73,944...
(1963) - Offices for Jeyes, ThetfordThetfordThetford is a market town and civil parish in the Breckland district of Norfolk, England. It is on the A11 road between Norwich and London, just south of Thetford Forest. The civil parish, covering an area of , has a population of 21,588.-History:...
, Norfolk (1970) - Reebok StadiumReebok StadiumThe Reebok Stadium is the home stadium of English Premier League football club Bolton Wanderers, and is located on the Middlebrook Retail Park in Horwich, in the Metropolitan Borough of Bolton, Greater Manchester. It is commonly known as 'The Reebok'...
, HorwichHorwichHorwich is a town and civil parish within the Metropolitan Borough of Bolton, in Greater Manchester, England. It is southeast of Chorley, northwest of Bolton and northwest from the city of Manchester. It lies at the southern edge of the West Pennine Moors with the M61 motorway close to the...
(1997) - Bolton ArenaBolton ArenaThe Bolton Arena is a multi-purpose indoor arena, located at Middlebrook on the boundary between Horwich and Lostock in the Metropolitan Borough of Bolton, Greater Manchester, England....
(1999–2001)
Partners
- John Jonas Bradshaw (c. 1837-1912)
- John Bradshaw GassJohn Bradshaw GassJohn Bradshaw Gass British Architect and Artist. Gass was a nephew of J. J. Bradshaw, the founder of Bradshaw Gass & Hope. He received the Ashbury Prize for Civil Engineering at Owens College . He assisted Sir Ernest George in London before, in 1880, becoming a pupil of his uncle in Bolton...
(1855–1939) - Arthur John HopeArthur John HopeArthur John Hope, known as “AJ” was an architect and president of the Manchester Society of Architects . He was born in Atherton, Greater Manchester, then in the historic county of Lancashire....
(1875–1969) - James Robert Adamson (1883–1943)
- Robert Mackison McNaught (1898–1969)
Former pupils and technical staff
- James William Wallace (1850–1926) friend of Walt WhitmanWalt WhitmanWalter "Walt" Whitman was an American poet, essayist and journalist. A humanist, he was a part of the transition between transcendentalism and realism, incorporating both views in his works. Whitman is among the most influential poets in the American canon, often called the father of free verse...
- John Parkinson (1861–1935) founder of Parkinson & SonThe ParkinsonsJohn B. and Donald D. Parkinson were a father-and-son architectural team operating in Los Angeles in the early 20th century.-Early years:...
- Professor Sir George Grenfell-BainesGeorge Grenfell BainesProfessor Sir George Grenfell-Baines OBE DL was an English architect and town planner. Born in Preston, as George Baines, his family’s humble circumstances forced him to start work at the age of fourteen. Both George and his younger brother, Richard , were prodigiously gifted mathematicians and...
(1908–2003) founder of Building Design PartnershipBuilding Design PartnershipBuilding Design Partnership is a firm of architects and engineers employing over 1200 staff in the UK and internationally.-Foundation:The firm was founded in 1961 by George Grenfell Baines with architects Bill White and John Wilkinson, quantity surveyor Arnold Towler and eight associate partners:... - George Wilde became WarringtonWarringtonWarrington is a town, borough and unitary authority area of Cheshire, England. It stands on the banks of the River Mersey, which is tidal to the west of the weir at Howley. It lies 16 miles east of Liverpool, 19 miles west of Manchester and 8 miles south of St Helens...
Borough Architect - Edgar Taberner became ChesterChesterChester is a city in Cheshire, England. Lying on the River Dee, close to the border with Wales, it is home to 77,040 inhabitants, and is the largest and most populous settlement of the wider unitary authority area of Cheshire West and Chester, which had a population of 328,100 according to the...
City Architect - Albert Victor Whitworth became ExeterExeterExeter is a historic city in Devon, England. It lies within the ceremonial county of Devon, of which it is the county town as well as the home of Devon County Council. Currently the administrative area has the status of a non-metropolitan district, and is therefore under the administration of the...
City Architect - Robert Shaw became Hampshire Deputy County Architect
- Alexander Steele (1906–80) became EdinburghEdinburghEdinburgh is the capital city of Scotland, the second largest city in Scotland, and the eighth most populous in the United Kingdom. The City of Edinburgh Council governs one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas. The council area includes urban Edinburgh and a rural area...
City Architect - John Bidder Clerk of Works, 1959-84
External links
- Bradshaw Gass & Hope Official site
- Bolton Museum & Art Gallery (based in Bolton Civic Centre)
- Friends of Trafford Town Hall – campaign to prevent demolition of Bradshaw Gass & Hope Building
- Victoria Hall, Bolton