Basil Spence

Sir Basil Urwin Spence, OM, OBE, RA (born 13 August 1907 in Bombay; † 19 November 1976) was a Scottish architect, known for the Coventry Cathedral and the Parliament Building in Wellington.

His father was an assayer of the Royal Mint.

After attending school in India Basil was sent to Scotland, where he graduated from George Watson 's College from 1919 to 1925 in Edinburgh. Then Spence studied architecture at Edinburgh College of Art ( ECA). During a practice year in London, he attended evening classes at Albert Edward Richardson at the Bartlett School of Architecture. When he returned for his senior year at the ECA in 1930, he received there, though himself a student, a teaching position. He taught in Edinburgh until 1939 when he was called up for military service.

After graduating in 1931, he opened with William Kininmonth an office. Soon he specialized in exhibition architecture, so for the Empire Exhibition (Glasgow 1938).

Spence took part in the 1944 D-Day. After the war he opened his own office with Bruce Robertson.

From 1955 to 1957 Spence taught at the University of Leeds. From 1958 to 1960 he was Chairman of the Royal Institute of British Architects.

1959 Spence was awarded two major contracts: the British Embassy next to Michelangelo's Porta Pia in Rome (completed in 1971) and the residential tower of Hyde Park Barracks in London ( completed 1970).