William Leiper’s Distinctive Eclecticism

Architectural historian Simon Green discusses the work of a major neglected Scottish architect.

William Leiper 1839 – 1916 had a successful career with a wealth of commissions and contemporary praise but he has been somewhat over-shadowed by his fellow Glaswegians Alexander Greek Thomson 1817- 1975 and Charles Rennie Mackintosh 1868-1928. Unlike them he did not have a singular distinctive style but worked in a variety of styles and was happy to revisit and repeat designs. This eclecticism which is contrary to Pevsnerian ideas of progression has led some to disregard Leiper’s work. This paper seeks to address this and celebrate the diversity of his achievement. His style which took a variety of architectural forms was recognised in his lifetime as being ‘distinctively Leiperian’. He was an accomplished artist and his love of colour can be seen in some of the surviving sumptuous interior schemes. His work was mainly domestic and ecclesiastic but his most famous work is a carpet factory and among the more unusual projects are the interiors for the Russian Tsar’s yacht and the only Scots Baronial light house.

Simon Green is an architectural historian in the building survey team at Historic Environment Scotland. He has worked throughout Scotland teasing out the architectural development of the country’s rich and varied architectural heritage for over 30 years. He has published and lectured on a wide range of building related subjects and has varied interests including churches, Scottish 19th century architecture and particularly the Scots Baronial and how it led into Scotland’s unique interpretation of the arts and crafts movement. He has written a book on Dumfries House in Ayrshire: Dumfries House an architectural story and is the President of the Architectural Heritage Society of Scotland.