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List of Projects

GRANT, William Hood

Born: 1878 07 25
Died: 1957 01 06

Architect


Year registered: 1927

ISAA (1927).

An architect who worked in Cape Town from about 1903, Grant became a principal in the Cape Town firm of MacGILLIVRAY & GRANT. Grant was born in Dundee, Forfarshire and educated at Dundee High School. He remained in Dundee spending two years at the Dundee school of Art, where he studied architecture and art, and won a National Bronze Medal in 1896. He came to South Africa in 1901 and practised on his own account in Cape Town. In 1903 he and D MacGILLIVRAY entered for the competition for the Southern Life Assurance Building in Durban. Winning the competition they formed a partnership (cf MacGILLIVRAY & GRANT) with an office in Cape Town. According to Hillebrand (1975:173) Grant opened and ran an office in Durban for the partners from 1904 until 1908. In 1908 he returned to Cape Town and continued to practice as Macgillivray & Grant. When MacGillivray left for Rhodesia (Zimbabwe) in 1923 (?) he continued the practice on his own account in Cape Town where he was responsible for a number of buildings, among them the OK Bazaars Building in Darling St (1932). Much of his work of the late 1920s and the 1930s has since been described as Art Deco; a contemporary comment on the Commercial Union Insurance Company Building, Cape Town, noted his contemporary use of decorated building that 'some bird forms on St George's St front are very pleasing and also reminiscent of Aztec decorative motives with much charm and discretion' (AB&E Sep 1932:3). Grant had a productive career. Many of his buildings still survive. Later he admitted partners and became WH Grant & Partners. Among buildings for which they were responsible was African Guarantee House, now Ovenstone House (St George's/Riebeeck Sts) in Cape Town (1951). It was illustrated in the December 1954 edition of Architect & Builder.

This entry is cited by Dictionary of Scottish Architects with additional information.

(ISAA mem lists; SA Archt May 1939:49; SAWW 1908, 1909, 1910, 1916)

All truncated references not fully cited in 'References' are those of Joanna Walker's original text and cited in full in the 'Bibliography' entry of the Lexicon.

List of projects

With photographs
With notes

14 Double-storeyed cottages for SA Steamship Investments: 1926. District Six, Cape Town, Western Cape - Architect *
14 Houses for SA Steamship Investment Company: n.d.. District Six, Cape Town, Western Cape - Architect *
16 Houses for SA Steamship Investments Company: 1927. District Six, Cape Town, Western Cape - Architect *
2 Flats and 2 garages for BJ Kinsella: 1928. Muizenberg, Western Cape - Architect *
20 Flats and 2 garages for M Kurman: 1928. Sea Point , Cape Town, Western Cape - Architect *
24 Houses for Messrs Oliver, Grant and Richards: 1926. Woodstock, Western Cape - Architect *
26 Living rooms for Fenneres Ltd: 1926. Bantry Bay, Sea Point, Cape Town, Western Cape - Architect *
5 Houses for SA Steamship Investments Company: 1926. District Six, Cape Town, Western Cape - Architect *
Argus Building: 1920. Central, Cape Town, Western Cape - Architect
Argus Co Building, add: 1933. Cape Town, Western Cape - Architect
Argus Printing and publishing works: 1934. Cape Town, Western Cape - Architect *
Assembly Hotel: 1927. Central, Cape Town, Western Cape - Architect *
Atkinson’s Motors Garage: 1927. Central, Cape Town, Western Cape - Architect *
Barclays Bank: 1938. Woodstock, Western Cape - Architect
Barclays Bank - The Royal Albert: 1933. Salt River, Western Cape - Architect *
Benjamin and Lawton Building, remodelled: c1925. Cape Town, Western Cape - Architect
Bijou Theatre: 1941. Observatory, Cape Town, Western Cape - Architect
Bordeaux Hotel: 19?? : 1929. Sea Point , Cape Town, Western Cape - Architect Alterations and additions *
Boston House: 1927. Cape Town, Western Cape - Architect *
Broadcasting studios and offices for African Broadcasting Company: 1933. Central, Cape Town, Western Cape - Architect *
Building for 'the Schlesinger Sunday Newspaper': 1938. Cape Town, Western Cape - Architect
Building for LP Vadas: 1931. Central, Cape Town, Western Cape - Architect
Cinema (Atkinson's cinema): 1937. Rosebank, Cape Town, Western Cape - Architect
Cogill's Hotel: pre-1886 : 1938. Wynberg, Western Cape - Architect 1938
Commercial Union Building - Market House: 1930. Central, Cape Town, Western Cape - Architect *
Commonwealth Building and Colosseum Theatre: 1936-1938. Central, Cape Town, Western Cape - Architect
Factory for Kramer's Tobacco: 1930. Woodstock, Western Cape - Architect *
Flats for BJ Kinsella: 1928. Muizenberg, Western Cape - Architect
Flats/Theatre: 1937. Rosebank, Cape Town, Western Cape - Architect
Garlick's Bldg: 1928. Cape Town, Western Cape - Architect
General Assurance Bldg: 1923. Central, Cape Town, Western Cape - Architect
Grosvenor Court: 1929. Sea Point , Cape Town, Western Cape - Architect *
House and garage for W Tempany: 1933. Claremont, Cape Town, Western Cape - Architect *
House AR Phillips: 1931. Newlands, Cape Town, Western Cape - Architect
House Arderne: The Hill: c1916. Claremont, Cape Town, Western Cape - Architect
House DG Garlick: 1930. Wynberg, Wynberg, Western Cape - Architect *
House E Power: 1931. Plumstead, Cape Town, Western Cape - Architect
House for D Lazar: 1930. Muizenberg, Western Cape - Architect *
House for FF Petersen: 1928. Newlands, Cape Town, Western Cape - Architect *
House for FW Knacke - Earl's Dyke - Camps Bay Retreat: 1928. Camps Bay, Western Cape - Architect *
House for Lady Jacobus Graaff: 1930. Wynberg, Cape Town, Western Cape - Architect *
House for M Ellis: 1930. Claremont, Cape Town, Western Cape - Architect *
House for S Zion: 1930. Oranjezicht, Cape Town, Western Cape - Architect *
House Garlick: n.d.. Cape Town, Western Cape - Architect
House H Ansaldi : Stonehenge: 1931. St James, Western Cape - Architect *
House Hingle: 1931. Sea Point, Cape Town, Western Cape - Architect
House K Jesse: 1931. Claremont, Cape Town, Western Cape - Architect *
House P Wolmarans: 1931. Plumstead, Cape Town, Western Cape - Architect
House PM Liddle: 1931. Plumstead, Cape Town, Western Cape - Architect
Housing for SA Steamship Investments Company: 1928. District Six, Cape Town, Western Cape - Architect *
King's Hotel: 1931. Kalk Bay, Western Cape - Architect *
Majestic Hotel: 1916 : 1926. Kalk Bay, Western Cape - Architect 1926
Maltings silos for SA Breweries: 1929. Woodstock, Western Cape - Architect *
Mitchell Cott's Building : Exchange Place: 1926. Cape Town, Western Cape - Architect *
Mowbray School: c1905. Cape Town, Western Cape - Architect Additional classrooms *
Mr Barling's Bakery, add: 1939. Cape Town, Western Cape - Architect
Muizenberg Bathing Pavilion - Second: 1928. Muizenberg, Western Cape - Architect *
Norwich Union Bldg: c1924. Cape Town, Western Cape - Architect
Nurses' Training School: 19?? : 1928. Sea Point , Cape Town, Western Cape - Architect Additions *
OK Bazaars: 1938. Wynberg, Western Cape - Architect
OK Bazaars Ltd: 1937. Salt River, Western Cape - Architect
Parry, Leon & Hayhoe, warehouse: 1928. Cape Town, Western Cape - Architect
Poole's Hotel - Hotel Assembly: pre-1897 : 1927. Central, Cape Town, Western Cape - Alterations Architect 1927
Prince's Hotel: 19?? : 1927. Newlands, Cape Town, Western Cape - Architect Additions *
Printing Works for African Theatre Ltd: 1937. Central, Cape Town, Western Cape - Architect
Proposed Theatre: 1939. Cape Town, Western Cape - Architect
Proposed Theatre/Cinema: 1939. Kalk Bay, Western Cape - Architect
Proposed Theatre/Cinema: 1939. Muizenberg, Western Cape - Architect
Proposed Theatre/Cinema: 1939. Salt River, Western Cape - Architect
Protea Cinema: 1939. Paarl, Western Cape - Architect
Queen's Hotel: 1887 : 1923 : 1936. Sea Point, Cape Town, Western Cape - Architect
Radio Broadcasting Studios: 1937. Cape Town, Western Cape - Architect
Radio Transmitting Station: 1933. Milnerton, Western Cape - Architect
Restaurant Palaise de Dance at the Del Monico Theatre: 1935. Central, Cape Town, Western Cape - Architect *
SA Milling Co mill and silo: c1923 : 1939. Salt River, Western Cape - Architect 1939
Salt River Cement Works factory: 1937. Salt River, Western Cape - Architect
Scala Cinema: 1937. Claremont, Cape Town, Western Cape - Architect
Scott's Building - formerly OK Bazaars: 1932. Cape Town, Western Cape - Architect *
Secondary School: 1936. Maitland, Western Cape - Architect
Shell House: 1929 : 1941. Central, Cape Town, Western Cape - Architect *
Shops and offices for LP Vadas: 1931. Central, Cape Town, Western Cape - Architect *
Showroom and offices for Jackson's Limited: 1930. Cape Town, Western Cape - Architect *
St Claire Court: 1930. Sea Point, Cape Town, Western Cape - Architect
St Margaret's Mansions: 1928. Sea Point, Cape Town, Western Cape - Architect
Store for Parry Leon Hayhoe: 1928. Waterfront, Cape Town, Western Cape - Architect *
Tobacco Factory for Kramer's Trust Investment Co: 1930. Woodstock, Western Cape - Architect *
Unie-Volkspers Beperk: 1937 : n.d.. Cape Town, Western Cape - Architect
Watergate - Graceland: 1914. Muizenberg, Western Cape - Architect
Waygood Otis: 1930. Cape Town, Western Cape - Architect *
White House Hotel / Strand Apartments: n.d.: 1891: 1893 : 1900 : 1911 : 1927. Cape Town, Western Cape - Architect 1927 *

Articles citing GRANT

Freschi, F. 2004. Form Follows Facade: The Architecture of W. H. Grant 1920-32. Design Issues. Vol 20 No 2 4-17

Books citing GRANT

Bakker, Karel A, Clarke, Nicholas J. 2014. Eclectic ZA Wilhelmiens : A shared Dutch built heritage in South Africa. Pretoria: Visual Books. pp 55

Cumming-George, L. 1933. Architecture in South Africa - Volume One. Cape Town: The Speciality Press of S.A. Ltd.. pp 97, 101

Fransen, Hans. 2004. The old buildings of the Cape. A survey of extant architecture from before c1910 in the area of Cape Town - Calvinia - Colesberg - Uitenhage. Johannesburg & Cape Town: Jonathan Ball Publishers. pp 156

Hillebrand, Melanie. 1975. Aspects of architecture in Natal, 1880-1914. Pietermaritzburg: Unpublished MA. Dept Fine Art and History of Art, University of Natal. pp 173

ISAA. 1927. Register of Members the Institute of South African Architects. Johannesburg: ISAA (Unpublished Record). pp G11

Martin, Desmond. 2007. Walking Long Street. Cape Town: Struik. pp 107

Picton-Seymour, Désirée. 1977. Victorian Buildings in South Africa. Cape Town: AA Balkema. pp ???

SAWW & Donaldson, K. 1935. South African Who's Who (Social and Business) 1935. Cape Town: Ken Donaldson. pp 81

SAWW & Donaldson, K. 1938. South African Who's Who (Social and Business) 1938. Cape Town: Ken Donaldson. pp 100

Walker, Michael. 2010. A Statement In Stone. Cape Town: Privately published by Michael Walker. pp 69-72, 96-97

Walker, Michael. 2012. Early architects of Cape Town and their buildings (1820 - 1926) with postcard illustrations, The. St James: Michael Walker. pp 125-126

Walker, Michael. 2015. Old hotels of Cape Town (1890-1911), The : A history long forgotten, seldom told. St James: Published Privately. pp 34, 76

Walker, Michael & Stuart-Findlay, Derek. 2011. St James, a place of dreams: Bicentenary Edition 1810-2010. St James: Kalk Bay Historical Association. pp 159