William Hardie Kininmonth [also known as Sir William Hardie Kininmonth and as William Kininmonth] was born in Forfar, Angus, Scotland on 8 November 1904 and was articled to William Nicholas Thomson (1857-1951) of W N Thomson & Co. in Leith. He also attended evening classes at Edinburgh College of Art and at Heriot-Watt College in Edinburgh from c.1924 to c.1929. He then work as an assistant to Sir Edwin Landseer Lutyens (1869-1944) in London from 1929 to 1931. He also attended evening classes at the Bartlett School of Architecture, University College, London in 1929-30. After leaving Lutyens, he was employed as a draughtsman in the office of Rowand Anderson & Paul in Edinburgh in 1931-32, he also began teaching at Edinburgh College of Art.
While working in Lutyens' office he met Basil Urwin Spence (1907-1976) and in October 1931 they formed a partnership as Kininmonth & Spence.
In 1934 the practice merged with Rowand Anderson & Balfour Paul to form Rowand Anderson, Paul & Partners. In 1938, following the death of Paul Keninworth and Spence became sole partners in the practice.
From 1942 to 1945 Kininmonth served in the Army during World War Two. Following the war he returned to Rowand Anderson, Paul & Partners. When in 1946 Spence left to open his own architecture and design office, Basil Spence & Partners, with Bruce Robertson, the practice was renamed Rowand Anderson, Kininmonth & Paul.
Kininmonth was elected an Associate of the Royal Institute of British architects (ARIBA) in 1930. He was President of the Royal Scottish Academy and in 1973 was knighted for his services to architecture. He died in Edinburgh on 8 December 1988.
By Kininmonth & Spence: a housing estate for Berwickshire County Council (1932); a house on Easter Belmont Road, Edinburgh for Dr. King (1932-33); Southern Motors Garage in Edinburgh (c.1933); Kininmonth House, 46A Dick Place, Edinburgh (1934-35); and housing, 12-30, Victoria Street, Dunbar (1935).
See also: Dictionary of Scottish Architects 1660-1980
By W. H. Kininmonth: Renfrew Airport Terminal (1953); Drylaw Parish Church, Edinburgh (1954-61); Elgin Town Hall, Morayshire (1957-61); James Gillespie's High School for Girls, Edinburgh (1960-63); extension to the University of Edinburgh Students' Union (1962-64); Post Graduate School of Medicine, Edinburgh (1967); and restoration of the premises of the Incorporation of Shoemakers, Linlithgow, West Lothian (1973)
‘46A Dick Place’. Architect and Building News vol. 144, 11 October 1935 pp. 40-41 [‘46A Dick Place’, Edinburgh, designed by Kininmonth & Spence]
‘New terminal buildings at Renfrew Airport’. Architect & Building News 3 February 1955 pp. 137-142 [Architect: W. H. Kininmonth]
‘New terminal buildings at Renfrew Airport;’. Building Industries & Scottish Architect September 1954 pp. 54-56 [Architect: W. H. Kininmonth]
‘New terminal buildings at Renfrew Airport’. The Builder 7 January 1955 pp. 10-16 [Architect: W. H. Kininmonth]
Pentreath, B. T. ‘Classical Modernism in fifties Edinburgh: Adam House, by William Kininmonth, 1950-1954’. Architectural Heritage no. 5, 1994 pp. 97-110 [Examinations School, University of Edinburgh, Chambers Street, Edinburgh designed by W. H. Kininmonth]
Powers, Alan. Modern. The Modern Movement in Britain. London: Merrell, 2005
‘Sir William Kininmonth’. RIBA Journal vol. 95, no. 10, October 1988 pp. 9, 11
Whiston, Peter. ‘Sir William Kininmonth: an appreciation’. Architects’ Journal vol. 187, nos. 34/35, 24/31 August 1988 p. 13
Wodehouse, Lawrencw. ‘Old guard, avant-garde: the rebellious youth of those two pillars of the architectural extablishment, Sir William Kininmonth and Sir Basil Spence’. Building Design no. 434, 23 February 1979 pp. 28-29