John Robson Reid [commonly known as John Reid] was born in Port Talbot, Wales on 1 December 1925. After serving in the Army (1944-47) he studied architecture at the Polytechnic School of Architecture in London from where he graduated with a Dip.Arch in 1950. In 1948 he married Sylvia Payne who subsequently her name to Sylvia Reid. She was by then, herself, a qualified architect and from 1951 they worked in partnership. From this point it is difficult to separate the work of the two.
Individually, or together, they were consultants to numerous companies including Stag Furniture, British Rail, the Post Office, Rotaflex Lighting, Thorn Lighting and the United Nations Industrial Development Organization. Design projects included the Colonial Exhibition at the South Bank site, Festival of Britain 1951; interior of the Champion public house in Wells Street (London); an adjustable floor lamp for Rotaflex (1956); the 'Ovoid' pendant lampshade for Rotaflex, which won a Council of Industrial Design 'Designs of the Year' award 1957; modular storage units for Stag (1960); tand he ‘Fineline’ bedroom suite for Stag (1966).
Architectural project included the Sherlock Holmes Museum in Meiringen, Switzerland; the Great Room, Grosvenor House, London; the arts centre, Westminster Theatre, London; an extension to West Lodge Park Hotel, Hadley Wood; Heatherside Shopping Centre; and the Savile Room, Merton College, Oxford.
John Reid was Dean of Art and Design at Middlesex Polytechnic [now Middlesex University] (1975-78). He was elected an Associate of the Royal Institute of British Architects (ARIBA) in 1950 and was a Fellow of the Society of Industrial Artists and Designers (FSIAD). He was President of the SIAD (1965-66) and President of the International Council of Societies of Industrial Design - ICSID (1969-71).
The Reids won four CoID/Design Council awards and Silver Medals at the 12th and 13th Milan Triennales. They lived in London. John Robson Reid died in Penzance, Cornwall in on 1 December 1992.
‘Bungalow, Oulton Broad, Lowestoft: with underfloor heating’. Architects' Journal 19 July 1956 pp. 93-98 [Architects: John and Sylvia Reid]
‘"The Champion", Wells Street, off Oxford Street, London W. 1, restoration & interior re-design’. Architectural Review February 1955 pp. 135-140 [Architects: John and Sylvia Reid]
‘"The Champion", Wells Street, off Oxford Street, London W. 1, restoration & interior re-design’. The Builder 28 January 1955 p. 163 [Architects: John and Sylvia Reid]
‘Interior design of the 'Ranelagh' public house, Pimlico, London S. W. 1’. Architectural Review February 1965 pp. 137-140 [Architects: John and Sylvia Reid]
Lambert, Sam. ‘Pub in the pyramid’. Architects’ Journal vol. 161, no. 22, 28 May 1975 pp. 1124-1125 [The Pyamid public house in Stevenage. Architects: John and Sylvia Reid]
‘"The Piazza," Coffee Bar, Marylebone High St., London’. Architectural Design December 1956 p.391 [Designers: John and Sylvia Reid]
‘"The Piazza," Coffee Bar, Marylebone High St., London’. Architect & Building News 1 December 1955 pp. 706-711 [Designers: John and Sylvia Reid]
‘Redecoration and new lighting system for Grosvenor House ballroom, London’. International Lighting Review no. 5, 1962 pp.162-165 [Architects: John and Sylvia Reid]
‘Renovation of the interior and new lighting system for town hall, Wandsworth, London’. International Lighting Review no. 5, 1962 pp. 157-161 [Architects: John and Sylvia Reid]
‘Showroom at Thorn House, London WC2’. Architectural Design January 1960 pp. 35-38 [Designers: John and Sylvia Reid]
‘Two-upmanship’. Architects’ Journal vol. 158, no. 41, 10 October 1973 p]. 844-845 [Westminster Theatre Arts Centre, Westminster, London. Architects: John and Sylvia Reid]
‘West Lodge Park Hotel, Hadley Wood’. Brick Bulletin vol. 10, no. 2, January 1974 pp. 15-19. [Architects: John and Sylvia Reid]