Sir John Burnet, Tait and Lorne's 1936 Hospital for Infectious Diseases in Paisley, now flats, followed the firm's renowned Royal Masonic Hospital in London
One of the most notable recent acquisitions of the RIBA Collections is a large group of images representing what is left of the photographic archive of Sir John Burnet, Tait and Lorne.
Scottish architect John Burnet (1857-1938) opened a London office in 1905 with fellow Scot Thomas Tait (1882-1954), who had recently joined the practice. When Burnet retired due to health problems in 1930, Tait became the principal designer of the company, which became one of the most prominent and successful of the interwar period.
Designed soon after its renowned Royal Masonic Hospital in London, the Hospital for Infectious Diseases in Paisley opened its doors in 1936 and consisted of an administration block, ward pavilions, a nurses’ home and other ancillary buildings. The cubicle isolation block in this image was, like all the hospital buildings, finished in Brizolit, a fine-textured cement render designed not to crack, and enlivened by blue, yellow and black tiles.
After the hospital closed the site was redeveloped. Its buildings, which are Grade B listed, have been converted into flats.