Lasting tribute to ‘forgotten’ North East architect

OWEN YOUNGER on a new tribute to an architect who left his mark on the region

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A TRIBUTE has been made honouring a ‘forgotten’ North East architect who designed iconic buildings across the North East.

Robert Burns Dick (1868-1954) is credited with designing over 20 well-known buildings that are still in use today.

They include Spanish City in Whitley Bay, Newcastle's Laing Art Gallery, Newcastle University Students Union, Market Street police station, Pilgrim Street fire station and the towers of the Tyne Bridge, as well as many others.

The post-First World War period brought with it a desire for “homes fit for heroes”, with Burns Dick involved with the development of council estates such as Pendower Estate in Newcastle's west end. A plaque bearing his name was unveiled there, on the headquarters of the Good Neighbour Project in Sunnybank Avenue.

The Lord Mayor of Newcastle, Coun Henry Gallagher, who unveiled the plaque, said: “Robert Burns Dick made a considerable contribution to the architectural heritage of the city, the region and beyond.