James Cope Christie

James Alfred Cope-Christie (12 December 1870 – 2 January 1953) was a British architect known for his contributions to early colonial architecture in Rhodesia and South Africa. He was known as a master of the neo-classical style but, over time, his designs reflected a blend of Arts and Crafts, Art Nouveau and Edwardian elements which he adapted to the South African climate, emphasizing open spatial flow and generous natural light and ventilation. His father, a piano tuner, died in 1878, and in 1881 James was the Reedham Orphanage in Surrey. The orphanage was also a school and James' education there, and his talent, were sufficient for him to obtain an articling position with the ecclesiastic architect George Fellowes Prynne. While working for Prynne, Christie simultaneously attended the Regent Street Polytechnic, a key institution for technical and artistic training, where students learned the principles of construction, ornamentation, and historical styles. Upon his graduation in 1893, he won a gold medal for excellence in design and draughtsmanship. At the time, two of the African British colonies Cape Colony (now South Africa), and Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe), were experiencing building booms and were in need of architects. Christie decided to begin his career there and, in April 1894, left England. He arrived in Cape Town on May 23, 1894. In 1898, Christie was on vacation in England when the Boer War broke out; he returned to Rhodesia at war's end but, finding that there was no work there, he moved to Johannesburg.

Personal life and death In 1895, Christie married Ada Heywood (1871-1948), who had traveled with him from England. They had two children. Vasan’s Footwear, Salisbury, 1902 House Hains, Yeoville, Johannesburg, 1903 (with C.E.H. May) Page House, Waverley, Johannesburg, 1904 Baron Cottages, Johannesburg, 1905 (with C.E.H. May) Dolobran House, Parktown, Johannesburg, 1905 Scotia Lodge/Masonic Temple Clifton, Johannesburg, 1906 The Villa, Collings House, Salisbury, 1910 Store Brothers Building, Salisbury, 1911 Old Yorkshire House, Salisbury, 1911 Standard Bank Building, Salisbury, 1911 (with Thomas Sladdin) National Bank Building, Salisbury, 1911 Soap Factory, Rhodesia Milling & Manufacturing Co., Salisbury, 1918 Guild Hall, Hebrew Congregation, Salisbury, 1920 Fereday and Sons Building, Salisbury, 1923 Norwegian Embassy, Salisbury, 1923 Telephone Exchange Building, Salisbury, 1926 Bechuana House, Salisbury, 1930 Edward Building, Salisbury, 1936 Les Brown Pool, Salisbury, 1947