James Grey West
Illustration — West in 1943 • Illustration — Royal Air Force College, Cranwell, designed by West and completed in 1933 Sir James Grey West OBE (1885 – 15 June 1951) was a British architect. Born and trained in Cardiff, Wales, West joined the government Office of Works in 1904, eventually succeeding Sir Richard Allison as chief architect in 1934. West worked on Bromyard House, the former Ministry of Pensions building in Acton, London (1914–1922), said to be the largest single building in Britain at the time.
James Grey West

Elliott Fry · Public domain
- Died
- James Grey West died on 15 June 1951.
- Nationality
- United Kingdom · United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland
- Occupation
- architect
- Languages
- English
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Illustration — West in 1943 • Illustration — Royal Air Force College, Cranwell, designed by West and completed in 1933 Sir James Grey West OBE (1885 – 15 June 1951) was a British architect. Born and trained in Cardiff, Wales, West joined the government Office of Works in 1904, eventually succeeding Sir Richard Allison as chief architect in 1934. West worked on Bromyard House, the former Ministry of Pensions building in Acton, London (1914–1922), said to be the largest single building in Britain at the time.
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In this article
Biography
Biography
He designed the hall of Royal Air Force College at Cranwell, Lincolnshire (1929–1933) in the seventeenth-century style of Sir Christopher Wren. West also worked on the Duveen Wing of the National Portrait Gallery (1933), with Allison, and also provided designs for the Royal Courts of Justice, Belfast (1933). Andrew's House in Edinburgh (1935–39). He was knighted in 1936. During the Second World War, West was appointed Director of Post-War Planning, as well as being chief architect of the reorganised Ministry of Works, until his retirement in 1945.
Life and career
Dated record
Life and career
The full dated record · 2 entries
1881
James Grey West was born on 1 January 1881.
1951
James Grey West died on 15 June 1951.
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- Wikidata, structured authority record Q15998177: James Grey West
Scholarly · Wikimedia Foundation
reference work
- “James Grey West”, English Wikipedia, consulted as further reading
Reputable secondary · Wikipedia
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Cited by Wikipedia
Notes from the source article
These works are cited by the source article, in its own numbering. They are recorded as its citations, not as sources VALÉORINE has verified.
- 1.H M Office of Works (later Ministry of Works and Property Services Agency). Dictionary of Scottish Architects.
- 2.Dominion Housing Group. Historic Acton building swaps Canadian WWII troops for west London key workers. January 2020.
- 3.English Heritage. Military Buildings 1914–1945. Military Buildings Selection Guide. 7. March 2007.
- 4.History of the National Portrait Gallery.
- 5.Royal Courts of Justice.
- 6.James Grey West. Dictionary of Scottish Architects.
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Institutional database
Wikidata, structured authority record Q15998177: James Grey WestWikimedia Foundation
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James Grey West is recorded as a citizen of United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland. Recorded with the occupation architect.
The Encyclopedia exists whether or not anything is for sale. Corrections are recorded rather than overwritten, and every version of this record is kept. Published 18 August 2026.
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