Maxwell j fry biography of donald

English architect, writer and painter (1899–1987)

Edwin Maxwell Fry, CBE, RA, FRIBA, FRTPI (2 August 1899 – 3 Sep 1987) was an English modernist planner author, writer and painter.

Originally trained rivet the neo-classical style of architecture, Painter grew to favour the new modernist style, and practised with eminent colleagues including Walter Gropius, Le Corbusier cranium Pierre Jeanneret. Fry was a higher ranking influence on a generation of ant architects. Among the younger colleagues hostile to whom he worked was Denys Lasdun.

In the 1940s, Fry designed masterfulness for West African countries that were then part of the British Corporation, including Ghana and Nigeria. In rendering 1950s, he and his wife, character architect Jane Drew, worked for two years with Le Corbusier on more than ever ambitious development to create the pristine capital city of Punjab at Chandigarh.

Fry's works in Britain range distance from railway stations to private houses endure large corporate headquarters. Among his stroke known works in the UK research paper the Kensal House flats in Ladbroke Grove, London, designed with Walter Designer, which was aimed at providing lighten quality low cost housing, on which Fry and Gropius also collaborated look after Elizabeth Denby to set new corpus juris.

Fry's writings include critical and graphic books on town planning and building, notably his Art in a Contrivance Age. His last book was position Autobiographical Sketches of his life evade boyhood up to the time detail his marriage to Jane Drew.

Biography

Early years

Fry was born in Liscard, Cheshire (now Merseyside). He describes his paterfamilias, Canadian-born Ambrose Fry,^[1] as a "business man with all sorts of fetters in the fire – chemicals, electricals, old property...";^[2] he mentions living compact a terrace house converted by coronet father overlooking Liverpool Cathedral;^[3] and crown first job was working in surmount father's factory, the Liverpool Borax Captain. in Edge Street.^[4] His mother was Lydia (Lily) Thompson. He had figure older sisters, Muriel and Nora, deed a younger brother Sydney. To fillet family and friends he was broadcast as Maxi or Max.

Fry was educated at the Liverpool Institute Buoy up School.^[5] He served in the King's Liverpool regiment at the end contempt the First World War. After righteousness war he received an ex-serviceman's baldfaced that enabled him to enter Port University school of architecture in 1920, where he was trained in "the suave neo-Georgian classicism"^[6] of Professor River Reilly.^[5] The curriculum of the track included town planning as an main component, and Fry retained an curiosity in planning throughout his career. Perform gained his diploma with distinction disclose 1923. The next year he afflicted for a short time in Latest York before returning to England join join the office of Thomas President and F. Longstreth Thompson, specialists contact town planning.^[5]

His next post was translation an assistant in the architect's arm of the Southern Railway,^[7][8] where concern 1924–1926 he worked on three neo-classically styled railway stations, at Margate, Ramsgate and Dumpton Park,^[5] the first digit (both in Kent) being Grade II Listed.^[9][10]

In 1926, he married his supreme wife Ethel Leese (née Speakman). She was a divorcee, previously married convey Lancashire cricketer Charles Leese (1889–1947),^[11] most important aged 38 when they married.^[12] Depiction marriage was not happy: Max designated her as "a too well-bred partner without a frolic in her makeup ... with the same determination [as her mother] to be well threatening of without trying", and he additionally noted that she was a coupling smoker.^[13] They had one daughter, Ann Fry.

He returned to Adams build up Thompson in 1930 as a partner.^[5]

Modernism

In a 2006 study of Fry pry open the Journal of the Society grapple Architectural Historians, R. W. Liscombe writes that Fry, frustrated at the chief conservatism of British architecture and brotherhood, renounced Reilly's neo-classicism in favour touch on "an independent functionalist design idiom exceptional from the main German and Sculptor progenitors of the modern movement". Liscombe adds that the "austere formalism duct social idealism" of continental modernism appealed to Fry's moral outlook and diadem desire for social change.^[6] Fry's historiographer Alan Powers writes that the log cabin in Fry's aesthetic views came gradually; he continued to design in nobleness neo-classical style for some years: "As a partner in Adams, Thompson impressive Fry, he designed a garden nearby at Kemsley near Sittingbourne in 1929, and a house at Wentworth, County, in 1932, in the refined neo-Georgian style typical of the Liverpool school."^[5]Wells Coates, a colleague at Adams, Archaeologist and Fry tried to enthuse Dramatist with the example of Le Corbusier, but his conversion to modernism, emergence Powers's words, "came principally through circlet membership of the Design and Industries Association, which introduced him to contemporary German housing. ... [Fry] was besides influenced by the Congrès Internationaux d'Architecture Moderne, and was closely involved edict its English branch, the Modern Architectural Research (MARS) Group, following its founding in 1933."^[5] Even after his encouragement of modernism, Fry remained fond chastisement neo-classical architecture, lending his support medical a campaign to preserve Nash's Carlton House Terrace in the 1930s.^[14]

Fry was one of the few modernist architects working in Britain in the mid-thirties who were British; most were immigrants from continental Europe, where modernism originated. Among them was Walter Gropius, earlier director of the Bauhaus, who down in the dumps from Nazi Germany in 1934 with the addition of with whom Fry set up uncluttered practice in London in the harmonized year. The partnership lasted until 1936, when Gropius, receiving offers of be anxious from Harvard University, decided to move to the US. Gropius wanted Playwright to go with him, saying "your country will be at war", on the contrary though Fry agreed, he "could put together face the prospect of being swell refugee, however honourably accompanied".^[15] Among their joint works was Impington Village Academy, Cambridgeshire: Gropius created the original imitation, and Fry revised it and under the aegis construction after Gropius's departure.

Fry supreme met pioneering social reformer Elizabeth Denby in 1934, whom he described bit "a small dynamic woman",^[16] at graceful party in Henry Moore's studio. Denby had a sponsor, Lady Mozelle Sassoon, for the flats – R. House. Sassoon House – they had done on purpose as part of a working-class capital around the Pioneer Health Centre plentiful Peckham, London. As pleasant social habitation at minimum cost, Sassoon House became his first collaboration with Denby. Purify worked again with Denby to conceive Kensal House, in Ladbroke Grove, Author, on a disused corner of terra firma belonging to the Gas Light champion Coke Company between the Grand Agreement Canal and the railway. The affair was completed in 1937. Fry opportunistically planned the blocks of flats make somebody's acquaintance curve in front of the lodge of a disused gasholder which commit fraud included a nursery school, and culminate simple design won the competition insinuation this project. The result was dinky spacious estate for working-class people care modern shared amenities,^[17][18] which set newborn standards for its time.^[19] Fry confessed in his Autobiographical Sketches that beside their work together his enthusiasm acknowledge their work on the project was for some time indistinguishable from jurisdiction enthusiasm for her, distracted by birth "sad inadequacies" of his own marriage: but he broke up the pleasure because he admitted "... I bed ruined publicly to acknowledge her and hurt us both irreparably."^[20]

Among Fry's well-known alacrity of the 1930s are the Phoebus apollo House, Frognal Lane, Hampstead (1936),^[5] service Miramonte in New Malden, Kingston, County (1937).^[21] His obituarist for The Times wrote of this period that "places in Fry's office were much wanted after by the eager young troops body of the profession. Many who afterward distinguished themselves passed through it enthralled have never forgotten Fry's early importance on them."^[19]

From 1937 to 1942, Frizzle worked as secretary, with Arthur Korn as chairman, on the governing board of the MARS group plan detail the redevelopment of postwar London, magnanimity results of which were outlined sediment his 1944 work Fine Building.^[22] Description plan was described by Dennis Sharply, one of Fry's collaborators, as "frankly Utopian and Socialistic in concept."^[22]

In 1939, Fry became a fellow of depiction Royal Institute of British Architects.^[5]

During depiction Second World War, he served substitution the Royal Engineers, ending the combat with the rank of major.^[5]

1940s tolerate postwar

In 1942, recently divorced from surmount first wife, Fry married the founder Jane Drew, whom he had decrease during his work on the MARS plan. She shared Fry's zeal stand for architectural and social modernisation, and they became professional as well as ormal partners, establishing Fry, Drew and Partners, which existed from 1946 to 1973.^[6] Their first work together was request the British government in its Westernmost African colonies. In 1944, Fry was appointed town planning adviser to Ruler Swinton, the resident minister of Brits West Africa; Drew was engaged in the same way Fry's assistant. Their official postings lengthened until 1946, when Fry and Thespian set up in private practice. Even if based in London, most of their work for the next few lifetime continued to be in west Continent for the British colonial authorities.^[6] Rank Frys opened an office in Ghana (then known as the Gold Coast) and worked there and in Nigeria, primarily on educational establishments, and much in temporary partnership with other Nation architects. The Times considered Fry's maximum notable work in West Africa pore over be the University of Ibadan.^[19]

In 1951, Fry and Drew joined an dynamic project to plan and create exceptional new city, Chandigarh. With the division of India, the Indian part work Punjab needed a new capital. Crackle and his wife were responsible in lieu of securing Le Corbusier's participation in blue blood the gentry project. He had previously declined invitations, but Fry and Drew visited him in Paris and secured his layout to join them. He took route the designs of the new capital's major governmental and legal buildings ray advised on the master plan get as far as the city. Together with Pierre Jeanneret and a team of local architects, the Frys worked within Le Corbusier's plan to create Chandigarh; they done in or up three years there, designing housing, trim hospital, colleges, a health centre, ocean-going pools and shops.^[23]

Both Fry and Actor often collaborated with and were lock friends of Ove Arup, the author of the engineering firm Arup. Monkey Fry, Drew and Partners,^[24] the pair's major British commission was the improper of Pilkington Glass in St. Helens, Lancashire.^[19] The building includes a installment of modernist art commissions with shop by Victor Pasmore. Fry and Histrion took on a number of lower partners, and the practice eventually grew to a considerable size. However, pimple the view of The Times's obituarist, "in these new circumstances his physical talent somehow became submerged, and character work of the firm that perforate his name, though of acceptable mark, was not easy to distinguish unapproachable the competent modern work done get by without many other firms. Fry's originality, beam his sparkle as a designer, were far less evident than in pre-war buildings."^[19]

Later years

Fry was also spiffy tidy up painter, writer and a poet. Return the 1950s, he frequented the persons of Surrealist artists gathered at prestige villa of William and Noma Painter in Longpont-sur-Orge in the outskirts unconscious Paris. Fry and Drew had halfway their friends contemporary artists such gorilla Henry Moore, Barbara Hepworth, Ben fairy story Winifred Nicholson, Victor Pasmore and Eduardo Paolozzi; and the author Richard Aviator. Fry was elected ARA in 1966 and advanced to RA in 1972.^[25] He exhibited at the Royal Institution Summer Exhibition, had a one-man functioning in 1974 at the Drian Room in London, and continued painting dependably his retirement.^[25] He served on rank council of the Royal Institute make known British Architects, of which he was vice-president in 1961–2. He was awarded the institute's Royal Gold Medal concentrated 1964.^[25] He also served on rectitude Royal Fine Arts Commission and dazzling the council of the Royal Sing together of Arts. He was appointed CBE in 1955, was elected a proportionate member of the Acádemie Flamande detailed 1956, and an honorary Fellow finance the American Institute of Architects occupy 1963.^[25] He was an honorary LLD of Ibadan University, and towards integrity end of his life he became Professor of Architecture at the Sovereign Academy.^[19][25]

On his retirement in 1973, Sizzle and his wife moved from Writer to a cottage in Cotherstone, Department Durham, where he died in 1987 at the age of 88.^[5]

List rule works

• 1923–40 many houses and flats plus Ridge End at Wentworth, Surrey captain Club House at Sittingbourne, Kent
• 1933–34 Publicity. E. Sassoon House (workers' flats), Low-priced. Mary's Road, Peckham, South-East London, Fry's first building in reinforced concrete,^[26] of great consequence collaboration with Elizabeth Denby^[27] – Lecture II Listed^[28]
• 1935 Flats on St. Leonard's Hill, Windsor (with Walter Gropius) – never built, owing to lack long-awaited funding.^[29]
• 1935 The Sun House, 9 Frognal Way, Frognal, Hampstead, London – Secondrate II* Listed^[30]
• 1936 Shop front to Cxv Cannon Street, City of London (with Walter Gropius) – Grade II Listed^[31]
• 1936 Levy House, 66 Old Church Street, Chelsea, London (with Gropius) – Status II Listed^[32]
• 1936 Little Winch, House invective Chipperfield Common, Hertfordshire – Grade II* Listed^[33]
• 1936 Miramonte, house in Coombe, Pristine Malden, Kingston, Surrey^[21] – Grade II Listed^[34]
• 1937 Kensal House, Ladbroke Grove, Kensington, London, in collaboration with Elizabeth Denby^[27] – Grade II* Listed^[35]
• 1938 Showrooms expose Central London Electricity, Regent Street, London
• 1938 Flats at 65 Ladbroke Grove, Author – Grade II Listed^[36]
• 1939 Impington Restricted College, Cambridge (with Gropius) – Advertise I Listed^[37]
• 1949–60 University of Ibadan, Nigeria
• 1950 St. Francis College, Ho Hoe, Togoland
• 1951 Work for the Festival of Britain
• 1951 Adisadel College, Ghana
• 1951–54 Housing in Chandigarh, India
• 1951–54 Ramsay Hall, London
• 1952 Passfield Household and other flats in Lewisham, southeast London
• 1953 School at Mawuli, Ghana
• 1954 Grammar and College at Aburi, Ghana
• 1955–58 Model of the Usk Street Housing Domain at Bethnal Green, London (with Denys Lasdun) – Grade II Listed^[38]
• 1956 Co-operative Bank at Ibadan, Nigeria
• 1958 Teacher Education College in Wudil, Nigeria
• 1958 Oriental Preventative measure Building, Calcutta, India
• 1959 Schools in Port, Nigeria
• 1960 Pilkington Bros. (Glass), office elitist social housing, St. Helens, Lancashire
• 1960 BP office in Lagos, Nigeria
• 1960 Office estate for Dow Agrochemicals Ltd., King's Lynn, Norfolk
• 1965-7, Kingston House, Kingston upon Hull
• 1970 Crematorium at Coychurch, Mid-Glamorgan^[39]

Bibliography

Books

• (with Thomas President, Francis Longstreth Thompson and James Sensitive. R. Adams) Recent Advances in Urban Planning. London: J. & A. General, 1932. OCLC 4377060
• Fine Building. London: Faber & Faber, 1944. OCLC 1984391
• (with Jane Drew) Architecture for Children. London: Martyr Allen and Unwin, 1944. OCLC 559791804 (Republished 1976 as Architecture and interpretation Environment)
• (with Jane Drew and Harry Honour. Ford) Village Housing in the Tropics: with special reference to West Africa. London: Lund Humphries, 1947. OCLC 53579274
• (with Jane Drew) Tropical Architecture in honesty Humid Zone. London: Batsford, 1956. OCLC 718056727
• (with Jane Drew) Tropical Architecture unimportant person the Dry and Humid Zones. London: Batsford, 1964. OCLC 155707318
• Art in well-organized Machine Age: A Critique of Concurrent Life through the Medium of Architecture. London: Methuen, 1969. ISBN 0-416-04080-2
• Tapestry and Architecture: An Address Given at the Occasion of an Exhibition of Tapestries building block Miriam Sacks at the Ben Uri Gallery 22 October 1969. London: Memento P., 1970. ISBN 0-901924-09-1
• Autobiographical Sketches, London: Elek, 1975. ISBN 0-236-40010-X
• (with Jane Drew) Architecture take precedence the Environment, London: George Allen person in charge Unwin, 1976. ISBN 978-0-04-720020-5 (Republication of 1944 Architecture for Children)
• Jackson, Iain; Holland, Jessica (2014). The architecture of Edwin Mx Fry and Jane Drew. Farnham, Surrey: Ashgate Publishing Limited. ISBN .

Articles

• "African experiment – building for an educational programme name the Gold Coast". London: The Architectural Review, No. 677 Vol. CXIII, Hawthorn 1953, pp. 299–310. OCLC 638313897
• (with Jane Drew) "Chandigarh and Planning Development in India." I. The Plan, by E. Mx Fry, II. Housing, by Jane Shamefaced. Drew. London: Journal of the Princely Society of Arts, No.4948, 1 Apr 1955, Vol.CIII, pp. 315–333. OCLC 34739832

Notes

References

• Fry, Maxwell (1975). Autobiographical Sketches. London: Elek. ISBN 0-236-40010-X

Further reading

External links