Kerry Hill was an Australian architect primarily based in Singapore who was recognised as an exceptional talent in commercial design. He is best remembered for his specialized hotel designs throughout the Asia Pacific, where he left distinct design fingerprints on each of his works. The “Kerry Hill touch” is an affectionate recognition of Hill’s personal fondness for water features, shaded walkways, and pitched rooves.

Kerry Hill was born on the 19^th of June 1943 in Perth, WA. He passed away in his Singapore home on the 26^th of August in 2018, at the age of 75. After a monumental career spanning over four decades, he is survived by many of his buildings, his architecture firm, and his two sons. His wife Ruth passed away earlier in the year.

Life and Education

The majority of Hill’s early life was spent living and studying in Perth, as well as travelling across Australia. Kerry Hill first studied at Perth Technical College before transferring and later graduating from the University of Western Australia in 1968. Hill was actually one of the first architecture students ever to graduate from the University of Western Australia.

Hill’s first job outside of university was working for Howlett & Bailey architecture, a Perth-based firm with an excellent reputation among the local community. There, Hill was responsible for projects such as the Perth Concert Hall – personally changing the trajectory of Perth’s Architecture forever.

After many successful years with Howlett & Bailey, Hill decided to broaden his horizons and expand outside of Australia. He took a job at Palmer & Turner, a renowned architecture firm based in Hong Kong. His work with Palmer & Turner sent him all across the world, working on projects in Indonesia such as the Hali Hyatt in Sanur and travelling between Jakarta and Bali. After eight years working for Palmer and turner (1971-1979) Hill made another international move and began his career in Singapore.

Hill moved to Singapore in 1979 where he quickly established his own architectural practice: Kerry Hill Architects. He eventually gained permanent residency in Singapore and lived there for the remainder of his life – though travel was always a constant. Kerry Hill Architects worked across many national and international borders, working on projects such as the Serai hotels in Bali, Zecha’s Chedi and Datai hotels in Badung, and the Aman New Dehli, India.

Awards

Kerry Hill has received much professional recognition throughout the span of his career. He was appointed as a recipient of the Order of Australia in 2012 in recognition of his position as an ambassador for Australian design in South East Asia, as well as his membership in the BAWA Perth. His other awards include:

1995 Kenneth F. Brown Asia Pacific Culture and Architecture Design award
2001 Aga Khan Award for Architecture
2003 RAIA Robyn Boyd Award for the Oglivie House
2006 Royal Australian Institute of Architects Gold Medal
2010 Singapore President’s Design Award
2012 Best Housing Design World Architecture Festival

Media

Kerry Hill published an architecture and design novel in 2013 entitled Crafting Modernism. Over 4450 pages Hill puts a spotlight on various career-defining projects and how his approach was shaped by the cultural surroundings of the buildings and his studies over the years.

Kerry Hill also gave many architecture lectures at various academic institutions including:

The University of Western Australia
The University of Queensland
The National University of Singapore
The University of Hawaii

His work has reached acclaim across the world, including publishing in:

Architecture Australia (Aus)
Monument (Aus)
Indian Architect and Builder (Sing)
Singapore Architect (Sing)
Space (Sing)
Architectural Digest (Germany)
Architectural Review (UK)
World Architecture (UK)
Wallpaper (UK)
A + U (Japan)

Kerry Hill Architects Projects: A look at the architecture works that transformed a region

4. Ooi House – Margaret Rive, Western Australia

The Ooi house was one of the defining projects of Kerry Hill’s career. It was listed in the Nationally Significant 20^th Century Architecture category by the Royal Australian Institute of Architects and has a reputation as one of Kerry’s best residential works, receiving a Commendation in 1998.

3. Datai Langkawi Hotel –Malaysia

The Datai Hotel saw Kerry Hill the winner of the prestigious 2001 international Aga Khan Award for Architecture. This 5 star rainforest hotel is an ode to nature-guided design, nestled amongst a 10-million-year-old rainforest 300 metres from the sea. It has since been updated by French interior designer Didier Lefort, who preserved the soulful naturalism instilled by Hill 25 years earlier.

2. Alila Manggis

Alila Manggis (originally the Balina Serai) is a hotel on the east coast of Bali between the Badung Stait and sacred Mount Agung. The 55 rooms are enormous and most feature terraces, shaded balconies, and ocean views. The design mission for the building was to work around the trees create an anchor to the natural landscape. Subtle touches like the alang alang thatched roofs help to blend modern design with traditional Balinese architecture. Read more about this fascinating project here.

1. Ogilvie House - Sunshine Beach, Australia

The Oglivie House is a stunning example of Queensland residential architecture that took inspiration from the aboriginal proverb ‘touch the earth lightly’ – a proverb also beloved by another of Australia’s favourite architects, Glenn Murcutt.

The Ogilvie House is set on a high dune which overlooks the Sunshine Coast, with stunning ocean views streaming in from just about every corner of the house. Hill’s mission statement for the project was to imbue the landscape with a sense of simple elegance – specifically, a balance between simplicity and warmth.

Architecture & Design Team

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