British architect and Grimshaw founder Sir Nicholas Grimshaw has passed away at the age of 85, leaving behind a rich legacy of architectural landmarks.

Well-known for designing several trailblazing projects including railway stations, factories, supermarkets, airports, civic buildings, colleges, media headquarters, sporting facilities, art and cultural centres, and more, Grimshaw was a visionary who led the high-tech movement in the design and building industry.

Born in 1939, he studied architecture at the reputed Architectural Association School of Architecture in London, graduating in 1965 before embarking on his design career in partnership with fellow British architect Terry Farrell, with whom he designed, among others, the student housing project, Sussex Gardens Service Tower (1967), which saw bathroom pods being installed along a helical ramp to enable students to easily access the bathrooms on different levels, and the bare-shell Park Road housing tower in London (1968) that allowed owners to customise their apartments.

Over an illustrious career spanning more than five decades, Grimshaw helmed a broad range of public and infrastructure projects, and was particularly known for designing buildings in the high-tech architectural style that arose from modernist influences. After almost 15 years working in partnership with Farrell, he established his own studio in 1980, going on to lead some of the most inspirational projects in British and global architecture.

In their obituary, architectural firm Grimshaw described the RIBA award-winning International Rail Terminal at Waterloo in London, the British Pavilion for the Seville Expo 1992 and the Eden Project in Cornwall as “turning points for the practice as well as the profession of architecture – merging the distinction between architecture and structure with sustainable, climate-responsive design”.

His impressive portfolio of architectural landmarks also includes the Financial Times Printworks in Blackwall, London; Igus Headquarters and Factory in Cologne, Germany; Sainsbury store in Camden, London; Southern Cross Railway Station in Melbourne; Thermae Bath Spa in Bath, UK; Pulkovo Airport in St. Petersburg, Russia; the EMPA Center and Fulton Center in New York; the Zurich Airport Expansion; and the Paddington Station Restoration in London among many more.

A man of “invention and ideas”, Grimshaw’s designs were shaped by his deep interest in engineering and technology, with his future-forward world view resulting in a focus on modular and prefab techniques, lightweight construction, materiality and sustainability long before they became an integral part of modern-day design.

Knighted in 2002 for his services to architecture, Grimshaw was awarded the RIBA Royal Gold Medal in 2019 in recognition of a lifetime of work in architecture. The same year, he stepped down as Chairman of the practice only to open a new chapter in his life by establishing the Grimshaw Foundation three years later. Since then, the Foundation has supported over 500 under-represented young people to develop “practical skills, confidence and curiosity”, equipping them to achieve creative careers.

Recalling his association with the eminent architect, Grimshaw Chairman Andrew Whalley says, “His architecture was never about surface or fashion, but always about structure, craft, and purpose – about creating buildings that endure because they are both useful and uplifting and, in Nick’s words, ‘bring some kind of joy’.”

Sir Nicholas Grimshaw is survived by his wife, Lady Lavinia, children Chloe and Isabel, and several grandchildren.

Image source: https://grimshaw.global/

Architecture News & Editorial Desk

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