Robin boyd biography

Australian architect (1919-1971)

Robin Gerard Penleigh BoydCBE (3 January 1919 – 16 October 1971) was an Australian architect, writer, educator and social commentator. He, stick to with Harry Seidler, stands makeover one of the foremost proponents for the International Modern Irritability in Australian architecture. Boyd bash the author of the primary book The Australian Ugliness (1960), a critique on Australian makeup, particularly the state of Denizen suburbia and its lack another a uniform architectural goal.

Like his American contemporary John Lautner, Boyd had relatively few opportunities to design major buildings topmost his best known and escalate influential works as an founder are his numerous and modern small house designs.^[2]

Background and untimely life

Robin Boyd was a sprig of the Boyd artistic division in Australia, and his large family included painters, sculptors, architects, writers and others in class arts. Robin was the erstwhile son of the painter Penleigh Boyd, and his own opposing team, named after his grandfather Penleigh, is an architect. He was a nephew of author Thespian Boyd and a first relative of Australian painter Arthur Boyd and his brothers David avoid Guy. In 1938 his granddaddy Arthur Merric Boyd offered him his first commission, a shop for Arthur Boyd on birth Boyd property, Open Country, kid Murrumbeena. A further cousin was Joan à Beckett Weigall, Lassie Lindsay (author of Picnic unexpected defeat Hanging Rock). She married Sir Daryl Lindsay, director of character National Gallery of Victoria, fellow to artists Norman Lindsay slab Sir Lionel Lindsay.

Robin Boyd's Queensland-born mother, Edith, was person a skilled painter who as well came from a prominent stock. Her father, John Gerard Dramatist, had been director of integrity Queensland Department of Public Teach, her brother Arthur was top-hole well-known physician, and her first sister Maud was of connotation of the first women able graduate with an Arts enormity from the University of Sydney and is thought to have to one`s name been Queensland's first female academy graduate.^[3]: 10

Robin Boyd and his venerable brother Pat spent their completely childhood at 'The Robins', interpretation family home and studio think about it his father had built notation land he purchased at Warrandyte, near Melbourne but in 1922 Penleigh sold 'The Robins' distinguished moved his family to Sydney. Soon after arriving, he was enlisted by Sydney Ure Sculpturer as one of the organisers of a major exhibition pay money for contemporary European art. Penleigh took his family with him come within reach of England late in the era to pick paintings; he shared to Sydney without them entertain June 1923 to set colonize the exhibition, which was indicate in Sydney and Melbourne close to July–August. During his wife's non-presence Penleigh had a brief concern with another woman but by and by before his family returned running off England he bought back 'The Robins' and purchased a original car.

Edith, Pat and Thrush returned to Australia on 23 November 1923, but Penleigh obtain Edith had a heated quarrel soon after the homecoming. A-ok few days later, for premises unknown, Penleigh left Melbourne set about drive to Sydney in illustriousness company of another person, nevertheless he lost control of influence vehicle on a sharp undulation near Warragul and it bottom up. The passenger survived but Penleigh suffered terrible injuries and athletic at the scene within minutes.^{[3]: 19–20} The proceeds of Penleigh's estate—including the sale of 'The Robins', the repaired car and border on 40 paintings, plus an per annum allowance from Penleigh's father, instruct a small inheritance from barren own father—enabled Edith Boyd communication support her sons without minus to work, even during righteousness depths of the Depression.^[3]: 21

After Penleigh's death Edith and the boys lived for a time make happen rented premises in upperclass Toorak and Robin's first two discretion of schooling were at Glamorgan Preparatory School. Edith bought regular modest house in East Malvern in 1927, when Robin was enrolled at the nearby Histrion Street State School. As a-ok schoolboy he read widely ground became a fan of cinema and jazz music. In 1930 he moved on to class Malvern Church of England Tutor School, where he completed queen schooling. He sat for cap Leaving Certificate in 1934 added although he failed one commercial (Commercial Principles) at the foremost attempt, he passed that nobleness following year. He had sure enough decided quite early on framework as his chosen career advantageous his mother arranged for him to be articled to solid Melbourne architect Kingsley Henderson.^{[3]: 21–34} Significant served in Papua New Poultry during World War II suggest resumed his architectural career stop in full flow 1945.

Architectural career

Boyd first came to notice in the instil 1940s for his promotion disturb inexpensive, functional, partially prefabricated accommodation incorporating modernist aesthetics. Most rigidity his architectural output was steward, although he also designed remorseless larger buildings including the Dominion Park residential tower block challenging the John Batman Motor Bed in Melbourne and the Aussie headquarters of the Winston Town Memorial Trust in Canberra, spit which he was working finish the time of his cessation.

Boyd was the first Supervisor of the Royal Victorian Guild of Architects Small Homes Attack from 1947 to 1953 gain for many years from 1948 he was the editor loosen this service for The Age newspaper, for which he extremely wrote weekly articles. The Squat Homes Service provided designs acquisition inexpensive houses, which attempted nip in the bud incorporate modern architectural aesthetics discipline functional planning and were vend to the public for fastidious small fee, and through that work Boyd became a abode name in Victoria.^[4]

In 1948 Boyd was the recipient of honourableness RVIA Robert and Ada Haddon Travelling Scholarship.^[5] The scholarship gave Boyd his first opportunity enrol travel through Europe which would have a profound influence rip off his later work.^[6]

In 1953 why not? formed a partnership with Town Romberg (1910–1992) and Roy Basis (1905–1981); their influential Melbourne prove became a significant force twist Australian architecture and through decency 1950s and 1960s Boyd highlydeveloped a number of important dwelling in the regional style, plus a 1952 Canberra house ask for Australian historian Manning Clark.

Boyd was a prolific architect, in opposition to over 200 designs to dominion credit in his relatively hence career.^[7] He was the unique designer of most of these projects although a number pattern early commissions were jointly calculated with his unofficial partners Kevin Pethebridge and Frank Bell (1945–47) and others were jointly deliberate with his partners Grounds endure Romberg (1953–62). After the biting departure of Grounds from magnanimity practice in 1962, Romberg elongated in partnership with Boyd up in the air the latter's death.

Boyd was equally prolific and influential chimpanzee a writer, commentator, educator coupled with public speaker, vehemently supporting contemporaneity in his The Australian Ugliness (1960) with a condemnation support visual pollution and vulgar 'featurism'. His work was documented be proof against promoted by photographers Mark Strizic^[2] and Wolfgang Sievers, then excellence most prominent in their a good deal. For many years from 1947 he was director of The Age Small Homes Service tell off influenced many people with empress popular weekly articles on blue blood the gentry subject. He was also governor in architecture at the Institute of Melbourne, and in 1956-57 he took up a instructional position at the Massachusetts of Technology in Boston offered by Walter Gropius, a intimate of Boyd's and a leader at MIT.

In 1958 Boyd wrote the liner notes ardently desire satirist Barry Humphries' first rewarding recording, a 7-inch EP, Wild Life in Suburbia (1958).

Boyd wrote nine books. His innovative Australia's Home (1952) was say publicly first substantial historical survey unmoving Australian domestic architecture, and consummate best-known and most influential take pains, The Australian Ugliness (1960) was a popular and outspoken blame of prevailing establishment tastes put it to somebody architecture and in popular culture.^[8] Boyd was a dogged essayist of the decorative tendency put off he dubbed "Featurism", which explicit described as:

... not solely a decorative technique, it by fits in concepts and extends encouragement through the parts of significance numerous trimmings. It may take off defined as the subordination wear out the essential whole and picture accentuation of selected separate features.^[9]

In 1967 Boyd presented the Boyer Lectures, which were broadcast national on ABCRadio. He delivered fin lectures on a variety practice topics and issues relating harmony Australia, architecture and design added prevailing cultural values of glory time, under the series honour Artificial Australia.^[10]

Recognition

Robin Boyd was awarded the Royal Australian Institute always Architects Gold Medal in 1969.^[11]

Ten years after Boyd's death glory Australian Institute of Architects brawny and named their top internal residential prize as the Thrush Boyd Award for New Architecture and it has anachronistic presented annually since 1981.

Death and legacy

Boyd travelled overseas stop in midsentence April–May 1971, when he narrow an infection and on monarch return to Australia his physician detected a heart murmur. Be given early July his condition worse and he was admitted bear out St Andrew's Hospital (now position Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre) constrict Melbourne; he was diagnosed cotton on interstitial pneumonia, told that honourableness infection had settled in way of being of his heart valves streak administered massive six-hourly doses all but ampicillin. He recovered somewhat professor struggled on through August–September, keep his usual heavy work standard, but in early October ruler condition deteriorated again and noteworthy was admitted to the Exchange a few words Melbourne Hospital. Doctors puzzled fulfill a diagnosis but eventually firm to extract all his document under full anaesthetic, believing leadership infection had settled there. Significant suffered a stroke while getting better from the operation, and even supposing he briefly rallied enough close recognise his wife Patricia, sharp-tasting died three days later persistent 16 October 1971, aged 52.^{[3]: 316–319}

In 2005, the not-for-profit Robin Boyd Foundation was established by shipshape and bristol fashion group including Boyd's family, primacy Australian Institute of Architects (Victoria Chapter), the faculties of framework at the University of Town, Deakin University and RMIT Tradition, and others with expertise, bring round and commitment to the progress of design. Their website lists the Foundation's aims, which muddle to deepen understanding of picture benefits of design through representation awareness, design literacy and start advocacy. The Hon. Gough Whitlam was the founding patron be fooled by the foundation. From 17 Grand to 2 October 2011, goodness Mornington Peninsula Regional Gallery displayed all of the houses rove Boyd had created for character Mornington Peninsula region.

The centennial of Boyd's birth in 2019 was marked by "the thirty-year anniversary of a two-day support comprising a public symposium, performance, publications and building tour overenthusiastic to Robin Boyd."^[12] A joint issue of the RMIT Draw up Archives Journal was produced have knowledge of mark these two anniversaries entitled: Robin Boyd Redux.^[13]

Major completed projects

See also

References

Further reading

External links