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Architects

Basic Biographic Details

Charles Peter Womersley (known as Peter Womersley)
Architect
Exact Date
Year Only
06/03/1926
1993
Charles Peter Womersley (always known as Peter) was born on 29 June 1923 (Associateship Paper) or 1924 (Fellowship Paper). His grammar school headmaster opposed his idea of a career in architecture and he was presuaded to study law at Cambridge. Before he embarked on this, he was called up for military service during the Second World War and served with an infantry regiment. Although he was stationed abroad he saw little action and he was able to indulge in five years of cultural enlightenment. After demobilisation in September 1947 he started the 5-year course at the Architectural Association, passing the entrance exam at the age of 23. He won a three-year travelling scholarship while at the AA and this enabled him to travel widely on the Continent. During his course he visited France (1947), Germany and Italy (1948), Belgium and Italy (1949), France and Italy (1950), France Italy Germany and Austria (1951) and Belgium, Germany Austria, Italy and France (1952).

He left the AA to take up an opportunity of a one-off practical experience, helping to design a sheikh's palace in Kuwait. In july 1952 he worked briefly on the Royal Festival Hall (with the LCC Architect's Department?) and then in factories producing architectural products. He was admitted ARIBA on 5 December 1952, his proposers being Arthur Korn, G R J Anderson who was President of the AA and Jonathan *** (Secretary of the AA). At this time he was working as an assistant with the practice of Tripe & Wakeham in London and living in West Wickham in Kent.

Unusually, Womersley received a bronze medal for his first commission, a house for his brother, Farnley Hay, in Huddersfield. Shortly after, he set up practice on his own account from a cottage in the Scottish Borders. One of his first commissions was for a house for the textile designer Bernat Klein, for whom he would later also design an acclaimed studio building. In 1957 he was able to move his practice into his home, which he designed for himself. Basing his practice around commissions for private houses, made his business difficult and vulnerable. In desperation, Womersely entered and won the competition for the Roxburgh County Offices. A simultaneous invitation to design a sports centre for the University of Hull, enabled him to expand. By 1969 the small practice that employed no more than five workers, received his biggest commission to date for schools of town planning and sculpture for Edinburgh College of Art.

Influenced heavily by Frank Lloyd Wright, Womersley placed great importance on 'heart' and geometry.

He set up an autonomous Hong Kong office following a commission for a hotel and apartment blocks, which then coincided with a commission to completely gut and reconstruct the Peninsula Hotel.

Womersely was elected FRIBA on 9 December 1964, prposed by John Holt, Walter Marmorek and Joseph Blackburn.

He died in Lambeth, London in August 1993.


'Biography authored by the Dictionary of Scottish Architects Compilation Team.'

Addresses

The following private or business addresses are associated with this person:

Private Addresses

Private Addresses2 classic

AddressClassDate From CharDate From TypeDate To CharDate To TypeNotes
8 Sherwood Way West Wickham Kent EnglandPrivate
The Rig Gattonside, Melrose Roxburghshire ScotlandPrivate/business

Business Addresses

Business Addresses2 classic

AddressClassDate From Date From TypeDate ToDate To TypeNotes
1 Duke Street London EnglandBusiness1952
The Rig Gattonside, Melrose Roxburghshire ScotlandPrivate/business1956

Employment and Training

The following individuals or organisations employed or trained this person (click on an item to view details):

Employers2 classic

NameName LinkDate FromDate ToPositionNotes
Tripe & Wakeham402121In year 1952Assistant

RIBA Proposers

The following individuals proposed this person for RIBA membership (click on an item to view details):

RIBA PROPOSERS2 classic

ProposerProposer LinkDate ProposedNotes
Arthur Korn4045521952/12/05For Associateship
G R J Anderson4045531952/12/05For Associateship
John Holt4009361964/12/09For Fellowship
Walter Marmorek4045511964/12/09For Fellowship
Joseph Robertson Blackburn4045541964/12/09For Fellowship

Buildings and Designs

This person was involved with the following buildings or structures from the date specified (click on an item to view details):

Buildings and Designs2 classic

Building NameDate StartedTown, District or VillageIslandCity or CountyCountryNotes
House1950sScarboroughYorkshireEngland
Farnley HeyIn year 1952Farnley Tyas (near)Huddersfield, YorkshireEngland
Sharon - GattonsideIn year 1955Gattonside
HouseIn year 1956SelkirkSelkirkshireScotland
High SunderlandIn year 1956GalashielsSelkirkshireScotland
The RigIn year 1956GattonsideRoxburghshireScotland
House1960sManchester, LancashireEngland
House1960sBathSouth GloucestershireEngland
Port Murray, MaidensIn year 1960GirvanAyrshireScotland
Central Area Redevelopment, including council housingIn year 1961GalashielsSelkirkshireScotland
Peninsula HotelIn year 1961Hong KongAlterations - in association with Peter Womersley
Repulse Bay, apartment buildings and hotelIn year 1961Hong KongIn conjunction with Walter Marmorek- redevelopment of Repulse Bay for apartment buildings and new hotel
Roxburgh County Buildings1961/05/26Newtown St BoswellsRoxburghshireScotlandWomersley\'s competition entry (no. 17) won first place per Builder p990
HouseIn year 1962Stratford-upon-AvonWarwickshireEngland
HouseIn year 1962CamberleySurreyEngland

References

Bibliographic References

The following books contain references to this person:

Bib ref classic

AuthorTitleDatePublisherPartNotes
Glendinning, MilesRebuilding Scotland: The Postwar Vision, 1945-75 1997Tuckwell Press Ltdpp32, 36-8, 51, 118, 153-5, 167, 182
http://hsewsf.sedsh.gov.uk/hslive/hsstart?P_HBNUM=50862http://hsewsf.sedsh.gov.uk/hslive/hsstart?P_HBNUM=50862HS Listing, HB Number: 50862High Sunderland, House
http://hsewsf.sedsh.gov.uk/hslive/hsstart?P_HBNUM=19484http://hsewsf.sedsh.gov.uk/hslive/hsstart?P_HBNUM=19484HS Listing, HB Number 19484 High Sunderland, The Studio
Willis, PeterNew architecture in Scotland1977p10 Group Practice Consulting Rooms, Kelso; Private House, Turnberry Ayrshirep68-71 Bernat Klein Studiop88-89 Nuffield Transplantation Unit, Edinburghp90-1 Group Practice Consulting Rooms, Kelso
RIBARIBA Directory 19701970
Glendinning, M, MacInnes, R and MacKechnie, AA History of Scottish Architecture1996p602
Glendinning, Miles and Muthesius, StefanTower Block: Modern Public Housing in England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland1994Yale University Press: New Haven and Londonp381, Gazetteer 2

Periodical References

The following periodicals contain references to this person:

Period ref classic

Periodical NamePublisherDate CircEditionNotes
RIAS Newsletter1993/12v4, no11Obituary
Builder1964/11/20p1074
Architect and Building News1966/6/22p1125-8
Building1969/02/07p6/103
RIAS Newsletter1993/11v4, no10Death note

Archive References

The following archives hold material relating to this person:

Arc ref classic

Archive NameSourceSource Cat NoBuilding IdItem NameNotes
RIBA Nomination PapersRIBA Archive, Victoria & Albert Museum100005A no14178, F no 5700 (Combined Box 95)
Interview of Bernat Klein by Jessica Taylor, 27 January 2009 at High SunderlandCourtesy of Bernat Klein201248