RIBA President, Chris Williamson pays tribute to post-modernist architect, and RIBA Fellow, Sir Terence (Terry) Farrell who passed away on 28 September at the age of 87.
“How sad I was to hear of Terry Farrell’s passing. He was a hugely talented architect who brought excitement to building design, along with fresh perspective and lasting change to the field of urban planning.
Of his many famous projects, perhaps the most well-known are the MI6 headquarters building in Vauxhall and the TV-AM or Breakfast Television Centre in Camden Town, in the 1980s. Both of which bore his signature post-modern style and were equally eye-catching and unconventional at the time.
Born in Cheshire in 1938, Terry studied architecture at Newcastle University School before completing his master’s degree in urban planning in the United States.
In 1965, after moving to London, he went on to form the Farrell/Grimshaw Partnership with Nick Grimshaw, whom we also very sadly lost earlier this month, and together they delivered the high-tech Herman Miller Factory in Bath and the 125 Park Road residential building. It was during this time that Terry received the first of his honours, an OBE, in 1978.
Since going it alone in the 1980s, Terry and his studio, Terry Farrell & Partners - later Farrells - went on to achieve international acclaim for epic designs on a grand scale, most notably the KK100 skyscraper in Shenzhen, China, which at 441 metres tall is the highest building designed by a British architect.
In 1996 Terry was promoted to Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) and was then knighted for his services to architecture and urban design in 2001.
Terry ‘gave back’ to the profession he loved by founding the Farrell Centre – an exhibition gallery, research centre and community space – in Newcastle, to which he donated his architectural archive and £1million towards the build, and through teaching at prestigious universities around the world, including Cambridge University and the University of Pennsylvania.
Terry was very generous to Andrew and me when we were starting out, giving us the opportunity to work on a rail station competition in Vasteras and later his Camborne new town. A committed and enthusiastic talent - I have never forgotten his kindness.
He will be sorely missed and I send my heartfelt condolences to Terry’s colleagues, friends, and family.”
Chris Williamson PRIBA RTPI
