Richard Paxton
Encyclopedia
Richard Lauderdale Paxton (born 21 May 1956 in Cosford, Shropshire
; died London
20 March 2006), was a well-known English
architect
preoccupied with the issue of how new and old could be made to work together to regenerate the city of London.
Paxton was the only son, and one of four children, of a Royal Air Force
officer. His parents, John and Pam, moved frequently on foreign postings during his childhood and Paxton, born on an RAF base in Shropshire, acquired a taste for travel and exotic places, Malaysia in particular. He was educated, however, at Brighton and Hove Grammar School, from where he entered the architecture school of Kingston University (then Polytechnic).
In 1985 Paxton established the practice of Paxton Locher, with Heidi Locher - who had trained at Kingston and the Royal College of Art, and had previously worked for Terence Conran - as his professional partner. The couple had met while still at school and married in 1987. Leaving ABK was a bold move and part-time teaching (at Kingston and the Bartlett School in London) initially underpinned the practice.
In 1996, with no previous experience of theatre design, the practice won the commission for the new Soho Theatre, a radical but far from extravagant conversion of a 1960s block in Dean Street
, London, incorporating a redundant synagogue that was recast as the auditorium. The theatre opened in 2000.
Richard Paxton died suddenly, aged 49, as the result of a heart condition in March 2006.
Paxton designed homes featured on BBC Four
's Living with the Future
(aired on 15 January 2007 in the UK) and Channel 4's Grand Designs
(aired on 2 April 2008 in the UK).
Cosford, Shropshire
Cosford is a village in Shropshire, England. It lies between the town of Shifnal and the large village of Albrighton, in the parish of Donington...
; died London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
20 March 2006), was a well-known English
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
architect
Architect
An architect is a person trained in the planning, design and oversight of the construction of buildings. To practice architecture means to offer or render services in connection with the design and construction of a building, or group of buildings and the space within the site surrounding the...
preoccupied with the issue of how new and old could be made to work together to regenerate the city of London.
Paxton was the only son, and one of four children, of a Royal Air Force
Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Formed on 1 April 1918, it is the oldest independent air force in the world...
officer. His parents, John and Pam, moved frequently on foreign postings during his childhood and Paxton, born on an RAF base in Shropshire, acquired a taste for travel and exotic places, Malaysia in particular. He was educated, however, at Brighton and Hove Grammar School, from where he entered the architecture school of Kingston University (then Polytechnic).
In 1985 Paxton established the practice of Paxton Locher, with Heidi Locher - who had trained at Kingston and the Royal College of Art, and had previously worked for Terence Conran - as his professional partner. The couple had met while still at school and married in 1987. Leaving ABK was a bold move and part-time teaching (at Kingston and the Bartlett School in London) initially underpinned the practice.
In 1996, with no previous experience of theatre design, the practice won the commission for the new Soho Theatre, a radical but far from extravagant conversion of a 1960s block in Dean Street
Dean Street
Dean Street is a street in Soho, London, England, running between Oxford Street to the north and Shaftesbury Avenue to the south.-Historical figures:The street has a rich history. In 1764 a young Mozart gave a recital at 21 Dean Street...
, London, incorporating a redundant synagogue that was recast as the auditorium. The theatre opened in 2000.
Richard Paxton died suddenly, aged 49, as the result of a heart condition in March 2006.
Paxton designed homes featured on BBC Four
BBC Four
BBC Four is a British television network operated by the British Broadcasting Corporation and available to digital television viewers on Freeview, IPTV, satellite and cable....
's Living with the Future
Living with the Future
Living with the Future is a television documentary series first broadcast on 15 January 2007 on BBC Four. It is a follow-up series to Living with Modernism, also on BBC Four....
(aired on 15 January 2007 in the UK) and Channel 4's Grand Designs
Grand Designs
Grand Designs is a British television series produced by Talkback Thames and broadcast on Channel 4 which features unusual and often elaborate architectural home-building projects....
(aired on 2 April 2008 in the UK).
External links
- Richard Paxton Architects
- The Times Online, obituary
- The Times Online, Space invader
- Channel 4, Grand Designs