Roger Stephenson
Encyclopedia
Roger Stephenson OBE
(born London
1946) is an acclaimed English
architect
and one of the partners of Stephenson Bell Architects in Manchester
, England
.
The Practice has been awarded over 40 national awards for buildings it has designed and was shortlisted for the Stirling Prize
in 1998 for the Quay Bar, Castlefield. It has received acclaim for the way he has dealt with new uses in terms of the historical context found in most British cities. As a recognition to his services to architecture, Stephenson was awarded an OBE in the Birthday Honour's List
of 2001. Upon learning of his award he stated ""I was very surprised to get this award. A fine artist can paint a painting on his own, but an architect can't design a building on his own. I feel honoured, but it's a team effort".
Stephenson holds a number of external positions; he is a visiting professor and external examiner at the Chinese University of Hong Kong
, external examiner at Newcastle University, a Civic Trust
assessor, jury chairman for the RIBA Awards and is a RIBA national councillor.
To relax Stephenson enjoys travel, music and reading. He reads biographies of architect and one of his favourite books is Brendan Gill's Many Masks: a Life of Frank Lloyd Wright
His prized possession is Helmut Newton
's Sumo, which he has handbound and displayed on an embossed table.
Stephenson formerly resided in the development the Practice designed at Chorlton Park but now lives with his wife, Margaret Nuttall, in Cheshire. Stephenson married Margaret, his third wife, on the 28th July 2007.
, including:
One of Stephenson's first completed projects was Dukes 92 in Manchester city centre
situated at the crossing of the Bridgewater
and Rochdale Canal
s at lock 92.
The building had originally been a set of long narrow Georgian
stables had later been surrounding be a variety of industrial shed's which were in a dilapidated state.
Stephenson's firm first stripped back the rusting sheds to reveal the elegant stables and provide the first deliberate public open space a Manchester's historic Castlefield Canal Basin. They then planned for the restoration of the shell with a fitted bar of black steel and marble, pitch pine floor and antique furniture which the architects and client bought themselves.
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
(born 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...
1946) is an acclaimed 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...
and one of the partners of Stephenson Bell Architects in Manchester
Manchester
Manchester is a city and metropolitan borough in Greater Manchester, England. According to the Office for National Statistics, the 2010 mid-year population estimate for Manchester was 498,800. Manchester lies within one of the UK's largest metropolitan areas, the metropolitan county of Greater...
, England
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...
.
Background
Stephenson studied architecture at the Liverpool University School of Architecture. After graduating he worked with Building Design Partnership and was partner at Michael Hyde & Partners in Manchester before founding his own practice Stephenson Bell Architects, established in 1979 in which he is a partner with Jeffrey Bell.The Practice has been awarded over 40 national awards for buildings it has designed and was shortlisted for the Stirling Prize
Stirling Prize
The Royal Institute of British Architects Stirling Prize is a British prize for excellence in architecture. It is named after the architect James Stirling, organised and awarded annually by the Royal Institute of British Architects...
in 1998 for the Quay Bar, Castlefield. It has received acclaim for the way he has dealt with new uses in terms of the historical context found in most British cities. As a recognition to his services to architecture, Stephenson was awarded an OBE in the Birthday Honour's List
Queen's Birthday Honours
The Queen's Birthday Honours is a part of the British honours system, being a civic occasion on the celebration of the Queen's Official Birthday in which new members of most Commonwealth Realms honours are named. The awards are presented by the reigning monarch or head of state, currently Queen...
of 2001. Upon learning of his award he stated ""I was very surprised to get this award. A fine artist can paint a painting on his own, but an architect can't design a building on his own. I feel honoured, but it's a team effort".
Stephenson holds a number of external positions; he is a visiting professor and external examiner at the Chinese University of Hong Kong
Chinese University of Hong Kong
The Chinese University of Hong Kong is a research-led university in Hong Kong.CUHK is the only tertiary education institution in Hong Kong with Nobel Prize winners on its faculty, including Chen Ning Yang, James Mirrlees, Robert Alexander Mundell and Charles K. Kao...
, external examiner at Newcastle University, a Civic Trust
Civic Trust
The Civic Trust of England was a charitable organisation founded in 1957. It ceased operations in 2009 and went into administration due to lack of funds/...
assessor, jury chairman for the RIBA Awards and is a RIBA national councillor.
To relax Stephenson enjoys travel, music and reading. He reads biographies of architect and one of his favourite books is Brendan Gill's Many Masks: a Life of Frank Lloyd Wright
Frank Lloyd Wright
Frank Lloyd Wright was an American architect, interior designer, writer and educator, who designed more than 1,000 structures and completed 500 works. Wright believed in designing structures which were in harmony with humanity and its environment, a philosophy he called organic architecture...
His prized possession is Helmut Newton
Helmut Newton
Helmut Newton, born Helmut Neustädter was a German-Australian photographer. He was a "prolific, widely imitated fashion photographer whose provocative, erotically charged black-and-white photos were a mainstay of Vogue and other publications."-Early life:Newton was born in Berlin, the son of Klara...
's Sumo, which he has handbound and displayed on an embossed table.
Stephenson formerly resided in the development the Practice designed at Chorlton Park but now lives with his wife, Margaret Nuttall, in Cheshire. Stephenson married Margaret, his third wife, on the 28th July 2007.
Notable buildings designed
The Practice has designed a number of buildings in EnglandEngland
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...
, including:
Existing and under construction
- Deansgate Quay, Manchester
- Chorlton Park, Manchester
- The Haçienda, ManchesterThe HaçiendaFac 51 Haçienda was a nightclub and music venue in Manchester, England. It became most famous during the "Madchester" years of the late 1980s and early 1990s, during the 1990s it was labelled the most famous club in the world by Newsweek magazine...
- Smithfield Market, Manchester
- Houldsworth Mill, StockportReddishReddish is an area of the Metropolitan Borough of Stockport, in Greater Manchester, England. It is north of Stockport and southeast of Manchester...
Planned buildings
- Newcastle Quayside
- 55 King Street, Manchester
- City Tower, ManchesterManchesterManchester is a city and metropolitan borough in Greater Manchester, England. According to the Office for National Statistics, the 2010 mid-year population estimate for Manchester was 498,800. Manchester lies within one of the UK's largest metropolitan areas, the metropolitan county of Greater...
Stephenson's Manchester Buildings
Since the IRA bombing of 1996, Stephenson Bell Architects have played a huge role in the reconstruction of Manchester, with many of the city's most notable new buildings having been designed by the firm. While a number of these projects, such as the Chorlton Park, have been met with almost unanimous acclaim by Mancunians, some of the company's other buildings have been somewhat more controversial.One of Stephenson's first completed projects was Dukes 92 in Manchester city centre
Manchester City Centre
Manchester city centre is the central business district of Manchester, England. It lies within the Manchester Inner Ring Road, next to the River Irwell...
situated at the crossing of the Bridgewater
Bridgewater Canal
The Bridgewater Canal connects Runcorn, Manchester and Leigh, in North West England. It was commissioned by Francis Egerton, 3rd Duke of Bridgewater, to transport coal from his mines in Worsley to Manchester...
and Rochdale Canal
Rochdale Canal
The Rochdale Canal is a navigable "broad" canal in northern England, part of the connected system of the canals of Great Britain. The "Rochdale" in its name refers to the town of Rochdale, Greater Manchester, through which the canal passes....
s at lock 92.
The building had originally been a set of long narrow Georgian
Georgian architecture
Georgian architecture is the name given in most English-speaking countries to the set of architectural styles current between 1720 and 1840. It is eponymous for the first four British monarchs of the House of Hanover—George I of Great Britain, George II of Great Britain, George III of the United...
stables had later been surrounding be a variety of industrial shed's which were in a dilapidated state.
Stephenson's firm first stripped back the rusting sheds to reveal the elegant stables and provide the first deliberate public open space a Manchester's historic Castlefield Canal Basin. They then planned for the restoration of the shell with a fitted bar of black steel and marble, pitch pine floor and antique furniture which the architects and client bought themselves.