Roy Grounds
Encyclopedia
Sir Roy Burman Grounds was
one of Australia
's leading architects of the modern movement.
, Grounds was educated at Scotch College and then Melbourne University and worked for the architectural firm of Blackett, Forster and Craig. In 1932 he won an award from the Royal Victorian Institute of Architects (RVIA) and left Melbourne to work in England
and the USA for two years, gaining exposure to contemporary architectural developments.
On his return to Australia, Grounds went into partnership with Geoffrey Mewton, and they introduced the international style to Melbourne. Grounds ended this partnership in 1936 and travelled in England until 1939, when he returned to Australia and worked on defence buildings during World War II
.
Grounds practised by himself between 1939 and 1942 and designed a series of houses and flats (including Moonbria, 1940–41) which established his reputation. After the war, Grounds was involved in setting up the curriculum for the School of Architecture at Melbourne University and lectured in design. He resumed his architectural practice and became interested in formal, geometrically based designs.
When Grounds, Frederick Romberg
and Robin Boyd
formed their partnership in 1953 all were well established in Victoria. Each brought substantial work to the practice and the firm became very successful.
Grounds first large commission was for the Australian Academy of Science
in Canberra
. The construction of its reinforced concrete
dome was a considerable technical achievement. Opened in 1959, it won the Meritorious Architecture Award of the Canberra Area Committee of the RAIA
and the Sulman Award for Architectural Merit. The Academy building also led to other work in Canberra, initially for the firm and later Grounds himself. Grounds opened a Canberra office in the Forrest Townhouses (1959), which he partly financed.
In 1959 the firm was awarded the commission to design the National Gallery of Victoria
and Cultural Centre, with Grounds named in the contract as the architect in charge. When Boyd and Romberg were mildly critical of the preliminary geometric designs that Grounds showed them, relations between the partners became strained.
In 1962 Grounds left the partnership, taking the commission with him and setting up his own company with Oscar Bayne. Under a building committee chaired by the philanthropist Kenneth Myer, he devoted the next twenty years of his life to the completion of the arts center. His longest-serving architectural associates throughout this period, which included Monash University
's Robert Blackwood Concert Hall, were Alan Nelson, Fritz Suendermann, Lou Gerhardt and Allan Stillman. While the gallery was brought in on time and budget, the complicated Yarra River
site for the concert hall and theater complex resulted in building delays and criticism. Unlike the fate that befell Jorn Utzon on the Sydney Opera House
project, Grounds managed to hold on to his commission from the Victorian Government despite tumult within his company in the late 1970s. Grounds showed Queen Elizabeth II the massive excavations shortly before his death. Much of the theaters' interior designs were completed by John Truscott
.
Grounds was awarded the Royal Australian Institute of Architects Gold Medal
in 1968 and knighted in 1969. In 1969 he was elected a life fellow of the RAIA. One of his last great design successes was Hobart
's iconic 18-story octagonal tower that is the main part of the Wrest Point Hotel Casino
complex. He died in Melbourne in 1981.
In 2010, an original Grounds plan for a library will be completed at the Moorilla Estate and entrance for the Museum of Old and New Art
in Hobart, Tasmania.
one of Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
's leading architects of the modern movement.
Biography
Born in MelbourneMelbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
, Grounds was educated at Scotch College and then Melbourne University and worked for the architectural firm of Blackett, Forster and Craig. In 1932 he won an award from the Royal Victorian Institute of Architects (RVIA) and left Melbourne to work in 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...
and the USA for two years, gaining exposure to contemporary architectural developments.
On his return to Australia, Grounds went into partnership with Geoffrey Mewton, and they introduced the international style to Melbourne. Grounds ended this partnership in 1936 and travelled in England until 1939, when he returned to Australia and worked on defence buildings during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
.
Grounds practised by himself between 1939 and 1942 and designed a series of houses and flats (including Moonbria, 1940–41) which established his reputation. After the war, Grounds was involved in setting up the curriculum for the School of Architecture at Melbourne University and lectured in design. He resumed his architectural practice and became interested in formal, geometrically based designs.
When Grounds, Frederick Romberg
Frederick Romberg
Frederick Romberg, , born on June 21, 1913 in Tsingtao, China, is a Swiss-trained architect who migrated to Australia in 1938....
and Robin Boyd
Robin Boyd
Robin Gerard Penleigh Boyd CBE was an influential Australian architect, writer, teacher and social commentator...
formed their partnership in 1953 all were well established in Victoria. Each brought substantial work to the practice and the firm became very successful.
Australian Academy of Science
The Australian Academy of Science was founded in 1954 by a group of distinguished Australians, including Australian Fellows of the Royal Society of London. The first president was Sir Mark Oliphant. The Academy is modelled after the Royal Society and operates under a Royal Charter; as such it is...
in Canberra
Canberra
Canberra is the capital city of Australia. With a population of over 345,000, it is Australia's largest inland city and the eighth-largest city overall. The city is located at the northern end of the Australian Capital Territory , south-west of Sydney, and north-east of Melbourne...
. The construction of its reinforced concrete
Reinforced concrete
Reinforced concrete is concrete in which reinforcement bars , reinforcement grids, plates or fibers have been incorporated to strengthen the concrete in tension. It was invented by French gardener Joseph Monier in 1849 and patented in 1867. The term Ferro Concrete refers only to concrete that is...
dome was a considerable technical achievement. Opened in 1959, it won the Meritorious Architecture Award of the Canberra Area Committee of the RAIA
Raia
Raia may refer to:* Royal Australian Institute of Architects, a professional body for architects in Australia* Raia , a small village in Goa, India, about 6 km from Margao on the way to Loutolim...
and the Sulman Award for Architectural Merit. The Academy building also led to other work in Canberra, initially for the firm and later Grounds himself. Grounds opened a Canberra office in the Forrest Townhouses (1959), which he partly financed.
In 1959 the firm was awarded the commission to design the National Gallery of Victoria
National Gallery of Victoria
The National Gallery of Victoria is an art gallery and museum in Melbourne, Australia. Founded in 1861, it is the oldest and the largest public art gallery in Australia. Since December 2003, NGV has operated across two sites...
and Cultural Centre, with Grounds named in the contract as the architect in charge. When Boyd and Romberg were mildly critical of the preliminary geometric designs that Grounds showed them, relations between the partners became strained.
In 1962 Grounds left the partnership, taking the commission with him and setting up his own company with Oscar Bayne. Under a building committee chaired by the philanthropist Kenneth Myer, he devoted the next twenty years of his life to the completion of the arts center. His longest-serving architectural associates throughout this period, which included Monash University
Monash University
Monash University is a public university based in Melbourne, Victoria. It was founded in 1958 and is the second oldest university in the state. Monash is a member of Australia's Group of Eight and the ASAIHL....
's Robert Blackwood Concert Hall, were Alan Nelson, Fritz Suendermann, Lou Gerhardt and Allan Stillman. While the gallery was brought in on time and budget, the complicated Yarra River
Yarra River
The Yarra River, originally Birrarung, is a river in east-central Victoria, Australia. The lower stretches of the river is where the city of Melbourne was established in 1835 and today Greater Melbourne dominates and influences the landscape of its lower reaches...
site for the concert hall and theater complex resulted in building delays and criticism. Unlike the fate that befell Jorn Utzon on the Sydney Opera House
Sydney Opera House
The Sydney Opera House is a multi-venue performing arts centre in the Australian city of Sydney. It was conceived and largely built by Danish architect Jørn Utzon, finally opening in 1973 after a long gestation starting with his competition-winning design in 1957...
project, Grounds managed to hold on to his commission from the Victorian Government despite tumult within his company in the late 1970s. Grounds showed Queen Elizabeth II the massive excavations shortly before his death. Much of the theaters' interior designs were completed by John Truscott
John Truscott
John Truscott was an Australian actor, production designer and costume designer. He won two Academy Awards for his work on the 1967 film Camelot....
.
Grounds was awarded the Royal Australian Institute of Architects Gold Medal
Royal Australian Institute of Architects
The Australian Institute of Architects is a professional body for architects in Australia. Until August 2008, the Institute traded as the "Royal Australian Institute of Architects", which remains its official name....
in 1968 and knighted in 1969. In 1969 he was elected a life fellow of the RAIA. One of his last great design successes was Hobart
Hobart
Hobart is the state capital and most populous city of the Australian island state of Tasmania. Founded in 1804 as a penal colony,Hobart is Australia's second oldest capital city after Sydney. In 2009, the city had a greater area population of approximately 212,019. A resident of Hobart is known as...
's iconic 18-story octagonal tower that is the main part of the Wrest Point Hotel Casino
Wrest Point Hotel Casino
The Wrest Point Hotel Casino was Australia's first legal casino, opening in the suburb of Sandy Bay in Hobart, Tasmania, on 10 February 1973.-History:...
complex. He died in Melbourne in 1981.
In 2010, an original Grounds plan for a library will be completed at the Moorilla Estate and entrance for the Museum of Old and New Art
Museum of Old and New Art
The Museum of Old and New Art is an art museum located within the Moorilla winery on the Berriedale peninsula in Hobart, Tasmania, Australia. It is the largest privately funded museum in Australia. The museum presents antiquities, modern and contemporary art from the David Walsh collection...
in Hobart, Tasmania.
Key works
- Shine Dome, Australian Academy of ScienceAustralian Academy of ScienceThe Australian Academy of Science was founded in 1954 by a group of distinguished Australians, including Australian Fellows of the Royal Society of London. The first president was Sir Mark Oliphant. The Academy is modelled after the Royal Society and operates under a Royal Charter; as such it is...
, Canberra (1959) - Botany Building Australian National UniversityAustralian National UniversityThe Australian National University is a teaching and research university located in the Australian capital, Canberra.As of 2009, the ANU employs 3,945 administrative staff who teach approximately 10,000 undergraduates, and 7,500 postgraduate students...
, Canberra (1968) - National Gallery of VictoriaNational Gallery of VictoriaThe National Gallery of Victoria is an art gallery and museum in Melbourne, Australia. Founded in 1861, it is the oldest and the largest public art gallery in Australia. Since December 2003, NGV has operated across two sites...
, St Kilda Road, Melbourne (1959–68) - Art SchoolNational Gallery of Victoria Art SchoolThe National Gallery of Victoria Art School , associated with the National Gallery of Victoria, was founded in 1867. It was the leading centre for academic art training in Australia until about 1910. Among its luminaries, the school was headed by John Brack from 1962-68 and Sir William Dargie was...
attached to National Gallery, St Kilda Road - Robert Blackwood Concert Hall, Monash UniversityMonash UniversityMonash University is a public university based in Melbourne, Victoria. It was founded in 1958 and is the second oldest university in the state. Monash is a member of Australia's Group of Eight and the ASAIHL....
, Victoria (1971) - Swan Hill Pioneer Settlement & Folk Museum expansion, Victoria (early 1970s)
- Wrest Point Hotel CasinoWrest Point Hotel CasinoThe Wrest Point Hotel Casino was Australia's first legal casino, opening in the suburb of Sandy Bay in Hobart, Tasmania, on 10 February 1973.-History:...
, Hobart, Tasmania (1973) - Shrine of RemembranceShrine of RemembranceThe Shrine of Remembrance, located in Kings Domain on St Kilda Road, Melbourne, Australia was built as a memorial to the men and women of Victoria who served in World War I and is now a memorial to all Australians who have served in war...
reconstruction, St Kilda Road (1977–78) - Myer and Nicholas families homes, ToorakToorak, VictoriaToorak is a suburb of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 5 km south-east from Melbourne's central business district located on a rise on the south side of a bend in the Yarra River. Its Local Government Area is the City of Stonnington...
, Melbourne (1970s) - Victorian Arts Centre, St Kilda Road, Melbourne (1969–84)
Awards
- 1959 RAIARaiaRaia may refer to:* Royal Australian Institute of Architects, a professional body for architects in Australia* Raia , a small village in Goa, India, about 6 km from Margao on the way to Loutolim...
Meritorious Architecture Award - 1959 Sulman Award for Architectural Merit
- 1968 RAIA Gold MedalRoyal Australian Institute of Architects Gold MedalThe Gold Medal is the highest award of the Australian Institute of Architects awarded annually since 1960. The award was created to recognise distinguished service by Australian architects who have:* designed or executed buildings of high merit;...
, Royal Australian Institute of ArchitectsRoyal Australian Institute of ArchitectsThe Australian Institute of Architects is a professional body for architects in Australia. Until August 2008, the Institute traded as the "Royal Australian Institute of Architects", which remains its official name.... - 1969 Knighted by Queen Elizabeth IIElizabeth II of the United KingdomElizabeth II is the constitutional monarch of 16 sovereign states known as the Commonwealth realms: the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Jamaica, Barbados, the Bahamas, Grenada, Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands, Tuvalu, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Belize,...
Sources
- Jennifer Taylor, Australian Architecture Since 1960, RAIA, 1990
- Philip Goad, A Guide to Melbourne Architecture, Sydney, 1999
- Geoffrey Serle, Robin Boyd: A Life, Melbourne, 1995
- Eric Westbrook, Birth of a Gallery, Macmillan Australia, Melbourne, 1968