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Sir William Whitfield (21 October 1920 – 16 March 2019) was a British architect and town planner.


Early life

Whitfield was born in Stockton-on-Tees into a coal-owning family and studied architecture at
King's College, Newcastle Newcastle University (legally the University of Newcastle upon Tyne) is a UK public research university based in Newcastle upon Tyne, North East England. It has overseas campuses in Singapore and Malaysia. The university is a red brick unive ...
(later the
Newcastle University School of Architecture, Planning and Landscape Newcastle University School of Architecture, Planning and Landscape is based in Newcastle upon Tyne, England. Housed in a Grade 2 listed building in the university quadrangle (built in 1913 to a design by WH Knowles and adjacent to the School of ...
), where he was admitted at the unusually early age of 16, and where he later studied Town Planning after the
Second World War World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposi ...
.


Career

Whitfield designed the Glasgow University Library (1968) and the Hunterian Museum and Art Gallery Extension at the
University of Glasgow , image = UofG Coat of Arms.png , image_size = 150px , caption = Coat of arms Flag , latin_name = Universitas Glasguensis , motto = la, Via, Veritas, Vita , ...
(1962–81), as well as an extension to the
Newcastle University Students' Union Newcastle University Students' Union (NUSU) is the students' union of Newcastle University in Newcastle upon Tyne, England. It is an organisation with the intention of representing and providing services and welfare for the students of Universi ...
building (1964) and University Theatre (now unrecognisable and called the Northern Stage). He designed the Business School and the Science Library at Durham University (both now extended). In 1970 a major bush-hammered concrete Brutalist extension to Whitfield's design was opened at
Arthur Beresford Pite Arthur Beresford Pite (2 September 1861 – 27 November 1934) was a British architect known for creating Edwardian buildings in Baroque Revival, Byzantine Revival and Greek Revival styles. The early years Arthur Beresford Pite was born on 2 Se ...
and John Belcher's 1890-1893 Institute of Chartered Accountants headquarters,
Chartered Accountants' Hall Chartered Accountants' Hall is a Grade II* listed building located at 1 Moorgate Place in the City of London. It is the headquarters of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England & Wales (ICAEW). The Hall is one of the richest example ...
, including a new entrance; as well as the 1987 Department of Health building,
Richmond House Richmond House is a government building in Whitehall, City of Westminster, London. Its name comes from an historic townhouse of the Duke of Richmond that once stood on the site. History Stewart Dukes of Richmond Richmond House was first built ...
in Richmond Terrace, Whitehall, London. He designed the Chapter House at
St Albans Cathedral St Albans Cathedral, officially the Cathedral and Abbey Church of St Alban but often referred to locally as "the Abbey", is a Church of England cathedral in St Albans, England. Much of its architecture dates from Norman times. It ceased to be ...
, the Catheral Lodge in the close at Canterbury Cathedral and the new
Mappa Mundi A ''mappa mundi'' (Latin ; plural = ''mappae mundi''; french: mappemonde; enm, mappemond) is any medieval European map of the world. Such maps range in size and complexity from simple schematic maps or less across to elaborate wall maps, th ...
Library at Hereford Cathedral in a free gothic style. With Andrew Lockwood he designed the neo-Palladian mansion Tusmore Park in Oxfordshire for the Saudi Arabian financier Wafic Saïd. He was
Surveyor of the Fabric of St Paul's Cathedral The post of Surveyor of the Fabric of St Paul's Cathedral was established in 1675. The role is an architectural one, with the current holder being responsible for the upkeep and maintenance of the cathedral and its buildings. In the past, the rol ...
from 1985 to 1990, architect for the restoration of Christ Church Spitalfields, a Commissioner of
English Heritage English Heritage (officially the English Heritage Trust) is a charity that manages over 400 historic monuments, buildings and places. These include prehistoric sites, medieval castles, Roman forts and country houses. The charity states that i ...
, Commissioner of the
Royal Fine Art Commission The Commission for Architecture and the Built Environment (CABE) was an executive non-departmental public body of the UK government, established in 1999. It was funded by both the Department for Culture, Media and Sport and the Department for ...
and a Trustee of the
British Museum The British Museum is a public museum dedicated to human history, art and culture located in the Bloomsbury area of London. Its permanent collection of eight million works is among the largest and most comprehensive in existence. It docum ...
. He was awarded
CBE The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding contributions to the arts and sciences, work with charitable and welfare organisations, and public service outside the civil service. It was established o ...
in the
1976 Birthday Honours The Queen's Birthday Honours 1976 were appointments in many of the Commonwealth realms of Queen Elizabeth II to various orders and honours to reward and highlight good works by citizens of those countries. They were published on 4 June 1976 for ...
and knighted in the 1993 New Year Honours.


References


External links


Biography in Oxford Index
{{DEFAULTSORT:Whitfield, William 1920 births 2019 deaths Architects from County Durham New Classical architects Commanders of the Order of the British Empire Knights Bachelor 20th-century English architects People from Stockton-on-Tees