Peter Melvin
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Peter Anthony Paul Melvin, ''
RIBA The Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) is a professional body for architects primarily in the United Kingdom, but also internationally, founded for the advancement of architecture under its royal charter granted in 1837, three supp ...
'' (19 September 1933 – 17 November 2009), was an
English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England ** English national ide ...
architect An architect is a person who plans, designs and oversees the construction of buildings. To practice architecture means to provide services in connection with the design of buildings and the space within the site surrounding the buildings that h ...
. His work over a period of fifty years evolved from large-scale Brutalist projects to small-scale made-to-measure designs. He was a vice-president for education at the
Royal Institute of British Architects The Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) is a professional body for architects primarily in the United Kingdom, but also internationally, founded for the advancement of architecture under its royal charter granted in 1837, three supp ...
.


Biography

Peter Melvin was born in Harrow in the
London Borough of Harrow The London Borough of Harrow () is a London borough in northwest London, England; it forms part of Outer London. It borders four other London boroughs Barnet to the east of ancient Watling Street (now the A5 road), Brent to the southeast, Ea ...
, the only child of Charles George Thomas and Elsie Melvin. He attended
St Marylebone Grammar School St Marylebone Grammar School (SMGS) was a grammar school located in the London borough of the City of Westminster, from 1792 to 1981. History Philological School Founded as the Philological Society by Thomas Collingwood, under the patronage of ...
in the City of Westminster and studied architecture part-time at the Regent Street Polytechnic (now
University of Westminster The University of Westminster is a public university, public university based in London, United Kingdom. Founded in 1838 as the Royal Polytechnic Institution, it was the first Polytechnic (United Kingdom), polytechnic to open in London. The Polyte ...
). Peter wanted to become an architect from the age of 11. During his studies he played jazz piano in the evenings to earn his keep. After finishing his studies he worked at
Frederick Gibberd Sir Frederick Ernest Gibberd (7 January 1908 – 9 January 1984) was an English architect, town planner and landscape designer. He is particularly known for his work in Harlow, Essex, and for the BISF house, a design for a prefabricated council ...
's office in London. In the early 1960s Melvin was a partner with Arthur Swift & Partners, a London-based firm with offices in
Glasgow Glasgow ( ; sco, Glesca or ; gd, Glaschu ) is the most populous city in Scotland and the fourth-most populous city in the United Kingdom, as well as being the 27th largest city by population in Europe. In 2020, it had an estimated popul ...
and
Dublin Dublin (; , or ) is the capital and largest city of Ireland. On a bay at the mouth of the River Liffey, it is in the province of Leinster, bordered on the south by the Dublin Mountains, a part of the Wicklow Mountains range. At the 2016 c ...
. One of the buildings he worked on during this period was St Andrew House in
Glasgow Glasgow ( ; sco, Glesca or ; gd, Glaschu ) is the most populous city in Scotland and the fourth-most populous city in the United Kingdom, as well as being the 27th largest city by population in Europe. In 2020, it had an estimated popul ...
(1961–64), designed as a Brutalist office tower, now a refurbished,
Modernist Modernism is both a philosophy, philosophical and arts movement that arose from broad transformations in Western world, Western society during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The movement reflected a desire for the creation of new fo ...
hotel. Another building from this period is the large office block on London's
Strand Strand may refer to: Topography *The flat area of land bordering a body of water, a: ** Beach ** Shoreline * Strand swamp, a type of swamp habitat in Florida Places Africa * Strand, Western Cape, a seaside town in South Africa * Strand Street ...
/ Arundel Street, for which Melvin as chief architect conducted negotiations with a shopkeeper that refused to move - a story that made it to the papers. In 1960 he married Muriel Faure, also an architect, who trained at Kingston Art College. The couple had three children. In 1964 Melvin set up private practice supported by his wife Muriel. A year later he left Arthur Swift & Partners. Melvin was joined shortly after by one of his contemporaries from the Regent Street Polytechnic, Clifford Lansley, forming the company Melvin & Lansley. They designed housing estates in Hertfordshire for the local authority and went on to design civic centres, shopping blocks, schools, churches and private homes. Percy Mark, whom they knew from the poly joined them as a partner some years later and the firm changed its name to Melvin Lansley and Mark (in 1994 Atelier MLM). Melvin had two spells as vice-president for education at the
Royal Institute of British Architects The Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) is a professional body for architects primarily in the United Kingdom, but also internationally, founded for the advancement of architecture under its royal charter granted in 1837, three supp ...
, the first in the 1970s when he traveled to Egypt and Russia to inspect schools of architecture for RIBA accreditation, and again in the 1980s and 1990s when he traveled to South Africa and South America. His book ''Architecture in South Africa since 1945'' remained unfinished at his death at 76. Peter Melvin died in his home in
Berkhamsted Berkhamsted ( ) is a historic market town in Hertfordshire, England, in the Bulbourne valley, north-west of London. The town is a civil parish with a town council within the borough of Dacorum which is based in the neighbouring large new town ...
in 2009, one year after his wife Muriel. The architectural firm continues as Atelier Architecture + Design, directed by Stephen Melvin, Peter and Muriel's youngest son. In 2011 the Royal Institute of British Architects organized the Peter and Muriel Melvin Debates, a series of debates about architecture in honour of the late architects.


Selection of works (incomplete)

* 1957: Shopping development, Scott Street, Perth, Scotland (unbuilt?)Peter Anthony Paul Melvin
in ''DSA Architect Biography Report''
* 1961: St Andrew House,
Sauchiehall Street Sauchiehall Street () is one of the main shopping streets in the city centre of Glasgow, Scotland, along with Buchanan Street and Argyle Street. Although commonly associated with the city centre, Sauchiehall Street is over in length. At its ...
,
Glasgow Glasgow ( ; sco, Glesca or ; gd, Glaschu ) is the most populous city in Scotland and the fourth-most populous city in the United Kingdom, as well as being the 27th largest city by population in Europe. In 2020, it had an estimated popul ...
* early 1960s?: Hotel,
Edinburgh Edinburgh ( ; gd, Dùn Èideann ) is the capital city of Scotland and one of its 32 council areas. Historically part of the county of Midlothian (interchangeably Edinburghshire before 1921), it is located in Lothian on the southern shore of t ...
* 1972: Private house, New Road,
Welwyn Welwyn is a village and civil parish in Hertfordshire, England. The parish also includes the villages of Digswell and Oaklands. It is sometimes referred to as Old Welwyn or Welwyn Village, to distinguish it from the much newer and larger ...
, Hertfordshire (published in: ''
Architectural Review ''The Architectural Review'' is a monthly international architectural magazine. It has been published in London since 1896. Its articles cover the built environment – which includes landscape, building design, interior design and urbanism ...
'', ''
Pevsner Architectural Guides The Pevsner Architectural Guides are a series of guide books to the architecture of Great Britain and Ireland. Begun in the 1940s by the art historian Sir Nikolaus Pevsner, the 46 volumes of the original Buildings of England series were published b ...
: Buildings of England – Hertfordshire'', Architecture SA (1981), RIBA Design Award Merit) * 1974: New Vicarage, Tring (published in: ''
Pevsner Architectural Guides The Pevsner Architectural Guides are a series of guide books to the architecture of Great Britain and Ireland. Begun in the 1940s by the art historian Sir Nikolaus Pevsner, the 46 volumes of the original Buildings of England series were published b ...
: Buildings of England - Hertfordshire'' (1977), p. 368; and McKean's ''Architectural Guide to Cambridge and East Anglia Paperback'' (1982), p. 177) * 1975: Parish Hall,
Tring Tring is a market town and civil parish in the Borough of Dacorum, Hertfordshire, England. It is situated in a gap passing through the Chiltern Hills, classed as an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, from Central London. Tring is linked to ...
(published in: ''
Architects' Journal ''Architects' Journal'' is an architectural magazine published in London by Metropolis International. History The first edition was produced in 1895. Originally named ''The Builder's Journal and Architectural Record'', from 1906 to 1910 it was ...
'',
RIBA The Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) is a professional body for architects primarily in the United Kingdom, but also internationally, founded for the advancement of architecture under its royal charter granted in 1837, three supp ...
Bronze Medal,
Civic Trust Award The Civic Trust Awards scheme was established in 1959 to recognise outstanding architecture, planning and design in the built environment. As the longest standing built environment awards scheme in Europe, since 1959, more than 7000 projects have ...
) * 1975: Renovation Court House,
Berkhamsted Berkhamsted ( ) is a historic market town in Hertfordshire, England, in the Bulbourne valley, north-west of London. The town is a civil parish with a town council within the borough of Dacorum which is based in the neighbouring large new town ...
* 1977: Church of the Resurrection, Grovehill Church & Community Centre (Church of England, Roman Catholic and Baptist congregations),
Hemel Hempstead Hemel Hempstead () is a town in the Dacorum district in Hertfordshire, England, northwest of London, which is part of the Greater London Urban Area. The population at the 2011 census was 97,500. Developed after the Second World War as a new ...
* 1970s?: Dacorum District Council buildings (
Dacorum Borough Council The Borough of Dacorum is a local government district in Hertfordshire, England that includes the towns of Hemel Hempstead, Berkhamsted, Tring and Kings Langley. The district, which was formed in 1974, had a population of 137,799 in 2001. Its ...
),
Hemel Hempstead Hemel Hempstead () is a town in the Dacorum district in Hertfordshire, England, northwest of London, which is part of the Greater London Urban Area. The population at the 2011 census was 97,500. Developed after the Second World War as a new ...
(published in RIBA Journal; Civic Trust Commendation) * 1983: Residential development Downhead Park, Milton Keynes * Verulamium Museum extension, St Albans (Civic Trust Commendation) *
Aldbury Aldbury () is a village and civil parish in Hertfordshire, England, near the borders of Bedfordshire and Buckinghamshire in the Bulbourne valley close to Ashridge Park. The nearest town is Tring. Uphill from the narrow valley are the Brid ...
Vicarage * Aldbury Parish Hall, extension to the 14th-century village churchDerek Phillips: ''Lighting Modern Buildings'', pp. 116-11
online text
* HM Prison Preston (extension) *
HM Prison Chelmsford HM Prison Chelmsford is a Category B men's prison and Young Offenders Institution, located in Chelmsford, Essex, England. The prison is operated by His Majesty's Prison Service. History Chelmsford Prison began as a county jail in 1825 before t ...
(boiler house) *
HM Prison Spring Hill HM Prison Spring Hill is a Category D men's prison, located in the village of Grendon Underwood, in Buckinghamshire, England. The prison is operated by His Majesty's Prison Service, and is jointly managed with HMP Grendon, which is situated next ...
,
Grendon Underwood Grendon Underwood is a village and civil parish in west Buckinghamshire, England, near the border with Oxfordshire. The village sits between Woodham and Edgcott, near the Roman road Akeman Street (now part of the A41), and around north-west o ...
(gate lodge and visiting accommodation) * Community Centre,
Baldock Baldock ( ) is a historic market town and unparished area in the local government district of North Hertfordshire in the county of Hertfordshire, England, where the River Ivel rises. It lies north of London, southeast of Bedford, and north n ...
* Watermill Hotel,
Hemel Hempstead Hemel Hempstead () is a town in the Dacorum district in Hertfordshire, England, northwest of London, which is part of the Greater London Urban Area. The population at the 2011 census was 97,500. Developed after the Second World War as a new ...


References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Melvin, Peter 1933 births 2009 deaths People from Harrow, London People from Berkhamsted Architects from London Architects from Hertfordshire Fellows of the Royal Institute of British Architects People educated at St Marylebone Grammar School 20th-century English architects