Tony Kettle is a British architect best known for designing the

Falkirk Wheel The Falkirk Wheel is a rotating boat lift in Tamfourhill, Falkirk, in central Scotland, connecting the Forth and Clyde Canal with the Union Canal. It reconnects the two canals for the first time since the 1930s. It opened in 2002 as part o ...

in Scotland and leading the

RMJM RMJM (Robert Matthew Johnson Marshall) is one of the largest architecture and design networks in the world. Services include architecture, development management, engineering, interior design, landscape design, lead consultancy, master planning, ...

team at the Lakhta Centre, Gazprom Headquarters in

Saint Petersburg Saint Petersburg ( rus, links=no, Санкт-Петербург, a=Ru-Sankt Peterburg Leningrad Petrograd Piter.ogg, r=Sankt-Peterburg, p=ˈsankt pʲɪtʲɪrˈburk), formerly known as Petrograd (1914–1924) and later Leningrad (1924–1991), i ...

, Russia. Kettle founded his own international architecture firm, Kettle Collective, in 2012, with former RMJM Managing Principal Colin Bone. Before founding his own firm, Kettle was the Group Design Principal of global firm RMJM, which he joined in 1989. During his time there he acted as UK Director, European Director, and finally International Group Design Director where he would oversee design collaboration throughout regions and sectors.

Early life

Kettle was educated at the

Edinburgh College of Art Edinburgh College of Art (ECA) is one of eleven schools in the College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences at the University of Edinburgh. Tracing its history back to 1760, it provides higher education in art and design, architecture, histor ...

Projects involved with

, UK * Gazprom's new HQ, Lakhta Centre in 'Okhta City', St Petersburg, Russia *

Newcastle College Newcastle College is a large further education and higher education college in Newcastle upon Tyne, with more than 16,000 students enrolled each year on a variety of full time, part time, and distance learning. It is the largest further education ...

Campus, UK * The Dubai International Exhibition and Convention Centre and Finance Centre, UAE * The Scottish Parliament, Edinburgh, UK * City Palace Tower, Moscow, Russia * The Ripple Retreat, Perthshire, UK for charity It's Good 2 Give! * The Solar Innovation Centre, Dubai, UAE for

Dubai Electricity and Water Authority The Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA) () is a public service infrastructure company that was founded on 1 January 1992 by Sheikh Maktoum bin Rashid Al Maktoum. History DEWA was formed by merger of the Dubai Electricity Company and ...

* Ecoliv Modular Residential Units, UK * Naseej Affordable Housing, Middle East * Mint Hotel, UK *

Woodhorn Woodhorn is a village and former civil parish, now in the parish of Newbiggin by the Sea, in Northumberland, England, about east of Ashington. In 1931 the parish had a population of 219. The village is sometimes identified with Wucestre, giv ...

, Northumberland Museum, Archive and Country Park, UK * Al Mouj, Oman * Waterfront City, Beirut

The Millennium Falkirk Wheel

Kettle and his team were appointed by British Waterways Scotland to design a focal point of the Millennium Link to create a fully navigable waterway between

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 ...

and

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 ...

for the first time in almost 70 years. The

was designed to reconnect the Forth of Clyde Canal with the Union Canal lying some 35 meters below. In addition, there was a need to design and build the visitor centre that now provides dramatic views of the Falkirk Wheel in action. The Wheel was completed ahead of schedule in 2002 and was opened by Queen Elizabeth II. Kettle worked out the principal engineering concept by using his daughter's Lego to make a model of the turning wheel while preserving two upright sections for the boats. This model was later displayed at the

Victoria & Albert Museum The Victoria and Albert Museum (often abbreviated as the V&A) in London is the world's largest museum of applied arts, decorative arts and design, housing a permanent collection of over 2.27 million objects. It was founded in 1852 and nam ...

in London at the 'British Design 1948-2012, Innovation in the Modern Age Exhibition from 31 March until 12 August 2012.

Lakhta Centre

In December 2006, Gazprom and the St Petersburg city authorities announced that the RMJM design had been chosen for what was then named the

Okhta Centre Okhta Center or phonetically Oḱhta-Tseńtr (Russian: О́хта-це́нтр), known before March 2007 as Gazprom City (Russian:Газпро́м-си́ти), was a construction project of a business centre in Saint Petersburg, Russia. It was supp ...

in St Petersburg. Kettle and his team created a building and plan that it is hoped will revitalise an area of former industrial land 12 km from the city centre on the coast of the Gulf of Finland. Phase 1 consists of 200 m² of office facility including the 462 m high Lakhta Tower which when complete in 2017 will be Europe's tallest tower. In 2013, Kettle was invited back to look at Phase 2 and in 2015 designed the concept, a 200 m² mixed-use office facility. Kettle is in dispute with the Moscow architectural practice Gorproject and their lead architect Philipp Nikandrov over who is the architect of the building, and Kettle has called it "the architectural equivalent of fake news".

Kettle Collective

In 2012, Kettle and Colin Bone created a new design house called Kettle Collective. Prior to founding his own firm, Kettle was the Group Design Principal of the global firm

, which he joined in 1989. During his time here he acted as UK Director, European Director, and finally International Group Design Director where he would oversee design collaboration throughout regions and sectors. The new company focuses on architecture and other design services such as urban, interior, product, and graphic design. Operating from Edinburgh, the company also has established studios in Dubai and Oman and partners in Moscow, St Petersburg, and Beirut. Before beginning Kettle Collective, Kettle was Design Principal at RMJM and has over 25 years of experience with multiple award-winning designs. the new 462 meters HQ for the Russian oil giant Gazprom in St Petersburg, the tower will soon be the tallest building in Europe.

Awards

Awards received by Kettle's designs include: The Piers, Al Mouj, Muscat, Oman * 2015: Best Future Residential Building Design at the

Cityscape In the visual arts, a cityscape (urban landscape) is an artistic representation, such as a painting, drawing, Publishing, print or photograph, of the physical aspects of a city or urban area. It is the urban equivalent of a landscape. ''Town ...

Awards for Emerging Markets ;Solar Innovation Centre], Dubai, UAE * 2013: International Design Competition * 2014: Best Future Leisure and Tourism building design at the

Awards for Emerging Markets * 2014: Selected for Royal Scottish Academy Open Exhibition for Architecture in Edinburgh, UK * 2014: Royal Scottish Academy Architecture Prize for outstanding work * 2014: Sustainable Project of the Year, The Middle East Architect Awards ;The

Joost Van Der Westhuizen Joost Heystek van der Westhuizen (20 February 1971 – 6 February 2017) was a South African professional rugby union player who made 89 appearances in test matches for the national team, scoring 38 tries. He mostly played as a scrum-half and ...

Centre for Neurodegeneration, South Africa * 2014: Shortlisted for the Best Future Building of the Year, Drawing Board at the Leading European Architectural Forum ;The Ripple Retreat], Perthshire, UK * 2014: Royal Scottish Academy Open Exhibition Staff Selection Award for Architecture ; The Falkirk Wheel and Visitor Centre, Scotland Tony Kettle's Winning Awards with RMJM * 1991: Scottish Enterprise/RIAS Regeneration Design Award Commendation * 2002: Glasgow Institute of Architects Award 'The People's Choice' * 2002:

British Constructional Steelwork Association BCSA Ltd is a trade association for the structural steel industry in the UK and Ireland. It lobbies on behalf of its members, and provides them with education and technical services. A subsidiary, Steel Construction Certification Scheme Ltd, r ...

Structural Steel Award * 2003: Civic Trust Award * 2003: Dynamic Place Award Supreme Award * 2003: EAA Presidents Award * 2003: Scottish Design Award Best Original Work ;Performance Academy,

, UK * 2005:

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 ...

Award * 2005: Roses Design Awards - 'Bronze Award' * 2006: Civic Trust Commendation ;Rye Hill House,

, UK * 2007: Lord Mayor Design Award, Commendation Award for Conversion Refurbishment ; New Scottish Parliament, Edinburgh, Scotland * 2005: Edinburgh Architecture Association, Centenary Medal * 2005: European Union Prize for Contemporary Architecture Mies van der Rohe Award - Short-listed project * 2005: Scottish Design Awards 'Best Publicly Funded Building' * 2005: Scottish Design Awards 'Architecture Grand Prix' * 2005: Manuel de la Dehesa award * 2005: Royal Fine Art Commission - 'Urban & Landscape Specialist Award' * 2005: RIAS Andrew Doolan Award for Architecture, Best Building in Scotland 2005 * 2005:

Stirling Prize * 2005: Overall Winner in the

Concrete Society The Concrete Society is a UK based non-profit company that was founded in 1966 in response to the increasing need for a single organisation embracing all those interested in concrete. On its formal inauguration, on 13 October 1966, the Society to ...

's * 2005 Awards for Outstanding Structures * 2006:

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 ...

* 2007: Architectural Ironmongery Specification Awards: Commendation

Publications

Tony Kettle's work has been published across a spectrum of works. These include: * The 100 Most Amazing Places in Britain: A guide to the best of the best *

, Art and Engineering by RMJM The Falkirk Wheel, Art and Engineering by RMJM

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Kettle, Tony Scottish architects Living people Year of birth missing (living people) Alumni of the Edinburgh College of Art