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Philip Dowson

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The Metallurgy and Materials building at the University of Birmingham, designed by Philip Dowson of Arup Associates

Sir Philip Henry Manning Dowson CBE PRA (16 August 1924 – 22 August 2014) was a leading British architect.[1][2][3] He served as President of the Royal Academy from 1993 to 1999.[4]

Early life[edit]

Philip Dowson was born in South Africa.[5] Having moved to England, he was educated at Gresham's School in Holt, Norfolk, from 1938 to 1942. He was then accepted to read engineering at Clare College, Cambridge, but soon after matriculation was called up for officer training in the Royal Navy.[6] The initial part of this training took place at University College, Oxford, where he stayed as a cadet for six months.[7] (He was later to design four student accommodation blocks in Stavertonia, a residential building complex in North Oxford commissioned by University College in the 1960s.[8][9]) He remained with the Navy throughout the Second World War and was only demobilised in 1946, when he was briefly sent to a sanatorium in Mundesley, Norfolk, after contracting tuberculosis.[6]

On leaving the Navy Dowson returned to Clare College, but switched to fine art, which included a course in architecture.[6] After graduating from Cambridge in 1950, he then proceeded to study at the Architectural Association School in London.

Career[edit]

From 1953, Dowson worked with the engineer Sir Ove Arup, becoming a founding partner in Arup Associates in 1963[10] and rising to be the firm's senior partner and Chief Architect in 1969.

Dowson contributed to a large number of major projects, including new buildings for the Universities of Oxford[11] and Cambridge. He died on 22 August 2014, aged 90.[10]

National Life Stories conducted an oral history interview (C467/71) with Dowson in 2002 for its Architects' Lives collection, held by the British Library.[12]

Honours[edit]

Dowson also served as a Trustee of the National Portrait Gallery.[13]

References[edit]

  1. ^ Glancey, Jonathan (5 September 2014). "Sir Philip Dowson obituary". The Guardian. Retrieved 16 September 2021.
  2. ^ "Sir Philip Dowson – obituary". The Daily Telegraph. 14 September 2014. Retrieved 16 September 2021.
  3. ^ "Philip Manning DOWSON". Debrett's. Archived from the original on 15 March 2015. Retrieved 13 March 2015.
  4. ^ a b Mosley, Charles, ed. (2003). Burke's Peerage, Baronetage & Knightage, 107th edition, 3 volumes. Wilmington, DE: Burke's Peerage (Genealogical Books) Ltd.
  5. ^ "Sir Philip Manning Dowson", Oxford Index, Oxford University Press, retrieved 13 March 2015
  6. ^ a b c Powell, Kenneth, "Dowson, Sir Philip Henry Manning (1924–2014)", Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University Press, 2018. Retrieved 9 June 2024. (subscription required)
  7. ^ "Sir Philip Dowson at Univ". University College, Oxford. Retrieved 6 April 2022.
  8. ^ "Sir Philip Dowson, Architect of "Stavs"". University College, Oxford. Retrieved 6 April 2022.
  9. ^ "In Memoriam: Sir Philip Manning Dowson". The Martlet. 2: 20. Winter 2014.
  10. ^ a b c d e "Philip Dowson RA". Royal Academicians – Architects. Royal Academy of Arts. Retrieved 5 January 2011.
  11. ^ "Dowson, Sir Philip Manning". Encyclopedia.com. Retrieved 13 March 2015.
  12. ^ National Life Stories, 'Dowson, Philip (1 of 17) National Life Stories Collection: Architects' Lives', The British Library Board, 2002. Retrieved 10 April 2018
  13. ^ "Sir Philip Manning Dowson (1924–2014), Architect and President of the Royal Academy". National Portrait Gallery, London. Retrieved 13 March 2015.
Cultural offices
Preceded by President of the Royal Academy
1993–1999 		Succeeded by
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