William Alington (architect)

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William (Bill) Hildebrand Alington was born November 18th, 1929 in Lower Hutt, New Zealand. He is an important New Zealand Modernist architect, whose work has been awarded nationally, and regonised internationally.

[edit] Biographic details and major works

Education and early years

Alington began his career as an architectural cadet in the New Zealand Ministry of Works (MoW) in 1949, before studying architecture at the Auckland University School of Architecture (Auckland, New Zealand) from 1951-1955. Early influences of this time include Gordon Wilson, who was the Government Architect at the time, MoW cadet supervisor James (Jim) Beard, who was to become something of a mentor to Alington during the early part of his career, and Professor R H Toy of Auckland University College School of Architecture. Upon returning to the MoW after his graduation, Alington was assigned to the Hydro-Electricity department where he worked for a short, but influential, time under Chris Valenduuk. Here Alington was responsible for designing the Bulls Water Tower (1956), and the Power House and Control Building for the Waipapa Dam (1956).

In 1955 Alington married Margaret Hilda Broadhead. They have three children: Elizabeth Hilda (1959), Giles Hildebrand (1961), and Catherine Beatrice (1962).

In 1956 Alington left New Zealand, travelling to London, Europe; and on a Fulbright Travelling Scholarship, to Illinois in the United States. During 1956-1957 he worked in the London office of Robert Matthew and Johnson-Marshall on, among other projects, New Zealand House (London, England), and Ruddington Secondary Modern School (Nottingham, England). During this time he and his wife Margaret embarked on a tour of western Europe, fulfilling his desire to see firsthand the large mediaeval cathedrals, as well as key works of Modernist architecture including Le Corbusier’s Ronchamp Chapel and Unite d’Habitation in Marseilles.

From 1957-1959 Alington studied towards a Masters Degree at the University of Illinois’ School of Architecture (Urbana, USA), during which time he had occasion to meet with Mies van der Rohe. While in the United States Alington took the opportunity to visit buildings by Frank Lloyd Wright and Mies van der Rohe.

The Ministry of Works Years On his return to New Zealand Alington resumed work as an architect with the MoW, with notable buildings of this time including the Gisborne Courthouse (Gisborne, 1962), and the Meteorological Office (Wellington 1965). Alington also designed his own house (Alington House, Wellington 1962); an important building in his oeuvre, revealing the strong influences of both Mies van der Rohe, and Alington’s former cadet supervisor at the MoW, James Albert Beard. The Alington house was awarded an NZIA Enduring Architecture award in 2002.

Private Practice(s)

Upper Hutt Civic Centre; Administration building (left) and Council Chambers (right). (photograph by Michael Dudding)

Wellington High School (photograph by Michael Dudding)

In 1965, Alington moved into private practice, accepting a partnership offered by Allot Gabites and James Beard in their architectural practice of Gabites and Beard. This partnership merged with Toomath and Wilson in 1971, becoming Gabites Toomath Beard Wilson and Partners. Although this ‘super-practice’ was to win the only two NZIA national medals awarded in 1972 (Alington for the Upper Hutt Civic Centre, and Toomath for the Karori Teachers’ College), the firm proved to be short-lived, and in that same year splintered under the weight of too many personalities. William Toomath and Derek Wilson took on new partners, becoming Toomath Wilson Irvine Anderson (TWIA), while Beard formed his own practice under the name of James Beard & Co. Alington remained with Al Gabites, and together with Derrick Edmondson formed Gabites Alington Edmonson. In 1978, George Porter joined the practice as a partner, prompting yet another name change to Gabites Porter and Partners. In 1983, Alington set up his own architectural practice: Alington Group Architects. He retired from professional practice in 2000.

Much of Alington’s work during the 1970s has taken the form of institutional projects including work for civic councils, and educational institutions such as schools and universities. Some examples of these are: Upper Hutt Civic Centre (Upper Hutt, 1966; NZIA Silver Medal 1972), Waipa County Offices (Te Awamutu, 1976; NZIA Bronze Medal), Massey University Halls of Residence (Palmerston North, 1970; NZIA Bronze Medal), Helen Lowry Halls of Residence (Wellington, 1972; NZIA Branch Award), Wellington High School (Wellington, 1978), NZ Anglican Chinese Mission (Wellington, 1978), Victoria University of Wellington School of Music (Wellington 1989).

Alington has also carried out a large number of church projects, including: Stokes Valley Methodist Church (Stokes Valley, 1966), St Michael’s Anglican Church Extension (Wellington, 1971), St Peter’s Anglican Church Alterations (Wellington, 1978), St Mary’s Anglican Church Extension 1988 (New Plymouth), Karori Baptist Church (Wellington, 1990), St Mary’s Anglican Church Extension (Wellington, 1993). He was a Wellington Anglican Diocesan Synods Person 1972-1990.

In 1972, Alington was appointed Honorary Lecturer and Tutor at Victoria University of Wellington’s School of Architecture & Design, lecturing in architectural history. He also taught at Auckland University as a Visiting Lecturer in 1982.

Other professional posts held include: NZIA Branch Committee Executive Member (1961-1969), NZIA Journal Assistant Editor (1964-1969), NZIA Councillor, Vice President, Branch Chairman (1977-1979), and Wellington Architectural Centre President (1970-1972).

[edit] References

Alington, William H. "Architecture." Thirteen Facets: The Silver Jubilee Essays Surveying the New Elizabethan Age, a Period of Unprecedented Change. Ed. Ian Wards. Wellington: E C Keating Government Printer, 1978. 337-50.

Alington, William H. "The Mason's Rod." Cross Section: NZIA News. April (2005): 11-13.

Alington, William H. "Thesis on the Theory of Architectural Design: Based Upon a Study of Certain Buildings in Rawene, Russell, and Waipu." unpublished Undergraduate Sub-thesis: University of New Zealand, 1955.

Alington, W H., W H Alington Oral History Project, 2004, by Michael Dudding, held at the Oral History Centre, Alexander Turnbull Library, Wellington.

Allen, Ellice., 'House in Bush Setting', New Zealand Weekly News, June 1 (1970): 16-17

Bonny, Stephanie., and Marilyn Reynolds. Living with 50 Architects: A New Zealand Perspective. Auckland: Cassell, 1980

Dudding, Michael. A Useful Exercise: The context, content, and practical application of W H Alington's 'Thesis on the Theory of Architectural Design'. unpublished Masters’ thesis, Wellington: Victoria University of Wellington, 2005.

Dudding, Michael., ‘A Final Formality: Three Modernist Pavilion Houses of the Early 1960s’, in McCarthy, Christine (ed.)., “…about as austere as a Dior gown…”: New Zealand Architecture the 1960s, Wellington: Centre for Building Performance Research, VUW, 2005

Hansen, Jeremy., ‘Time and Space: The effortless modernity of Bill and Margaret Alington’s 60s Wellington home belies the toil that went into the details’, Home & Entertainment, June/July (2004): 46-51

Kernohan, David. Wellington's New Buildings: A Photographic Guide to New Buildings in Central Wellington. Wellington: Victoria University Press, 1989.

Porsolt, Imric. "When Architects Design for Themselves." Better Business, September (1980): 31-32

Reid, Giles. "Focus: 5 Houses 5 Decades." Architecture New Zealand. December/January (1998): 72-73

Sharp, D., and C Cooke (eds.)., The Modern Movement in Architecture: selections from the Docomomo registers, Rotterdam: 010 Publishers, 2000

Shaw, Peter., and Robin Morrison. A History of New Zealand Architecture. 2nd ed. Auckland: Hodder Moa Beckett Publishers Ltd, 1997

Stacpoole, John., and Peter Beaven. Architecture: 1820-1970. Wellington: A W & A H Reed, 1972.

Upper Hutt City Council. Upper Hutt City Proclamation. Upper Hutt: Upper Hutt City Council, 1966.

Walden, Russell., ‘ALINGTON, W(illiam) H(ildebrand)’, in: Emanuel, Muriel (ed.)., Contemporary Architects, London: Macmillan, 1980: 27-8

"Wellington: The 2001 NZIA-Resene Local Architecture Awards." Architecture New Zealand. March/April (2002): 72.

[edit] External links

Alington, W H., and Cyril Roy Knight. WILSON, Francis Gordon (Obituary)

Michael-D. Images of works by W H Alington