RON HERRON (1930-94)
Professor, ARIBA, FCSD, FRSA
Ronald James Herron – A Londoner, who aged 15 went to the Brixton School of Building to learn carpentry, but discovered architecture.
• First job, in a one-man architectural practice, was as assistant/typist/telephonist/teamaker • Studied architecture at evening school, firstly at Brixton and later at the Polytechnic, Regent Street • In 1952 married Pat, his girlfriend from the age of sixteen • Son, Andrew, born in 1958 • After completing National Service (Ron is a 'veteran' of the Berlin airlift) joined London County Council Architects' Department in 1954 and met Warren Chalk and Dennis Crompton, and through a mutual friend, Peter Cook, David Greene and Mike Webb • In 1962 they together joined the Euston Project team with Robin Middleton, Brian Richards, Frank Linden and Alex Pike under Theo Crosby • The Archigram Group was born in this period and combined to produce Archigram magazine • Son, Simon, born in 1963 • Commenced teaching at the Architectural Association in 1966 and did so, apart from a two-year gap, to 1993 • Joined Warren Chalk in 1968 as Visiting Professor at University College of Los Angeles • Like Reyner Banham, fell in love with Los Angeles • Lived there for two years, and managed a visit each year thereafter • Returned in 1970 to form the Archigram office, with Peter Cook and Denis Crompton, on winning the Monte Carlo competition; after three years the project was shelved • After Archigram, joined Pentagram and became a partner 1977-81 • Formed Herron Associates in 1982; joined by his sons, Andrew (1985) and Simon (1988) • Merged with Imagination Ltd, after completion of their Headquarters in Store Street, London, as Herron Associates at Imagination • Herron Associates went independent in 1993.
A Leo, quiet, an optimist, enjoys the company of his friends; an Arsenal fan; enjoys drawing to illustrate his ideas rather than writing about them, and believes that 'any sufficiently advanced technology is magic’.
Professional Career
1954-1961 Architect with the Greater London Council
1962-1975 Member, with Warren Chalk, Peter Cook, Dennis Crompton, David Greene and Mike Webb, Archigram Group, London
1962-1970 Co-Editor of Archigram magazine
1961-1965 Deputy Architect, Taylor Woodrow Construction Ltd, London
1965-1967 Associate, Halpern & Partners, London
1967 Consultant Architect to Colin St John Wilson, Cambridge
1968 In Private Practice, London
1969-1970 Director of Urban Design, William Pereira & Partners, Los Angeles
1970-1975 Partner with Cook and Crompton, Archigram Architects, London
1975-1977 Private Practice, London
1977-1981 Partner, Pentagram Design, London
1981-1982 Partner, Derek Walker Associates, London, Milton Keynes & Bucks
1982-1985 Principal, Ron Herron Associates, London
1985-1989 Partner, Herron Associates, London
1989-1993 Director, Imagination Ltd (Herron Associates merges with Imagination)
1993 Partner, Herron Associates, London
Teaching
1966-1993 Tutor, Architectural Association School, London
1968 North London Polytechnic School of Architecture
1968-1969 Visiting Professor, University of Southern California, Los Angeles
1972 Artist-in-Residence, University of Wisconsin, Madison
1976, 1977, 1979 University of Southern California, Los Angeles
1982 Southern California Institute for Architecture, Los Angeles
1993-1994 Professor of Architecture & Head of School, University of East London
Major Projects
1961-1963 South Bank Development (Queen Elizabeth Hall and Hayward Gallery) LCC/GLC
1964 Study of Twilight areas: Fulham (with Theo Crosby for Taylor Woodrow Construction)
1994 "Walking City" (design)
1968 "Instant City" (design with Peter Cook and Dennis Crompton)
1969 Design of Master plan for a new town for the Ford Motor Company at Dearborn, Michigan (Pereira)
1969 Design of air terminal at Los Angeles International Airport for Pan American Airlines
1970 Entertainment facility for Monte Carlo (winning design international competition Archigram)
1972 Design of Casino at Monte Carlo (Archigram Architects)
1973 Swimming pool and kitchen block for Rod Stewart, Windsor, Berkshire (Archigram Architects)
1974 "Suburban Sets" (design with Andrew Herron)
1975 Play Centre, at Calverton End, Milton Keynes (Archigram Architects)
1975 "Sets Fit for the Queen" (design)
1976 Design for the development of the central area of Heathrow Airport, London
1980 D.O.M Office Headquarters, Cologne, Germany (competition with Peter Cook and Christine Hawley)
1981 Design of Wonderworld theme park, Corby, Northamptonshire (with Derek Walker)
1982 London offices and Hairdressing school for L'Oreal Golden Limited (with Derek Walker)
1985 Travelling Exhibition, design and construction of 'The Human Story', with Richard Leakey, for the Commonwealth Institute London and IBM. Opened by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth ll in London November
1985 R&D Laboratories for Imperial Tobacco Ltd
1987 Urban design project for Hamburg docks, by invitation of Hamburg City council, with Peter Cook and Christine Hawley
1987 Design for mobile exhibition structure for British Telecom (with Imagination Ltd)
1987 Design proposals for the remodelling of Thorn House, London, for a headquarters building (with Imagination Ltd)
1988 Design of new German Headquarters for L'Oreal Limited in Karlsruhe (competition special award)
1989 Headquarters for Imagination Ltd, Bloomsbury, London
1989 Design proposals for a European Cultural Centre located in Hasselt, Belgium
1989 Design of Far Eastern international airport terminal in association with British Airports Services Ltd
1989 Design of a 'water' experience for GTM of Paris, in Barcelona, Spain, with Roquelaure Read Barnes Architects
1990 Design of new estate's office & private conference centre at Waddesdon Manor for Lord Rothschild
1991 Design of Canada Water Station – a new interchange station on the Jubilee Line Extension for London Underground Ltd
1992 Bergasil Ski Jump Competition, Innsbruck
1994 Archigram Exhibition, Vienna, with Dennis Crompton
1994 The British Museum, London: Central Courtyard Study and design proposals.
1994 Proposal for new underground station, Birkenhead
Japanese projects
Kosugi Train Station, Toyama prefecture
Kurobe Tower, Toyama prefecture
1992 Daimon Bus Station, Toyama prefecture
1992 The New Dinosaur Gallery, Natural History Museum, London
1993 Hamburg Docks Planning Study
Selected Publications
1992 Imagination Headquarters by Sutherland Lyall, London
1993 Herron Notebooks - Buildings in Japan, London
1994 Archigram Exhibition Catalogue, London
1994 Archigram Exhibition Catalogue, Pompidou Centre, Paris.
1994 The Visions of Ron Herron by Reyner Banham