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