|
 |
| |
RADAR
FEATURES
COMMENT
| |
| | | |
 |
| |
| |
|
| | OBITUARY
| VALE TREVOR REDDACLIFF 1942-2005 |
|
Photograph Stefan Jannides
|
|
|
Resourceful, inventive and determined, Trevor Reddacliff made a huge contribution to the urban environment of Australian cities, particularly Brisbane. John Simpson celebrates his distinguished career.
In recognition of his distinguished career as
an architect, Trevor Reddacliff was
appointed to Life Fellowship of the RAIA in
March 2005. The citation, signed by then
President Warren Kerr, read, in part, “He is
a most deserved recipient of an RAIA Life
Fellowship for his 40-year career improving
the quality of the built environment.”
Graduating in architecture in 1965 from
the University of New South Wales, Trevor
worked in the office of Ancher Mortlock
Murray and Woolley before travelling to
Toronto, Canada, where he joined John B
Parkin and worked on the Toronto
Dominion Tower, a major downtown office
complex designed by Mies van der Rohe.
Trevor talked often about this time in
North America and liked to recount one of
its highlights, a visit to the Glass House, the
New Canaan home of Phillip Johnson.
A personal tour of the iconic house and
environs was the result of Trevor’s
characteristic charm and persistence, which
even the famous architect was not allowed
to resist.
On returning to Australia he practised in
Coffs Harbour. In 1972 he amalgamated his
practice with Hansen and Tod (the firm
which completed the Sydney Opera House
together with the Government Architect and
Littlemore + Littlemore). The new firm of
Tod Reddacliff Stockley Johnson grew to
have offices in Sydney, Canberra, Darwin
and Coffs Harbour.
Trevor resigned from that firm in 1977
and the following year he became one of the
first architects to join Lend Lease. In 1982
he moved to Brisbane and was responsible
for the procurement and project
management of the Riverside Centre, the
first international standard building in the
Brisbane CBD. Designed by Harry Seidler,
this building initiated a new level of design
expectation for commercial development
in Brisbane.
After the success of the Riverside Centre,
Trevor was sought out by the Queensland
State Government and the Brisbane City
Council to oversee the city’s urban
waterfront revitalization programmes. In
1989 he was appointed to the board of the
South Bank Corporation, which was
charged with the responsibility to redevelop
the former World Expo 88 site.
Trevor was appointed Chairman of the
Urban Renewal Task Force in 1991 to
control the urban renewal of Brisbane’s
inner city waterfront. He was rigorous in
insisting on high quality architecture and
was intensely involved in informing and
reviewing the design projects to ensure the
preservation of the significance of the
historic wool stores and the creation of civic
community spaces.
As well as frequently working with
well-established architectural practices he
particularly enjoyed working with younger
emerging architects whom he admired,
and often assisted in the development of
their practices.
Trevor practised architecture and urban
design in a most resourceful and innovative
manner. His skills in lateral thinking and
problem solving are a testament to creative
professional education combined with a
keen sense of opportunity and challenge
refined over many years at the forefront of
the development industry.
Trevor’s reputation for understanding the
interrelationship between architecture,
environment and economics led to several
other major urban design leadership and
advisory roles, including Spencer Street
Station in Melbourne, designed by the
talented English architect Nicholas
Grimshaw. He was also chairman of the
Maryborough and Townsville Urban
Renewal Task Forces, the latter being the
largest urban waterfront redevelopment in
North Queensland.
Commissions in China were added to an
enormous portfolio of urban design
influence, especially in Pudong, Shanghai,
Yichang and Ningbo.
In 2004, Trevor was appointed by
Brisbane City Council to head the Brisbane
Master Plan Task Force to prepare a new
master plan for the Brisbane CBD and
West End. This project required him to
lead and inspire a team of prominent
architects, planners and authority
representatives to produce a vision for
the future of Brisbane’s CBD.
In addition to devoting an enormous
amount of time and energy to specific
professional activity, Trevor was a member
of numerous boards of private companies
and was chairman of a number of
community organizations such as Brisbane
Warana Festival, Brisbane Festival, River
Festival and Salvation Army Red Shield
Appeal. In recognition of his extensive
contribution to the community Trevor was
awarded an Order of Australia in 1998.
Trevor Reddacliff was an extremely high
achiever, very demanding of himself as well
as those around him but blessed with an
infectious and often cheeky sense of
humour. He was a tenacious supporter
when appropriate and a formidable
opponent when necessary.
Trevor’s death on 20 December 2005 is an
enormous loss to all who knew him. His
wife Sue, son Tom and daughter Rachel will
miss him dearly. The architectural
profession and the Brisbane and Australian
communities have lost a great champion.
JOHN SIMPSON IS AN ARCHITECT AND A
FRIEND OF TREVOR REDDACLIFF.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Copyright © 2010 Architecture Media Pty Ltd
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
