David Rock (architect)

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David Rock (born in Sunderland, 1929 - 15 November 2025) was an English architect, graphic designer, illustrator and painter, who was twice RIBA vice-president (1986-87 and 1995-97) and RIBA president from 1997 to 1999.

Career

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From school, Rock went to the Newcastle University School of Architecture, Planning and Landscape (then part of Durham University) from 1947 to 1952,[1] leaving with a first-class honours.[2] He studied under Lord Holford and Peter Smithson who described him as "the most naturally gifted and talented architect he'd ever met".[3] He then worked for Basil Spence for five years.[2]

He joined Grenfell Baines & Hargreaves in 1959 as Associate Partner to open its first London office; this office initially operated out of Rock's flat in Earls Court. Rock was responsible for expanding BDP's London office during the 1960s,[2] becoming an equity partner in 1964.

He resigned from BDP in 1971 and went into partnership with another former BDP architect, John Townsend,[2] an expert on bürolandschaft. In 1972, Rock Townsend opened Workspace, developing the idea of multidisciplinary working by providing office space for small design businesses;[2][4] a former Sanderson wallpaper factory in Chiswick, west London was converted into the Barley Mow Centre, providing workspaces for craftspeople, designers and architects.[2] In the 1980s, Rock Townsend designed the postmodern Angel Square development in Islington[2] (partially demolished in the 2020s).[5]

Rock was a supporter of the radical architecture group Archigram in the 1960s and 1970s. He nominated them for the RIBA Royal Gold Medal, which they received in 2002,[6] describing the group as "a necessary irritant".[7]

Rock left Rock Townsend in 1993, and, after two separate terms as RIBA vice-president (1986-87 and 1995-97), was RIBA president between 1997 and 1999.[2] During his presidency, he oversaw the handover of over one million items from the RIBA archive to the V&A,[2] and chaired the Stirling Prize panel that awarded the 1998 Building of the Year title to the Imperial War Museum Duxford in Cambridgeshire.[8]

Chair of the Scottish Society of Architect Artists,[4] an exhibition of Rock's paintings, including early student and postgraduate drawings through to more recent works, was held at the Eleven Spitalfields Gallery in east London in 2022.[2][9]

Rock died on 15 November 2025, aged 96.[4][2]

References

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  1. ^ "History of Art". University of Warwick. Retrieved 20 February 2023.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Wilmore, James (24 November 2025). "Tributes paid as 'visionary' former RIBA president David Rock dies". The Architects’ Journal. Retrieved 24 November 2025.
  3. ^ Pearce, David (1987), "Profile: David Rock", The Architect (April) London: RIBA, p 32.
  4. ^ a b c Williamson, Chris (20 November 2025). "David Rock PPRIBA (1929 to 2025)". RIBA News. Retrieved 25 November 2025.
  5. ^ Youde, Kate (7 September 2022). "AHMM wins planning approval for contentious Angel Square redevelopment". Architects' Journal. Retrieved 24 November 2025.
  6. ^ ARCHIGRAM - RIBA Royal Gold Medalists 2002 Archived 2011-05-26 at the Wayback Machine Citation by David Rock. Retrieved 11 April 2007.
  7. ^ Glancey, Jonathan (14 February 2002). "Architects reward the pop art dreamers". Guardian. Retrieved 25 November 2025.
  8. ^ "UK Air museum beats British Library to prize". BBC News. 19 November 1998. Retrieved 25 November 2025.
  9. ^ Stathaki, Ellie (13 October 2022). "David Rock exhibition, London". Wallpaper*. Retrieved 25 November 2025.