Spencer de Grey
Encyclopedia
Spencer Thomas de Grey, CBE
RIBA
was born in 1944 in Farnham
, Surrey
, son of artists Capt. Sir Roger de Grey and Flavia Hatt Irwin. He married Hon. Amanda Lucy Annan in 1977 and has two children.
in 1969, he worked for the London Borough of Merton on one of the first middle schools in the United Kingdom
. He became a registered architect
in 1969 and a chartered architect
in 1993.
in 1973, continuing his work in education on the Palmerston Special School in Liverpool. He then worked on the Hammersmith Centre before, in 1979, setting up Foster Associates' office in Hong Kong to build the Hong Kong and Shanghai Bank. In 1981 he returned to London to become the director in charge of Stansted Airport, which he saw through to completion in 1991. During this period, he also worked on the unbuilt BBC Radio Centre and was responsible for the Sackler Galleries at the Royal Academy of Arts in London.
He was made a partner in 1991 and since then he has overseen a wide range of projects, including Cambridge Law Faculty, the Commerzbank
Headquarters in Frankfurt
, the Great Court at the British Museum
, the Great Glasshouse at the National Botanic Garden of Wales
, the World Squares for All Masterplan together with the implementation of its first phase at Trafalgar Square
, the redevelopment of Dresden Station, The Sage Gateshead (Music Centre), HM Treasury in Whitehall and nine City Academy schools in the UK.
He is responsible for a number of projects in the USA including the masterplan and first phase of the Boston Museum of Fine Arts, the Winspear Opera House in Dallas, Avery Fisher Hall
at New York's Lincoln Center and the competition winning scheme for the National Portrait Gallery courtyard at the Smithsonian, Washington DC.
In May 2007, Foster + Partners restructured with external investor 3i
and the new executive board included Lord Foster as Chairman, Mouzhan Majidi
as Chief Executive, and original shareholders Spencer de Grey and David Nelson as Heads of Design.
in Kew, chairman of the Building Centre Trust and was a visiting lecturer at the Royal College of Art
's Curating Contemporary Art course. He is chairman of the Cambridge University School of Architecture Advisory Board, and was elected Visiting Professor of Architecture from January 2010 until September 2011. He was elected a Royal Academician in December 2008.
in the Queen's Birthday Honours
of 1997.
Foster + Partners website
Biography now has references. Support WP:URBLP!
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
RIBA
Riba
Riba means one of the senses of "usury" . Riba is forbidden in Islamic economic jurisprudence fiqh and considered as a major sin...
was born in 1944 in Farnham
Farnham
Farnham is a town in Surrey, England, within the Borough of Waverley. The town is situated some 42 miles southwest of London in the extreme west of Surrey, adjacent to the border with Hampshire...
, Surrey
Surrey
Surrey is a county in the South East of England and is one of the Home Counties. The county borders Greater London, Kent, East Sussex, West Sussex, Hampshire and Berkshire. The historic county town is Guildford. Surrey County Council sits at Kingston upon Thames, although this has been part of...
, son of artists Capt. Sir Roger de Grey and Flavia Hatt Irwin. He married Hon. Amanda Lucy Annan in 1977 and has two children.
Early career
He studied architecture at Cambridge University under Sir Leslie Martin. On leaving CambridgeCambridge
The city of Cambridge is a university town and the administrative centre of the county of Cambridgeshire, England. It lies in East Anglia about north of London. Cambridge is at the heart of the high-technology centre known as Silicon Fen – a play on Silicon Valley and the fens surrounding the...
in 1969, he worked for the London Borough of Merton on one of the first middle schools in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
. He became a registered architect
Architects Registration in the United Kingdom
In the United Kingdom, the Architects Act 1997 imposes restrictions on the use of the name, style or title "architect" in connection with a business or a professional practice, and for that purpose requires a statutory Register of Architects to be maintained...
in 1969 and a chartered architect
Riba
Riba means one of the senses of "usury" . Riba is forbidden in Islamic economic jurisprudence fiqh and considered as a major sin...
in 1993.
Career at Foster Associates (later Foster + Partners)
He joined Foster AssociatesFoster and Partners
Foster + Partners is an architectural firm based in London. The practice is led by its founder and Chairman, Norman Foster, and has constructed many high-profile glass-and-steel buildings....
in 1973, continuing his work in education on the Palmerston Special School in Liverpool. He then worked on the Hammersmith Centre before, in 1979, setting up Foster Associates' office in Hong Kong to build the Hong Kong and Shanghai Bank. In 1981 he returned to London to become the director in charge of Stansted Airport, which he saw through to completion in 1991. During this period, he also worked on the unbuilt BBC Radio Centre and was responsible for the Sackler Galleries at the Royal Academy of Arts in London.
He was made a partner in 1991 and since then he has overseen a wide range of projects, including Cambridge Law Faculty, the Commerzbank
Commerzbank
Commerzbank AG is the second-largest bank in Germany, after Deutsche Bank, headquartered in Frankfurt am Main.-Activities:Commerzbank is mainly active in commercial bank, retail banking and mortgaging. It suffered reversals in investment banking in early 2000s and scaled back its Securities unit...
Headquarters in Frankfurt
Frankfurt
Frankfurt am Main , commonly known simply as Frankfurt, is the largest city in the German state of Hesse and the fifth-largest city in Germany, with a 2010 population of 688,249. The urban area had an estimated population of 2,300,000 in 2010...
, the Great Court at the British Museum
British Museum
The British Museum is a museum of human history and culture in London. Its collections, which number more than seven million objects, are amongst the largest and most comprehensive in the world and originate from all continents, illustrating and documenting the story of human culture from its...
, the Great Glasshouse at the National Botanic Garden of Wales
National Botanic Garden of Wales
The National Botanic Garden of Wales is situated near Llanarthney in the Towy Valley, Carmarthenshire, Wales. The garden is both a visitor attraction and a centre for botanical research and conservation, and features the world's largest single-span glasshouse measuring long by wide.NBGW seeks...
, the World Squares for All Masterplan together with the implementation of its first phase at Trafalgar Square
Trafalgar Square
Trafalgar Square is a public space and tourist attraction in central London, England, United Kingdom. At its centre is Nelson's Column, which is guarded by four lion statues at its base. There are a number of statues and sculptures in the square, with one plinth displaying changing pieces of...
, the redevelopment of Dresden Station, The Sage Gateshead (Music Centre), HM Treasury in Whitehall and nine City Academy schools in the UK.
He is responsible for a number of projects in the USA including the masterplan and first phase of the Boston Museum of Fine Arts, the Winspear Opera House in Dallas, Avery Fisher Hall
Avery Fisher Hall
Avery Fisher Hall is a concert hall, in New York City and is part of the Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts complex. It is the home of the New York Philharmonic, with a capacity of 2,738 seats.-History:...
at New York's Lincoln Center and the competition winning scheme for the National Portrait Gallery courtyard at the Smithsonian, Washington DC.
In May 2007, Foster + Partners restructured with external investor 3i
3i
3i Group plc is a multinational private equity and venture capital company headquartered in London, United Kingdom. It has offices in 13 countries across Asia, Europe and the Americas and had total assets under management of £12.7 billion as at 31 March 2011...
and the new executive board included Lord Foster as Chairman, Mouzhan Majidi
Mouzhan Majidi
Mouzhan Majidi is a British-Iranian architect and the current Chief Executive of Foster and Partners.As a student, he received various awards including the RIBA Part 1 Design Award in 1985 and RIBA Silver Medal for the best national diploma project in1987, graduating with first class honours that...
as Chief Executive, and original shareholders Spencer de Grey and David Nelson as Heads of Design.
Extracurricular activities
He lectures widely, is an architectural advisor for the Royal Botanical GardensRoyal Botanic Gardens, Kew
The Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, usually referred to as Kew Gardens, is 121 hectares of gardens and botanical glasshouses between Richmond and Kew in southwest London, England. "The Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew" and the brand name "Kew" are also used as umbrella terms for the institution that runs...
in Kew, chairman of the Building Centre Trust and was a visiting lecturer at the Royal College of Art
Royal College of Art
The Royal College of Art is an art school located in London, United Kingdom. It is the world’s only wholly postgraduate university of art and design, offering the degrees of Master of Arts , Master of Philosophy and Doctor of Philosophy...
's Curating Contemporary Art course. He is chairman of the Cambridge University School of Architecture Advisory Board, and was elected Visiting Professor of Architecture from January 2010 until September 2011. He was elected a Royal Academician in December 2008.
Honours
He was made a CBEOrder of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
in the Queen's Birthday Honours
Queen's Birthday Honours
The Queen's Birthday Honours is a part of the British honours system, being a civic occasion on the celebration of the Queen's Official Birthday in which new members of most Commonwealth Realms honours are named. The awards are presented by the reigning monarch or head of state, currently Queen...
of 1997.
Further reading
Royal Academy Academicians websiteFoster + Partners website
Biography now has references. Support WP:URBLP!