Lasdun, Sir Denys Louis

Lasdun, Sir Denys Louis (1914–2001). British, he became one of the leading architects in England after the 1939–45 war. He worked with Wells Coates (1935–7), then joined Tecton, remaining there until 1948, when he founded his own practice. Clearly influenced by Lubetkin and Le Corbusier, he designed a house at 32 Newton Road, Paddington, London (1937–8), which was indebted to Le Corbusier's Maison Cook of over a decade earlier. In 1952–5 he built cluster-blocks of flats in Bethnal Green, the living-apartments joined to a central core for circulation and services. Then, in 1958, came the apartment-block at 26 St James's Place, one side of which overlooks Green Park: it is also Corbusian, but with smooth, fine materials, unlike the exposed concrete of the Bethnal Green blocks. The Royal College of Physicians (1960) also has a sensitive position, overlooking Regent's Park, London. In the 1960s Lasdun's firm designed several major projects, including the University of East Anglia, Norwich (1962–8); the Charles Wilson Building, University of Leicester (1963); the School of Oriental and African Studies, the Institute of Education, and Institute of Advanced Legal Studies, University of London, Bloomsbury (1965); the National Theatre, by Waterloo Bridge (1967–76); the IBM Central London Marketing Centre, South Bank (1978–84); and the City of London Real Property Company Offices, Fenchurch Street (1980–5), all in London. Other works include the European Investment Bank, Luxembourg (1973), and an office-block, Milton Gate, Chiswell Street, London (1986–91). He published several works.

Bibliography

Wi. Curtis (1995, 1996);
Kalman (1994);
Lasdun (ed.) (1984);
Lasdun & and Partners (1976)