Brightwen Binyon facts for kids

Brightwen Binyon (born May 30, 1846 – died September 21, 1905) was a British architect. He designed many important buildings, especially in the Suffolk area of England. He was a member of the Royal Institute of British Architects (FRIBA).

Brightwen Binyon's Early Life and Training

Brightwen Binyon was born in Victoria Park, Manchester, in 1846. His father, Edward Binyon, worked as a sugar refiner and tea dealer.

Brightwen went to a Friends School in Kendal. After school, he decided to become an architect. He trained with a well-known architect named Alfred Waterhouse from 1863 to 1871. After his training, he traveled around Europe.

Starting His Career in Ipswich

After his travels, Brightwen Binyon moved to Ipswich. In 1879, he married Rachel Mary Cudworth in Darlington. They lived in Ipswich, and Brightwen opened his own architect's office.

He designed many buildings in Suffolk. Some of his important projects included the Corn Exchange in Ipswich and the Concert Pavilion in Felixstowe.

Winning Design Competitions

Brightwen Binyon was very good at winning design competitions.

Ipswich Corn Exchange

In 1882, the Ipswich council held a competition to find a design for their new Corn Exchange. Brightwen Binyon entered the competition using a secret name, "North Light." His design was chosen as the best out of 15 entries.

Sunderland Town Hall

In 1890, the city of Sunderland held a competition for a new town hall. Brightwen Binyon won this competition too. The judge for this competition was his former teacher, Alfred Waterhouse.

Barrett Browning Institute

In 1892, Brightwen won another competition. This time, it was to design the Barrett Browning Institute in Ledbury. He beat 44 other designers! The building's design was inspired by an old timber-framed Market House nearby. It was finished in 1896.

Felixstowe Spa and Winter Garden

In 1897, he won a competition to design the Felixstowe Spa and Winter Garden. However, this design was never actually built.

Later Life and Family

Brightwen Binyon was also involved in the art world. He was a member of the Ipswich Fine Art Club for many years. He also showed his art at the Royal Academy.

Around 1892, Brightwen and his family moved to a new home in Ipswich. After working as an architect for over 25 years, he retired in 1897. He passed away in Bushey, Hertfordshire, in 1905.

Brightwen and Rachel had four children:

• Janet Binyon (1880–1963)
• Mary Sims Binyon (1882–1976), who became an artist.
• Basil Binyon (1885–1947), who was a famous electrical engineer. He even became a director of the BBC in 1922.
• Olive Binyon (1888–1971)

His grandson, Sir Bernard Feilden (1919–2008), also became a well-known architect who focused on saving old buildings. Brightwen Binyon was also related to the famous poet Robert Lawrence Binyon, who wrote the poem 'For the Fallen'.

List of Brightwen Binyon's Buildings

Here are some of the buildings and projects Brightwen Binyon designed:

• 1875 – Wallpaper design (now in Victoria and Albert Museum)
• 1875 – Burlington Road Baptist Church, Ipswich
• 1872 – The Grove, Stanmore, a home he remodeled
• 1879 – Bank Premises, Sudbury, Suffolk
• 1880 – Thistleton Hall, Suffolk
• 1881 – Sanford Street Boys’ School, Swindon, Wiltshire
• 1881 – Church Lodge, Stanmore
• 1878 – Municipal Buildings, Great Yarmouth, Norfolk
• 1879 – Ipswich Post Office, Suffolk
• 1879 – Ipswich School of Art
• 1879 – Queenstown School, Swindon (now closed)
• 1881 – Gilberts Hill, Dixon Street, Swindon
• 1881 – Yarra Primary School, Richmond, Victoria, Australia
• 1882 – Corn Exchange, Ipswich, Suffolk
• 1882 – Bramford Road School, Ipswich
• 1883 – Hill House, Ipswich
• 1886 – Public Library & Museum, Folkestone, Kent
• 1888 – Seaside Villas, Felixstowe, Suffolk
• 1891 – Enlargement of Stanmore Hall
• 1890 – Sunderland Town Hall (later taken down in 1971)
• 1890 – Swindon Town Hall (still standing and protected as a historic building)
• 1890 – Nethaniah Almshouse, Over Stoke
• 1893 – The Mechanics Institute, Swindon (he made it much bigger)
• 1893 – New Public Library, Colchester
• 1893 – Warehouse, North Street, Colchester
• 1895 – Granary, Hythe Quay, Colchester
• 1896 – The Elizabeth Barrett Browning Institute, Ledbury