William Whitfield (architect) facts for kids

Sir William Whitfield (born October 21, 1920 – died March 16, 2019) was a famous British architect and town planner. He designed many important buildings and helped plan cities.

Early Life and Education

William Whitfield was born in Stockton-on-Tees, England. His family owned coal mines.

He started studying architecture at King's College, Newcastle when he was only 15 years old. This was very young for a university student! After the Second World War, he also studied town planning there.

Designing Buildings

Sir William Whitfield designed many different types of buildings. He was known for his modern and strong designs.

University Buildings

He designed the Glasgow University Library in 1968. He also worked on the Hunterian Museum and Art Gallery Extension at the University of Glasgow.

At Newcastle University, he designed an extension to the Students' Union building. He also designed the University Theatre, which is now called the Northern Stage.

For Durham University, he designed the Business School and the Science Library. These buildings have both been made larger since he designed them.

Other Important Designs

In 1970, a large extension he designed was opened at the Institute of Chartered Accountants headquarters in London. This building is called Chartered Accountants' Hall.

He also designed Richmond House in London, which is a building for the Department of Health.

Sir William designed parts of several famous cathedrals:

• The Chapter House at St Albans Cathedral
• The Cathedral Lodge at Canterbury Cathedral
• The new Mappa Mundi Library at Hereford Cathedral

He worked with Andrew Lockwood to design a large house called Tusmore Park in Oxfordshire. It was built for a financier from Saudi Arabia.

Tusmore Park

Important Roles and Awards

Sir William Whitfield held several important positions:

• He was the architect for St Paul's Cathedral from 1985 to 1990.
• He helped restore Christ Church Spitalfields, a historic church.
• He was a Commissioner for English Heritage, which looks after historic places.
• He was also a Commissioner for the Royal Fine Art Commission.
• He was a Trustee of the British Museum.

He received two special awards for his work. He was made a CBE in 1976. Later, he was made a knight in 1993, which means he could use the title "Sir."