Donald McMorran | |
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 Portrait photo of Donald McMorran c.1945 | |
| Born | (1904-05-03)3 May 1904 |
| Died | 6 August 1965(1965-08-06) (aged 61) |
| Occupation | Architect |
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| Buildings |
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Donald Hanks McMorranRAFRIBAFSA (3 May 1904 – 6 August 1965)[1][2][3] was an English architect who is known today for his sensitive continuation of theneo-Georgian andclassical tradition in the period after the Second World War. His buildings include halls of residence at theUniversity of Nottingham, Wood Street Police Station in theCity of London, public housing schemes around London, the South Block extension to theOld Bailey and civic buildings inExeter andBury St Edmunds.
Donald Hanks McMorran was born in 1904 inWallasey, Cheshire. His parents, William Edwin McMorran and Edith McMorran (née Hanks) originally came from north London. The family moved back to London and Donald was educated atHarrow County Grammar School.[4] He studied under H. Farquharson in 1921.[5]
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In 1925 McMorran was admitted to theRoyal Institute of British Architects as the RIBA Pugin Student. From 1927 to 1935, McMorran worked as assistant to the architectVincent Harris.[5]
After 1935, McMorran went into private practice. Initially he set up with Horace Farquharson as Farquharson McMorran.[5] Subsequently, McMorran went into partnership with fellow architectGeorge Whitby. After World War II, the architectural firm McMorran & Whitby were responsible for some buildings of distinction which were influenced by the work of Harris andSir Edwin Lutyens. Among their noted works areDevon County Hall in Exeter (1957-64); the extension to the Shire Hall in Bury St Edmunds (1968);Cripps Hall, Lenton Hall and the social sciences block at the University of Nottingham; Wood Street Police Station in theCity of London; and the South Block extension to theOld Bailey.[6]
In the early 1960s, McMorran & Whitby were commissioned to design a new library headquarters as part of a wider civic buildings estate on Raingate Street inBury St Edmunds, Suffolk. Due to the historic setting and proximity to the ancientBury St Edmunds Abbey, a more conservativehistoricist design was specified. TheNew Classical-style Suffolk Record Office is today a Grade II listed building and is noted for its centrallantern and original interior fittings.[7]
McMorran was the architect of a number ofhousing estates around London, including theLammas Green housing estate atSydenham Hill, London (1957, nowGrade II listed);[8] estates inHampstead,Poplar,Sydenham andRichmond upon Thames. His work on the Holloway Estate on Parkhurst Road Estate inIslington, London (1950s) is especially noted, and one of the apartment blocks there, McMorran House, bears his name.[9][10]
McMorran was elected as an associate member of theRoyal Academy of Art in 1955, before being elected as a full member in 1962.[1]
McMorran was a Master of theArt Workers Guild in 1956.[11] His work is characterised by carefully chosen materials, well-detailed and handsomely proportioned facades with minimal classical detail, showing the influence in particular of the work ofJohn Soane.There is also a strong sense of aesthetic opposition to the bulk of theModern Movement work of the same period. McMorran was, however, not narrow-minded in his attitude to the Modern Movement, and as assessor in the City of London'sGolden Lane housing competition he awarded first place to the young Modernists,Chamberlin, Powell and Bon.[12]
Donald McMorran served as Treasurer at the Royal Academy from January 1965 until his death later that year atDorking, Surrey.[1]
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