London

The architecture of John Winter (b. Norwich, 1930; d. London, 2012) has often been described as straightforward, sensible or simple. It is the result of what he learnt while working for Ernö Goldfinger: always to go “far beyond of what is reasonable,” to look always for a better solution. In fact, his “unusual amount of moral certainty about architecture” and his commitment to modernity meant that, around the late seventies, Sir Richard MacCormac pictured him as “the most unfashionable architect in London”.

He started working for the Arts & Craft architect Theo Scott. Then, he enrolled to pursue a Diploma at the Architectural Association where he was a contemporary of Denise Scott-Brown and Adrian Gale, and, after doing his national service, he went to Yale, where he studied under the tutelage of Louis Kahn. He worked for Ernö Goldfinger, SOM and the Eameses before establishing his own practice in London, where he went back to teach at the AA. Martin Haxworth, Stuart Mosscrop, Michael Gold and Nicholas Grimshaw were among his students.

Jonathan Ellis-Miller, who worked for John Winter & Associates from 1986 to 1992, will reflect on the architect’s work as well as his understanding of Modernity, by reference to a selection of his works and drawings.

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