Allford Hall Monaghan Morris

Last updated

Allford Hall Monaghan Morris (AHMM)
Practice information
Founders
Founded1989
Location London, Bristol, Oklahoma City, Madrid and Sydney
Significant works and honors
Awards Stirling Prize 2015
Website
www.ahmm.com

Allford Hall Monaghan Morris (also known as AHMM) is the fourth-largest architecture practice in the United Kingdom [1] with offices in London and Bristol, as well as international studios in Madrid, Sydney and Oklahoma City. AHMM was established in 1989 by Simon Allford, Jonathan Hall, Paul Monaghan and Peter Morris. The practice has since grown to more than 400 employees.

Contents

Among other awards, AHMM won the RIBA Stirling Prize in 2015 for Burntwood School, [2] having been shortlisted for the Prize in 2008, [3] 2009 [4] and 2011. [5]

History

Founded in 1989 by Simon Allford, Jonathan Hall, Paul Monaghan and Peter Morris, [6] who met at the Bartlett School of Architecture, the practice employs over 400 people working on projects in education, healthcare, housing, arts and offices. In 2017, it became majority employee-owned through an employee ownership trust. [7]

In March 2020, the Twentieth Century Society criticised AHMM's "heavy-handed" plans to revamp Denys Lasdun's IBM building on London's South Bank. [8] [9] Some five years later, the same organisation, plus Historic England, criticised AHMM's "harmful" proposals for another Lasdun-designed London building, Milton Gate. [10] [11]

During the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic, AHMM reported a 22% drop in revenue from £55.3m in 2020 to £43.3m in 2021, and an operating loss of £587,000 (compared to a profit of over £6m in 2020). Average employee headcount in the year to 30 March 2021 was 486. [12] It made further losses in the next two financial years - £1.0m in 2021-22 and £1.9m in 2022-23 - while 2023 revenue rebounded to £49.9m. [13] During the year to March 2024, AHMM cut 129 jobs (422 staff remained) at a cost of over £3m, and reported a fourth consecutive annual loss of £1.4m on global revenue of £46m (£41m deriving from the UK). [14]

In August 2020, Simon Allford was elected to be president of the Royal Institute of British Architects; serving a two-year term, he succeeded Alan Jones on 1 September 2021. [15] In early April 2022, a RIBA walking tour of London's Barbican Estate was ambushed by residents protesting against AHMM's involvement in a 24-storey tower at Houndsditch, claiming it will cause loss of light to flats and community amenity areas. A leaflet asserted: "Allford used his RIBA position to push forward plans that will blight the lives of Middlesex Street Estate residents in the east of the City." [16]

In September 2025, residents of an AHMM-designed building - a 35-storey tower block, The Fold, completed in 2022 in Croydon, south London - were told they must leave the building after fire safety issues were found. [17]

In media

In his April 2023 review of Tower Hamlets Town Hall for The Observer , architecture critic Rowan Moore describes Allford Hall Monaghan Morris as:

"architects who have always prospered by combining high levels of pragmatism and skill with, on occasion, invention and flair. They design some of the best office blocks around, but also public buildings such as the Stirling prize-winning Burntwood School in south London. They also have a record of making over older buildings, as with their headquarters for the Metropolitan Police at New Scotland Yard and their conversion into homes and hotel of the BBC’s former Television Centre in White City." [18]

Notable projects

AHMM's notable projects include:

Awards

AHMM won the RIBA Stirling Prize in 2015 for Burntwood School, [2] and has received many other awards and public and media acclaim for its work. The practice was also shortlisted for the RIBA Stirling Prize in 2008 for Westminster Academy, [3] in 2009 for the Kentish Town Health Centre, [4] and in 2011 for the Angel Building. [5]

References

  1. ↑ A. J. "The AJ100 Index". The Architects’ Journal. Retrieved 16 April 2025.
  2. 1 2 "Who will win the Stirling prize? Here's the 2015 shortlist – in pictures". the Guardian. 16 July 2015. ISSN   0261-3077 . Retrieved 16 April 2025.
  3. 1 2 "RIBA Stirling Prize shortlist". Dezeen. 24 July 2008. Retrieved 17 April 2025.
  4. 1 2 Glancey, Jonathan (23 July 2009). "Stirling prize for architecture: the shortlist in full". the Guardian. ISSN   0261-3077 . Retrieved 16 April 2025.
  5. 1 2 "Stirling prize 2011 shortlist – in pictures". the Guardian. 20 July 2011. ISSN   0261-3077 . Retrieved 16 April 2025.
  6. ↑ "ALLFORD HALL MONAGHAN MORRIS". Architonic. Retrieved 23 February 2012.
  7. ↑ Marrs, Colin (12 January 2018). "Power to the people: the rise of the employee-owned practice". Architects Journal. Retrieved 13 November 2019.
  8. ↑ Ing, Will (30 March 2020). "AHMM criticised over 'heavy-handed' plans for Lasdun's IBM building". Architects' Journal. Retrieved 24 September 2025.
  9. ↑ Dunton, Jim (31 March 2020). "Campaigners rip into AHMM plans for Lasdun's IBM building". Building Design. Retrieved 24 September 2025.
  10. ↑ Spocchia, Gino (6 February 2025). "Historic England criticises AHMM's 'harmful' proposals for Lasdun building". Architects' Journal. Retrieved 24 September 2025.
  11. ↑ "Demolition beckons for Lasdun's 'Glass Castle'". Twentieth Century Society. 20 May 2025. Retrieved 24 September 2025.
  12. ↑ Lowe, Tom (6 January 2022). "AHMM turnover dives by 22%". Building Design. Retrieved 24 September 2025.
  13. ↑ Dunton, Jim (10 January 2024). "AHMM boosts turnover but losses increase". Building Design. Retrieved 24 September 2025.
  14. ↑ Rogers, Dave (6 January 2025). "AHMM stays in red after redundancy costs hit architect for more than £3m". Building Design. Retrieved 24 September 2025.
  15. ↑ Ing, Will (11 August 2020). "Simon Allford wins RIBA presidential election". Architects' Journal. Retrieved 11 August 2020.
  16. ↑ Ing, Will (5 April 2022). "Anti-Simon Allford campaigners ambush RIBA walking tour". Architects' Journal. Retrieved 5 April 2022.
  17. ↑ Wilmore, James (24 September 2025). "Residents told to vacate AHMM-designed tower over safety fears". Architects' Journal. Retrieved 24 September 2025.
  18. ↑ Moore, Rowan (23 April 2023). "Tower Hamlets town hall review – an old hospital immaculately stitched up". The Observer. ISSN   0029-7712 . Retrieved 17 April 2025.
  19. ↑ "Westminster Academy by AHMM". Building. 25 November 2008. Retrieved 16 April 2025.
  20. ↑ "Alford Hall Monagahan Morris (AHMM): The Saatchi Gallery, Chelsea, London". Architecture Today. 2 October 2008. Archived from the original on 14 March 2012. Retrieved 8 April 2013.
  21. ↑ Wainwright, Oliver (22 November 2013). "Chobham Academy: the school with an Olympic playground". The Guardian. ISSN   0261-3077 . Retrieved 16 April 2025.
  22. 1 2 "Riba Stirling Prize: Burntwood School wins award". BBC News. Retrieved 15 October 2015.
  23. ↑ Abrahams, Tim (31 March 2016). "The Library at Willesden Green by Allford Hall Monaghan Morris". The Architects’ Journal. Retrieved 16 April 2025.
  24. ↑ Wainwright, Oliver (29 March 2017). "Inside New Scotland Yard: a neoclassical riverside pile with en suite liveried loos". The Guardian. ISSN   0261-3077 . Retrieved 16 April 2025.
  25. ↑ "Liverpool's Royal Court, Liverpool". www.ribaj.com. 16 May 2018. Retrieved 16 April 2025.
  26. ↑ Moore, Rowan (11 February 2018). "Television Centre review – the high life on Auntie's doorstep". The Observer. ISSN   0029-7712 . Retrieved 16 April 2025.
  27. ↑ Wiegand, Chris (21 July 2022). "London's West End gets first purpose-built theatre in 50 years". The Guardian. ISSN   0261-3077 . Retrieved 16 April 2025.
  28. ↑ Moore, Rowan (23 April 2023). "Tower Hamlets town hall review – an old hospital immaculately stitched up". The Observer. ISSN   0029-7712 . Retrieved 16 April 2025.
  29. ↑ "Kentish Town". Architecture.com. 24 July 2002. Retrieved 1 March 2011.
  30. ↑ "London winners 2008". Architecture.com. 29 May 2008. Archived from the original on 7 July 2011. Retrieved 1 March 2011.
  31. ↑ "Award winners announced | News and articles". Building for Life. 6 November 2008. Retrieved 1 March 2011.
  32. ↑ "Mayor of London - The Mayor's Priorities: Planning: The London Planning Awards 2008". Static.london.gov.uk. Archived from the original on 27 August 2011. Retrieved 1 March 2011.
  33. ↑ Housing Design Awards. "Housing Design Awards 2008 - Adelaide Wharf". Hdawards.org. Retrieved 1 March 2011.
  34. ↑ Waite, Richard (15 October 2009). "PM's building award goes to college - plus BCIA winners named | News". Architects Journal. Retrieved 1 March 2011.
  35. ↑ "Microsoft Word - 2010_AIAUK Design Awards Press Release.dot" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 24 July 2011. Retrieved 1 March 2011.
  36. ↑ "Winners - 2010". Civic Trust Awards. Archived from the original on 13 February 2011. Retrieved 1 March 2011.
  37. ↑ "LPA10 brochure 1805.indd" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 20 March 2012. Retrieved 1 March 2011.
  38. ↑ "Awards". Lbbd.gov.uk. Archived from the original on 11 June 2011. Retrieved 1 March 2011.

Commons-logo.svg Media related to Allford Hall Monaghan Morris at Wikimedia Commons

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.