Peter Cook (architect)

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Sir Peter Cook
RA
Peter in Kyoto Dec2010.jpg
Cook in 2010
Born (1936-10-22) 22 October 1936 (age 88)
Southend-on-Sea, England
OccupationArchitect
SpouseYael Reisner
Children A. G. Cook

Sir Peter Cook RA (born 22 October 1936) is an English architect, lecturer and writer on architectural subjects. He was a founder of Archigram, [1] and was knighted in 2007 by Elizabeth II for his services to architecture and teaching. He is also a Royal Academician and a Commandeur de l'Ordre des Arts et des Lettres of the French Republic. His achievements with Archigram were recognised by the Royal Institute of British Architects in 2004, when the group was awarded the Royal Gold Medal.

Contents

Early life and education

Cook was born in Southend-on-Sea, Essex and studied architecture at Bournemouth College of Art from 1953–58. He then entered the Architectural Association School of Architecture in London, graduating in 1960. [2]

Career

Cook was a director of London's Institute of Contemporary Arts (1970–1972), chair of architecture at The Bartlett School of Architecture at University College London (1990–2006), and has been director of Art Net in London and curator of the British Pavilion at the Venice Architecture Biennale. He continues to curate, organise and exhibit around the world: in Seoul, LA, Cyprus, the Centre Georges Pompidou, Design Museum, Louisiana Museum of Modern Art, [3] as well as in castles, sheds and garages.

He is a Senior Fellow of the Royal College of Art, London. Cook's professorships include those of the Royal Academy, University College London and the Hochschule fur Bildende Kunste (Städelschule) in Frankfurt-Main, Germany.

Cook has built in Osaka, Nagoya, Berlin and Madrid. However it was construction of his arts building in 2003, the Kunsthaus Graz (also known as 'The Friendly Alien') in Graz, Austria, with Colin Fournier that brought his work to a wider public.

Cook was awarded a knighthood in Elizabeth II's 2007 Birthday Honours List, for services to architecture. [2]

In 2013 he completed the Vienna University of Economics and Business's new law faculty [4] and Australia's newest school of architecture, the Abedian School of Architecture at Bond University on the Gold Coast. [5]

His first building in the UK, a new drawing studio at the Arts University Bournemouth was opened by Zaha Hadid in March 2016. [6] He also built the Innovation Studio at the Arts University Bournemouth, which was opened by Odile Decq in 2021. [7]

In 2025 Cook [8] built a Play Pavilion at the Serpentine London in collaboration with LEGO. It opened on World Play Day on the 11th June.

Awards and honours

Success in architectural competitions

Kunsthaus Graz Graz Kunsthaus vom Schlossberg 20061126.jpg
Kunsthaus Graz
Vienna University of Economics and Business (Department D3 and AD) Wien - WU Campus, D3 & AD.JPG
Vienna University of Economics and Business (Department D3 and AD)

Current appointments

Exhibitions

Publications

References

  1. "About Archigram". The Archigram Archival Project. Archived from the original on 7 March 2012. Retrieved 16 August 2012.
  2. 1 2 "The Knighthood of Professor Peter Cook". University College London. 22 June 2007. Retrieved 2 November 2014.
  3. "Radical visions: Peter Cook exhibition covers his long and influential career". riba journal. 4 February 2022.
  4. "CRAB Studio designs new buildings for the Vienna University of Economics and Business". Wallpaper. 9 January 2014.
  5. "CRAB Studio creates cave-like meeting rooms at Bond University architecture faculty". Deezen. 23 April 2014.
  6. Alexander, Hawkins. "Zaha Hadid to open Arts University Bournemouth drawing studio designed by Sir Peter Cook". It's Nice That. Retrieved 16 February 2021.
  7. "Peter Cook celebrates 85th birthday by unveiling second building at alma mater". BD Online.
  8. "Peter Cook Architecture, Home". Peter Cook.
  9. "Peter Cook and Brit Andresen to design Bond University School of Architecture - Australian Design Review". australiandesignreview.com. 15 February 2011. Archived from the original on 14 September 2011. Retrieved 23 February 2011.