Keith Williams MRIAI

FRSA The Royal Society for the Encouragement of Arts, Manufactures and Commerce, commonly known as the Royal Society of Arts (RSA), is a learned society that champions innovation and progress across a multitude of sectors by fostering creativity, s ...

(born 21 April 1958) is a British

architect An architect is a person who plans, designs, and oversees the construction of buildings. To practice architecture means to provide services in connection with the design of buildings and the space within the site surrounding the buildings that h ...

and founder of London-based Keith Williams Architects. Keith Williams was born in Kent. His father was an electrical design engineer chiefly working on the upgrade of the National Grid and latterly in the North Sea oil industry, whilst his mother was a librarian. His younger brother Martin Williams is also an architect.

Education and Career

When he was 5 years old, the family moved to Surrey. Keith was then educated at

Kingston Grammar School Kingston Grammar School is a private co-educational day school in Kingston upon Thames, England. The school was founded by royal charter in 1561 but can trace its roots back to at least the 13th century.

before going on to study architecture at

Kingston Kingston may refer to: Places * List of places called Kingston, including the six most populated: ** Kingston, Jamaica ** Kingston upon Hull, England ** City of Kingston, Victoria, Australia ** Kingston, Ontario, Canada ** Kingston upon Thames, ...

and then

Greenwich Greenwich ( , , ) is an List of areas of London, area in south-east London, England, within the Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county of Greater London, east-south-east of Charing Cross. Greenwich is notable for its maritime hi ...

Schools of Architecture. In 1984, he became a chartered architect and a member of the

Royal Institute of British Architects The Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) is a professional body for architects primarily in the United Kingdom, but also internationally, founded for the advancement of architecture under its royal charter granted in 1837, three suppl ...

. He worked for

Sheppard Robson Sheppard Robson (previously Richard Sheppard, Robson & Partners) is a British architecture firm, founded in 1938 by Richard Sheppard (architect), Sir Richard Herbert Sheppard, with offices in London, Manchester, and Glasgow. It was particularl ...

and then

Sir Terry Farrell Sir Terence Farrell (born 12 May 1938), is a British architect and urban designer. In 1980, after working for 15 years in partnership with Sir Nicholas Grimshaw, Farrell founded his own firm, Farrells. He established his reputation w ...

Farrells Farrells is an architecture and urban design firm founded by British architect and planner Terry Farrell with offices in London, Manchester, Hong Kong, and Shanghai. The firm has won numerous awards for their characteristic mixed-use scheme ...

, before co-founding Pawson Williams Architects in 1987 with fellow architect Terry Pawson, whom he had known since student days at Kingston. In 2001 he split from Pawson and established his own independent architectural firm, Keith Williams Architects operating as its founder and director of design.At the same time, he invited his longstanding collaborator and former student, the architect Richard Brown to become a director. He became a member of the

Royal Institute of the Architects of Ireland The Royal Institute of the Architects of Ireland (RIAI) () founded in 1839, is the "competent authority for architects and professional body for Architecture in Ireland." The RIAI's purpose is "to uphold the highest standards in architecture a ...

in 2005 and a fellow of the

Royal Society of Arts The Royal Society for the Encouragement of Arts, Manufactures and Commerce, commonly known as the Royal Society of Arts (RSA), is a learned society that champions innovation and progress across a multitude of sectors by fostering creativity, s ...

in 2007. From 2008, he served as a National Design Review Panel for the Commission for Architecture and the Built Environment ( CABE) until 2010 when it became

Design Council The Design Council, formerly the Council of Industrial Design, is a United Kingdom Charitable trust, charity incorporated by royal charter. Its stated mission is "to champion great design that improves lives and makes things better". It was instr ...

CABE. He remained an active participant until 2020 when he stood down. In 2011, he joined the National Panel of the

Civic Trust Awards The Civic Trust Awards scheme is a British awards scheme to recognise outstanding architecture, planning and design in the built environment. It was established in 1959, and is the longest-standing built environment awards scheme in Europe. The ...

operating as its chair from 2015 to 2023. From 2013, he has chaired the Lewisham Design Review Panel, and since 2014, has operated as a Panel Chair for Design South East. In 2016 he was elected as a Fellow of the

. He joine
Docomomo UK
in March 2024 as a trustee, becoming Chair of the Board of Trustees in July the same year.

National Life Stories National Life Stories (NLS) is an independent charitable trust and limited company (registered as the "National Life Story Collection") based within the British Library Oral History section, whose key focus and expertise is oral history fieldwork. ...

conducted an oral history interview (C467/136) with Keith Williams in 2017-2019 for its Architects' Lives collection.

Selected Buildings

* 202
DeValera Library & Súil Art Gallery
Ennis Co Clare Ireland * 2012

The Novium The Novium is a museum in Chichester, West Sussex, southern England. The name comes from the Roman name for the city, Noviomagus Reginorum. The museum, designed by the architect Keith Williams following an architectural design competition m ...

Chichester Chichester ( ) is a City status in the United Kingdom, cathedral city and civil parish in the Chichester District, Chichester district of West Sussex, England.OS Explorer map 120: Chichester, South Harting and Selsey Scale: 1:25 000. Publisher ...

* 2012 Luan Gallery,

Athlone Athlone (; ) is a town on the border of County Roscommon and County Westmeath, Republic of Ireland, Ireland. It is located on the River Shannon near the southern shore of Lough Ree. It is the second most populous town in the Midland Region, Ir ...

* 2011

Marlowe Theatre The Marlowe Theatre is a 1,200-seat theatre in Canterbury named after playwright Christopher Marlowe, who was born and attended school in the city. It was named a The Stage Awards, Stage Awards, 2022 UK Theatre of the Year. The Marlowe Trust ...

Canterbury Canterbury (, ) is a City status in the United Kingdom, city and UNESCO World Heritage Site, in the county of Kent, England; it was a county borough until 1974. It lies on the River Stour, Kent, River Stour. The city has a mild oceanic climat ...

. * 201
Athlone Army Memorial
Co. Westmeath Ireland * 2008

Wexford Opera House The National Opera House (), formerly the Wexford Opera House, is a theatre in Wexford, Ireland. It was officially opened on 5 September 2008 in a ceremony with the Taoiseach Brian Cowen, followed by a live broadcast of RTÉ's '' The Late Lat ...

* 2008 Clones Library & County Library HQ Co Monaghan Ireland * 2005

Unicorn Theatre The Unicorn Theatre is a children's theatre in the London Borough of Southwark, in England. It is a custom-built, RIBA Award–winning building on Tooley Street, which opened in 2005. The theatre was designed by Keith Williams, built by Arup an ...

, London * 200
The Long House
London * 200
Athlone Civic Centre
Athlone Co. Westmeath Ireland DeValera Library

Keith_Williams_Architects_Novium_Museum_Chichester

Keith_Williams_Architects_Unicorn_Theatre

Bibliography

2009, ''Keith Williams: Architecture of the Specific'', Image Publishing, Mulgrave.

Awards

*202
Architecture Today Awards
- Unicorn Theatre - finalist *2017 RIAI Triennial Gold Medal - shortlisted *2014

Civic Trust Award The Civic Trust Awards scheme is a British awards scheme to recognise outstanding architecture, planning and design in the built environment. It was established in 1959, and is the longest-standing built environment awards scheme in Europe. The ...

for the Luan Gallery, Athlone, RIBA National Award for the Novium Museum Chichester *2013 Civic Trust Award and Civic Trust Michael Middleton Special Award both for the Novium Museum Chichester, Civic Trust Award for the Marlowe Theatre, Canterbury, RIAI Best Cultural Building Award *2012 RIBA Downland Award *2010 AIA Award, Quadrennial Award for Practical Design Excellence, Soc. of Theatre Consultants, LAMA National Impact Award *2009 RIBA Award, RIAI Award: Best Cultural Building for Wexford Opera House *2008 RIBA Award, BD Public Building Architect of the Year Award, Chicago Athenaeum Prize, OPUS Architecture & Construction Award, Copper in Architecture Award *2007 RIAI Award, USITT Award *2006 RIBA Award, RIAI Award, BD Public Building Architect of the Year Award, Chicago Athenaeum Prize *2005 RIBA European Award, RIAI Award: Best Sustainable Building Award, OPUS Architecture & Construction Award, Irish Concrete Society Award *2004 Richmond Society Award: Gold Medallion

References

External links

Official website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Williams, Keith 1958 births Living people Architects from London People educated at Kingston Grammar School British architects 20th-century British architects 21st-century British architects Alumni of Kingston University 20th-century English architects 21st-century English architects Fellows of the Royal Institute of British Architects