John Colin Scott (9 June 1924 – 30 July 1992) was a

New Zealand New Zealand ( mi, Aotearoa ) is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and over 700 List of islands of New Zealand, smaller islands. It is the ...

architect of the 20th century, known for his unique buildings that incorporated ideas from Maori and cultural architecture.

Early life

John Colin Scott was born in

Haumoana Haumoana is a coastal town just south of the Tukituki River outlet in Hawke Bay on the east coast of New Zealand's North Island. It is located 12 km south of Napier and ten kilometres east of Hastings. The village incorporates a school, a P ...

, Hawke’s Bay on 9 June 1924, the third of seven children of Kathleen Hiraani Blake and Charles Hudson Scott, a farmer. His mother and father both had British ancestry, while his father was also a descendant of

Te Arawa Te Arawa is a confederation of Māori iwi and hapu (tribes and sub-tribes) of New Zealand who trace their ancestry to the Arawa migration canoe (''waka'').St John's College in

Hastings Hastings () is a large seaside town and borough in East Sussex on the south coast of England, east to the county town of Lewes and south east of London. The town gives its name to the Battle of Hastings, which took place to the north-west a ...

where he was head prefect and captain of the school's First XV rugby team. After leaving school he found work as a

shepherd A shepherd or sheepherder is a person who tends, herds, feeds, or guards flocks of sheep. ''Shepherd'' derives from Old English ''sceaphierde (''sceap'' 'sheep' + ''hierde'' ' herder'). ''Shepherding is one of the world's oldest occupations ...

, before volunteering for the air force as the Second World War came to an end. In 1946 he studied at the School of Architecture at

Auckland University College , mottoeng = By natural ability and hard work , established = 1883; years ago , endowment = NZD $293 million (31 December 2021) , budget = NZD $1.281 billion (31 December 2021) , chancellor = Cecilia Tarrant , vice_chancellor = Dawn ...

, but he was unsure of what he wanted to do. He disliked the university academic environment and by 1950 he reduced himself to studying part-time. Scott never achieved his architecture diploma from the college, but he was influenced by teachers Vernon Brown and Bill Wilson. In 1951 he married Wilson's sister-in-law Joan Moffatt in Auckland.

Architectural career

After leaving University he worked for two architectural firms. later he decided to move back to Haumona in the Hawke's Bay with his wife and work for himself. His initial jobs were mostly private houses, like the Savage House and the Falls House in

Havelock North Havelock North ( mi, Te Hemo-a-Te Atonga) is a town in the Hawke's Bay region of the North Island of New Zealand, situated less than 2 km south-east of the city of Hastings. It was a borough for many years until the 1989 reorganisation of local ...

(1952–53). As he developed his individual style, he became inspired by traditional New Zealand buildings such as the

whare A wharenui (; literally "large house") is a communal house of the Māori people of New Zealand, generally situated as the focal point of a ''marae''. Wharenui are usually called meeting houses in New Zealand English, or simply called ''whare'' ( ...

and woolshed, elements of which can be seen in his later work. Much of his work is characterised by strong geometric shapes. His first church was designed for St John's College in

(1954–56). This led to the commission of a Marist chapel in

Karori Karori is a suburb located at the western edge of the urban area of Wellington, New Zealand, 4 km from the city centre and is one of New Zealand's most populous suburbs, with a population of in History Origins The name ''Karori'' use ...

Wellington Wellington ( mi, Te Whanganui-a-Tara or ) is the capital city of New Zealand. It is located at the south-western tip of the North Island, between Cook Strait and the Remutaka Range. Wellington is the second-largest city in New Zealand by m ...

. This project, the Chapel of Futuna (1958–61) is arguably the best work of his career, and is recognised nationally and internationally. The chapel incorporates ideas from a

- a central pole, ribs of rafters and low eaves. The building won the

New Zealand Institute of Architects Te Kāhui Whaihanga New Zealand Institute of Architects (NZIA) is a membership-based professional organisation that represents 90 per cent of all registered architects in New Zealand, and promotes architecture that enhances the New Zealand liv ...

gold medal in 1968, and the first 25-year Award in 1986. Scott mostly worked on private commissions, many of which were located in the Hawke’s Bay region where he grew up. One of Scott’s last projects before he died was John’s House, a holiday accommodation located in Havelock North. This was the second home that decorated World War II veteran John Pattison commissioned John Scott to build, and it was completed in 1990. Besides public commissions, Scott designed several other public buildings. The Maori Battalion Memorial Centre in Palmerston North (1954–64) used carved panels and

tukutuku Tukutuku panelling is a distinctive art form of the Māori people of New Zealand, a traditional latticework used to decorate meeting houses (wharenui). Other names are tuitui and arapaki. Tukutuku flank the posts around the edge of the wharenui ...

for decoration. The Urewera National Park Headquarters building (1974–76) was designed as a pavilion to suit the neighbouring bush, and shows that sense of place and landscape were critical to his architectural thinking.

Death and subsequent recognition

John Scott died on 30 July 1992 in Auckland after a major heart operation. In 1999 he was awarded another gold medal by the

for his unique contribution to architecture.John Scott: Architect
Retrieved: 20 February 2009

References

External links

John’s House - One of John Scott’s Last New Zealand ProjectsJohn Scott: ArchitectFriends of Futuna Charitable Trust
{{DEFAULTSORT:Scott, John University of Auckland alumni People from the Hawke's Bay Region 1924 births 1992 deaths 20th-century New Zealand architects Recipients of the NZIA Gold Medal People educated at St John's College, Hastings Te Arawa people

Early life

Architectural career

Death and subsequent recognition

See also

References

External links