Michael Manser (23 March 1929 – 8 June 2016) was 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 ...

. He was a president 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 ...

(RIBA) and established his own successful architecture practice in 1961.

Education and career

Born in

Bristol Bristol () is a City status in the United Kingdom, cathedral city, unitary authority area and ceremonial county in South West England, the most populous city in the region. Built around the River Avon, Bristol, River Avon, it is bordered by t ...

, Manser studied architecture at Regent Street Polytechnic, now the

University of Westminster The University of Westminster is a public university, public university based in London, United Kingdom. Founded in 1838 as the Royal Polytechnic Institution, it was the first Polytechnic (United Kingdom), polytechnic to open in London. The Po ...

. Before setting up his own practice Michael Manser Associates in 1961, Manser worked in London and the West Indies for Norman and Dawbarn. He later became the non-executive chairman of the Manser Practice. His son Jonathan is now managing director. His daughter Victoria has her own architectural practice. Manser was president of the Royal Institute of British Architects 1983-85 and was elected a member of the

Royal Academy The Royal Academy of Arts (RA) is an art institution based in Burlington House in Piccadilly London, England. Founded in 1768, it has a unique position as an independent, privately funded institution led by eminent artists and architects. Its ...

in November 1994. He was honoured with a

CBE The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding valuable service in a wide range of useful activities. It comprises five classes of awards across both civil and military divisions, the most senior two o ...

in 1993, but declined the honour in 1988 due to the controversy over modern architecture with

Prince Charles Charles III (Charles Philip Arthur George; born 14 November 1948) is King of the United Kingdom and the 14 other Commonwealth realms. Charles was born at Buckingham Palace during the reign of his maternal grandfather, King George VI, and ...

and an infamous lecture for the 150th anniversary of the RIBA during Manser's presidency of the institute. In 2001, ''

Architects' Journal ''Architects' Journal'' is a professional architecture magazine, published monthly in London by Metropolis International. Each issue includes in-depth features on relevant current affairs, alongside profiles of recently completed buildings. Ten t ...

'' inaugurated the annual Manser Medal, named after Michael Manser, to recognise the best completed house in the UK.

Notable buildings

Waterlooville Baptist Church Waterlooville Baptist Church is a Baptist church in Waterlooville and surrounding suburban areas in the borough of Havant in Hampshire, southeast England. Built in 1966 to replace a Victorian era, Victorian chapel on a different site, the church ...

Waterlooville Waterlooville is a town in the Borough of Havant in Hampshire, England, approximately north northeast of Portsmouth. It is the largest town in the borough. The town had a population of 64,350 in the 2011 Census. It is surrounded by Purbrook, ...

, Hampshire (1967) *

Capel Manor House Capel Manor House is a small modern steel-framed private house in Horsmonden, in Kent in southern England. It was designed by Michael Manser for John Melbourne Howard (MP for Southampton), John Howard, a former Member of Parliament. It was bui ...

, 1970 *The Quell,

Haslemere The town of Haslemere () and the villages of Shottermill and Grayswood are in south-west Surrey, England, around south-west of London. Together with the settlements of Hindhead and Beacon Hill (Hindhead, Surrey), Beacon Hill, they comprise ...

, Surrey: private house (1985) *

Hilton Hotel Hilton Hotels & Resorts (formerly known as Hilton Hotels) is a global brand of full-service hotels and resorts and the flagship brand of American multinational hospitality company Hilton Worldwide. The original company was founded by Conrad Hi ...

(originally Sterling Hotel), Heathrow Terminal 4, 1990 *

Southampton Airport Southampton Airport is an international airport located in both Eastleigh and Southampton, Hampshire, in England. The airport is located north-northeast of central Southampton. The southern tip of the runway lies within the Southampton u ...

, 1994 * British High Commission (Umoja House), Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, 2002

References

External links

*
Profile on Royal Academy of Arts Collections
1929 births 2016 deaths Architects from Bristol Modernist architects from the United Kingdom Presidents of the Royal Institute of British Architects Commanders of the Order of the British Empire Royal Academicians Alumni of the Regent Street Polytechnic {{UK-architect-stub