Richard Anthony Johnson (born 11 May 1946, in Sydney) is an Australian

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 ...

best known as the creator of some of the Australian most important and iconic cultural buildings and spaces of the twentieth century.

Academic career

Johnson graduated in 1969 with first class honours in

Architecture Architecture is the art and technique of designing and building, as distinguished from the skills associated with construction. It is both the process and the product of sketching, conceiving, planning, designing, and constructing buildings ...

from the

University of New South Wales The University of New South Wales (UNSW), also known as UNSW Sydney, is a public research university based in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. It is one of the founding members of Group of Eight, a coalition of Australian research-intensiv ...

and a

Master of Philosophy The Master of Philosophy (MPhil; Latin ' or ') is a postgraduate degree. In the United States, an MPhil typically includes a taught portion and a significant research portion, during which a thesis project is conducted under supervision. An MPhil m ...

Town Planning Urban planning, also known as town planning, city planning, regional planning, or rural planning, is a technical and political process that is focused on the development and design of land use and the built environment, including air, water, ...

from the

University College London , mottoeng = Let all come who by merit deserve the most reward , established = , type = Public research university , endowment = £143 million (2020) , budget = � ...

in 1977. He has held several academic positions including

Adjunct Professor An adjunct professor is a type of academic appointment in higher education who does not work at the establishment full-time. The terms of this appointment and the job security of the tenure vary in different parts of the world, however the gener ...

of Architecture, at the University of NSW between 1999 and 2008; and a Professor of Practice/Architectural Studies, at the University of NSW since 2008. Professional associations include appointment as a Life Fellow of the

Royal Australian Institute of Architects (United we advance architecture) , predecessor = , merged = , successor = , formation = , extinction = , status = Professional body; members association , headquarters = L1/41 Exhibition St, Melbourne , leader_title = CEO , leader_ ...

in 2011; a Fellow of the Royal Australian Institute of Architects in 2005; an Associate of the Design Institute of Australia; an Associate of the

Japan Institute of Architects The Japan Institute of Architects (JIA; , ''Nihon kenchikuka kyōkai'') is a voluntary organization for architects in Japan, and an affiliated organization of the Union Internationale des Architectes (UIA). The institution was founded in May 1987 ...

; and a

Registered Architect Professional requirements for architects vary from place to place, but usually consist of three elements: a university degree or advanced education, a period of internship or training in an office, and examination for registration with a jurisdict ...

in the State of

New South Wales ) , nickname = , image_map = New South Wales in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of New South Wales in AustraliaCoordinates: , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = Australia , established_title = Before federation , es ...

Professional experience

*1969 – 1985 Principal Architect, Department of Housing and Construction *1985 – 2000 Director, Denton Corker Marshall Pty Ltd In 2001, the Sydney-based Directors of DCM, Richard Johnson, Adrian Pilton and Jeff Walker de-merged the Sydney office from the group and renamed the office Johnson Pilton Walker Pty Ltd – a multi-design disciplinary firm which is currently working on a wide range of projects in Australia, China and New Zealand. Kiong Lee, Paul van Ratingen and Graeme Dix joined the practice as Directors. *2000 – present Director, Johnson Pilton Walker Pty Ltd.

Projects

Some of Johnson's major projects have included:. *Australian Pavilion – Expo '74 in Spokane (USA) – as assistant to James Maccormick. *Australian Pavilion –

Expo '75 Expo '75 ( ) was a World's Fair held on the island of Okinawa in Japan from July 20, 1975 to January 18, 1976. History Expo 75 was conceived, in part, to commemorate the American handover of Okinawa to Japan in 1972. The theme of the exposit ...

in Okinawa (Japan) *Australian Pavilion – Expo '85 in Tsukuba (Japan) *

Australia Post Australia Post, formally the Australian Postal Corporation, is the government business enterprise that provides postal services in Australia. The head office of Australia Post is located in Bourke Street, Melbourne, which also serves as a post ...

Pavilion and Exhibits at Expo 88 (Brisbane) *Queensland News Pavilion and Exhibits – Expo 88 (Brisbane) *Spanish Pavilion and Exhibits – Expo 88 (Brisbane) *Australian Embassy in Beijing, *masterplan of the Australian Embassy in Tokyo *

Art Gallery of NSW The Art Gallery of New South Wales (AGNSW), founded as the New South Wales Academy of Art in 1872 and known as the National Art Gallery of New South Wales between 1883 and 1958, is located in The Domain, Sydney, Australia. It is the most importa ...

– New Asian Gallery *

Sydney Opera House The Sydney Opera House is a multi-venue performing arts centre in Sydney. Located on the foreshore of Sydney Harbour, it is widely regarded as one of the world's most famous and distinctive buildings and a masterpiece of 20th-century archit ...

masterplan and refurbishments (with Jørn Utzon) *

Museum of Sydney The Museum of Sydney is a historical collection and exhibit, built on the ruins of the house of New South Wales' first Governor, Arthur Phillip, on the present-day corner of Phillip and Bridge Street, Sydney. Description The original house, ...

, 1995 *First Government House Place, Sydney *

Australian Museum The Australian Museum is a heritage-listed museum at 1 William Street, Sydney central business district, New South Wales, Australia. It is the oldest museum in Australia,Design 5, 2016, p.1 and the fifth oldest natural history museum in th ...

– New Zoology Building *

Australian National Maritime Museum The Australian National Maritime Museum (ANMM) is a federally operated maritime museum in Darling Harbour, Sydney. After considering the idea of establishing a maritime museum, the federal government announced that a national maritime museum wou ...

– Masterplan * National Portrait Gallery in Canberra *

Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery The Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery (TMAG) is a museum located in Hobart, Tasmania. The museum was established in 1846, by the Royal Society of Tasmania, the oldest Royal Society outside England. The TMAG receives 400,000 visitors annually. ...

in Hobart – Masterplan *

National Gallery of Victoria The National Gallery of Victoria, popularly known as the NGV, is an art museum in Melbourne, Victoria (Australia), Victoria, Australia. Founded in 1861, it is Australia's oldest and list of most visited art museums in the world, most visited ar ...

– Redevelopment Masterplan and Feasibility Study

Awards

Johnson was appointed

Member of the Order of the British Empire The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding contributions to the arts and sciences, work with charitable and welfare organisations, and public service outside the civil service. It was established ...

(MBE) in 1976 for Public Service in the field of architecture and in 2012 was appointed Life Governor of the Art Gallery of New South Wales. In

2014 File:2014 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: Stocking up supplies and personal protective equipment (PPE) for the Western African Ebola virus epidemic; Citizens examining the ruins after the Chibok schoolgirls kidnapping; Bundles of wat ...

Johnson was appointed an

Officer of the Order of Australia The Order of Australia is an honour that recognises Australian citizens and other persons for outstanding achievement and service. It was established on 14 February 1975 by Elizabeth II, Queen of Australia, on the advice of the Australian Go ...

(AO) "for distinguished service to architecture, particularly the design of iconic Australian public buildings, to the visual arts and the museum and galleries sector, and to professional associations."

RAIA Gold Medal

Richard Johnson was awarded the RAIA Gold Medal by the

on 13 March 2008. The RAIA National President Alec Tzannes said the medal recognised Johnson’s "executed work of exceptional merit, and his outstanding contribution to the development of the profession in Australia".Australian Institute of Architects – Gold Medal.
Retrieved 28 September 2010

References

External links

Johnson Pilton Walker official webpage
{{DEFAULTSORT:Johnson, Richard 1946 births Living people University of New South Wales alumni Alumni of University College London New South Wales architects Officers of the Order of Australia Members of the Order of the British Empire Recipients of the Royal Australian Institute of Architects’ Gold Medal Architects from Sydney