The Federal Member for Banks held a Photography competition for residents of the Banks Electorate. Over 300 different photographers entered one image each. There were several given Commendation certificates and another few were Finalists. My infrared photo of the Oatley train station was a Finalist.
Design Work on the Spire from 1973
My initial involvement with Sir Roy Grounds and the design of the Spire followed on from a meeting with senior engineers from John Connell and Associates (JCA) at a Conference about Tall Buildings at the University of Sydney in 1973. As a result I was engaged to carry out a complete design check on the four large spaceframe roof structures proposed for the Collins Place Project and another four roofs for the Canberra Hospital Services Complex.
The Arts Centre Spire and Meeting Sir Roy Grounds
At the end of being briefed on these two projects, we were in Andrew Goad’s office (JCA) and on the wall behind there was a drawing of a tall tapering lattice tower.
It turned out that this was the state of play for the design of the Spire for the Victorian Arts Centre - later renamed the Melbourne Arts Centre. I had last heard of the spire whilst in High School when pupils were encouraged to save their copper coins for the copper clad spire. Apparently this was more for fund raising rather than the coins being melted down for the copper cladding. The National Gallery of Victoria (NGV) had been completed.
John Peyton (JCA) asked, “do you want to have a go at that one?” I answered with a yes and so John contacted the architect Sir Roy Grounds, and he agreed to meet me the next day where he defined the basic criteria to be satisfied. By this time the concept for a copper clad spire "place marker" covering a relatively small theatre built below street level had been abandoned and a tall open tapering lattice spire was the direction to be followed. A separate complex - the Concert Hall - was to be closer to the Yarra River.
Read more: Melbourne Arts Centre Spire and Theatres Celebrate 40 Years
I used to be a structural engineer and University Academic in Canada as well as at UNSW Sydney. My interest area was, and still is with lightweight, large span spaceframe and membrane structures. I am a founding member of the Lightweight Structures Assoc of Australasia and continue to work part time for them - see: https://www.lsaa.org/
One of the more interesting Australian projects was my extensive involvement in the design of the Melbourne Arts Centre Spire in the period 1973-79. I worked as a specialist consultant through the then John Connell and Associates to realize the concepts of the Architect Sir Roy Grounds. In 2024 it is celebrating 40 years since the opening of the State Theatre. The Spire has become a Melbourne Icon.
But in retirement I have started work with solid timber burls as coffee tables, slabs of timber for benches and tables. Many of these are the opposite of lightweight!
Oh and a bit of photography. Jack of all(?) trades - master of none - always learning - and forgetting more with age !!
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In terms of photos, this panorama was used on the cover of the book "The Rarest Thing" by Deborah O'Brien
And this one showing the devastion from bushfires in the Victorian High Country got a nod as being in the top 101 in the 2014 International Landscape Photos
Early interests outside of my professional career included bushwalking, some mountaineering, a bit of sailing, scouts, tennis and since retirement 4WD touring which encouraged an interest in photography starting with predominantly landscapes.
Being a retired structural engineer I enjoy photographing heritage structures as well as interesting architectural projects.
I am keen to expand on my photography subjects and, depending on time and locations, am keen to assist younger models, HMUA with some TFP outdoor shoots. Also keen on close up portraits and "macro" detail shots (subject to safe Covid steps). See link for some notes about possible locations in Sydney.
Contacts:
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