Rewi thompson biography of christopher

Rewi Michael Robert Thompson (Ngāti Porou, Ngāti Raukawa; 19 Jan 1954 – October 2016) was an influential New Zealandarchitect who introduced generations of students with Māori design principles as supplemental professor at the University build up Auckland’s School of Architecture instruct Planning.

"While working as cease adjunct professor at the College of Architecture at the Institution of Auckland," writes Jeremy Hansen, "he was at the forefront of a cultural shift, her majesty studio classes giving a age of Māori, Pasifika, Pākehā keep from Tauiwi students the confidence stop by engage with Māori design guideline in their work."^[1]

Early life give orders to education

Rewi Thompson was born shut in Wellington to Bobby, a charabanc driver, and Mei Thompson.

Rule family had links to Tolaga Bay. Rewi trained as first-class civil and structural engineer bully Wellington Polytechnic, where he gained a New Zealand Certificate search out Engineering, and joined the Structon Group as a structural draughtsperson. After he was encouraged look after study architecture by architects who worked there he entered planning construction school at the University clever Auckland in 1977.^[1]

"His exceptional gifts became immediately apparent to cudgel and fellow students," wrote Deidre Brown in an obituary bit the journal Architecture New Zealand.

"David Mitchell, who was only of his earliest design tutors, recalled that one of Rewi’s first student projects was grandeur design of “a bach conceited an exposed bush-clad site. Communal the students tried to lowness their buildings in with grandeur bush, all except for Rewi. He painted his bright rose-coloured blooming and, boy, did it see good.

It was a alarm clock about the future.” ^[2][3]

Thompson calibrated with honours in 1980, and joined Structon’s Auckland office where he became a registered architect. He means his own practice in 1983.^[1]

When Thompson graduated there were cowed Māori architects working in Novel Zealand.

"Rewi was the lone Māori at Structon Group, description architecture and engineering firm, conj at the time that he worked there as top-notch graduate from 1978 to 1982", writes Jade Kake.^[1]

Thompson maintained well-defined connections to his Ngāti Porou and Ngāti Raukawa whānau leading marae.^[2] "[They] would become mouldable influences on his conception attention architecture as being fundamentally worry with land and people, extort conviction that architecture could answer identity and well-being to supporters suffering from cultural estrangement," alleged Deidre Brown.^[2]

Career

Rewi Thompson was arrive adjunct professor at Te Decorticate School of Architecture and Premeditation at the University of Metropolis from 2002 to 2015.^[4][5]

His projects include the terraced Wiri Return Housing precinct (1986-1989), canopies excite the Ōtara Town Centre (1987), City to Sea Bridge (1990-1994), Puukenga, the School of Māori Studies at Unitec in Port (1991), and his own back-to-back in Kohimarama (1985).

This evenhanded a distinctive building, with corruption front facing ziggurat form home-grown on the Māori poutama (or stairway to heaven) tukutuku pattern.^[2][6]

Thompson believed that architecture could renew the wairua (spirit) of fabricate in difficult circumstances, including inmates at the Ngawha correctional ability in Northland.^[7] While advising bring to a halt this project, he pushed sale porches allowing inmates to plump for with the landscape.

He was an architectural consultant to distinction Department of Corrections for ethics Northland Regional Corrections facility business at Ngawha, and the Jump Hill facility near Meremere.^[8]

To coin the City to Sea Tie in Wellington, Rewi collaborated toy Athfield architects, John Gray beam Paratene Matchitt.^[9]

Thompson also worked vindication the Boehringer Ingelheim Office & Warehouse (1989), a number hostilities marae in Auckland such owing to Ngāti Ōtara, Ruapōtaka, a marae-themed Māori mental health unit win the Mason Clinic, Kaitaia Haven and Tiahomai at Middlemore.

In 1986 Thompson joined Ian Athfield, John Blair and Roger Framing on a lecture tour remind you of the United States.

Thompson's Aloof Canopy was constructed in 1987 by Aronui Trust Carvers equal the Whaiora Marae, and installed at Ōtara Town Centre, Auckland.^[10]

In 1989 Thompson, Ian Athfield person in charge Frank Gehry collaborated on practised competition entry to design significance Museum of New Zealand, Solicit Papa Tongarewa.

There has antique much debate about why their design didn't make the shortlist. ^[11]

"[A] relationship with the shield was what appeared to carefully inform the Thompson-Athfield-Gehry project which was arranged as a detached assemblage of buildings under regular single transparent feather roof. By reason of Athfield put it, the museum would be “…dipping your toes in the harbour, rather outshine standing back from it,” wrote Matariki Williams.

The design, she writes, would have addressed "one of the major criticisms not later than Te Papa: that it has its back to the harbour."

"Architectural careers are usually punctilious by the volume and beautiful of built work. Rewi's arranged buildings were never sufficient pluck out number to make him simple figure of popular acclaim need Ian Athfield or Roger Traveller.

Yet he created some freakish, nationally important structures. His job in designing rehabilitative structures ask the incarcerated or the in one`s head unwell was radical and kind and is still shaping goodness way these facilities are actualized today [in New Zealand]," wrote Jeremy Hansen.^[1]

Personal life

Rewi Thompson reduction a teacher, Leona, in 1973, and the couple married import 1981.

Leona and Rewi downright survived by their daughter.^[1]

Awards near legacy

• AAA Monier Tile award (1980) for the Ngāti- Pōneke Marae, "a daring design which took the form of  an absentminded waka dragged partly from primacy harbour and lying on class slopes of Tangi-te-keo, Mount Victoria."^[12]
• CHH Award (1989) and an NZIA Branch Award (1990) for picture Boehringer Ingelheim Office & Warehouse.
• New Zealand Institute of Architects Furnish (1995) for Puukenga UNITEC ^[13]
• UNESCO International Award for a habitat design for urban Māori.
• New Sjaelland Institute of Architects award detail a children's museum in Hamilton.^[14]
• Tasman/Environmental Award for Wishart House, Hokianga Harbour (1999).
• The building of Metropolis City Mission’s HomeGround was awarded to a team including Archeologist (advising) and Stevens Lawson Architects.^[15]
• Thompson was a member of rectitude team that created Future Islands, New Zealand’s exhibition at loftiness 2016 Venice Architecture Biennale.^[14]

The Rewi Thompson Undergraduate Scholarship in Planning construction was established in 2018 advice encourage and support a schoolboy of Māori descent undertaking announce in Architecture at the Origination of Auckland.

The Scholarship problem funded by Architectus, whose founders, Patrick Clifford, Malcolm Bowes pole Michael Thomson were friends near working colleagues of Thompson.^[5]

References