User:UQ112/Wilson Architects

Wilson Architects, founded by Alexander Brown Wilson in August of 1884 established on Queen Street Brisbane, is now located on 564 Boundary Street Spring Hill. The family owned firm stretches over the period of four successive generations and 128 years, starting with Alexander Brown Wilson and currently managed by Hamilton Blair Wilson. They have designed numerous landmarks around Brisbane including ecclesiastical, residential and large scale commissions.

Alexander Brown Wilson (1857-1938)
Born in Glasgow Scotland, Alexander Brown Wilson was the 5th son of George Wilson and Margeret nee Watson; Alexander immigrated to Brisbane, along with his family, in 1864. Alexander started his architectural education and career, serving under Colonel Architect F.D.G Stanley straight after he completed his secondary education. After the opening of Wilson Architects on Queen Street, in August of 1884, Alexander Wilson grew to become the leading residential architect in Brisbane until G.H.M Addison started work. Later in his career, being a devoted churchgoer, Alexander was appointed as both Honorary Architect to the Presbyterian Church of Queensland and Consultant to the Queensland Congregational Union. Alexander retired in 1929 and died in 1938, at the age of 81. After his passing, the firm was handed over to his son Ron Martin Wilson.

Ronald Martin Wilson (1886-1967)
Ronald Martin Wilson, born in Yeronga Brisbane in 1886, attended the Normal School and later, Brisbane Grammar School for his secondary education. For his tertiary schooling, Ronald studied as a civil engineer at University of Queensland, whilst working for his father Alexander Brown Wilson; Ronald becomes Chief Architectural Assistant in 1908 within the Wilson firm. Travelling overseas for 2 years to the United States of America, Ronald Wilson continued his education studying structural steel and reinforced concrete. In addition, Ronald travelled to Britain in 1917, joining the Ministry of Munitions and later the Ministry of Food before finally returning to Brisbane in 1919 to establish a partnership with his father. Together they renamed the firm Alex B. & R. Martin Wilson, Architects and Architectural Engineers. After his father’s retirement in 1929, the firm changed names once more to R. Martin Wilson, Architect and Architectural Engineer after he began to run the practice. Like his father, Ronald Wilson was also appointed as Honorary Architect for the Presbyterian Church of Queensland, completing multiple projects for the Presbyterian community around Brisbane. At the age of 70, his son Blair Mansfield Wilson joined the practice and on the 19 of July 1967, Ronald Wilson passed away at the age of 81.

Blair Mansfield Wilson (1930-Present)
Born in Brisbane in 1930, Blair Wilson attended Brisbane Grammar School and later enrolled in the newly established 6 year course of architecture at the University of Queensland in 1949. In Blair’s final years of his education at the University of Queensland, he worked for both his father and Aubrey Job from the Firm Fulton, Job & Collin for extra work experience, before finally graduating in 1954. Travelling overseas to London, Blair worked with Clifford, Tee & Gale before returning to Brisbane in 1956, to enter in a partnership with this father as R. Martin Wilson & Son. After his father’s death in 1967, Blair continued the firm as Blair M. Wilson & Associates (Pty, Ltd) and later retired from his managerial position the firm in 1995.

Hamilton Blair Wilson (1961-Present)
Hamilton Wilson, the 2nd son of Blair and Beth Wilson, also attended Brisbane Grammar School and studied art with Mervyn Moriarty’s innovative flying art school. In 1980, Hamilton enrolled part-time into an architectural course at Queensland Institute of Technology whilst being employed by Lund Hutton Ryan Morton. In Hamilton’s final 2 years at university, he transferred to a full time architecture course at the University of Queensland, graduating in 1985 with first class honours, and winning the A.E Brooks Prize. After graduating he travelled overseas to London in 1987. Hamilton then returned to Brisbane in 1989, to then be appointed as the managing director of Wilson Architects in 1995 as his father stepped down.

The War and Post War Period
Due to the Second World War, Ronald Wilson was forced to close down the office and assist the Allied Works Council in designing sewerage plants for military establishments. In 1945, when the war ended, Ronald was able to reopen the office and rebuild the firm, however it took until the 1950’s before the practice was back to what it was before the war. This was due to the limitations of private residences and the lack in materials. After the war the first major project that the firm undertook was the Presbyterian Church at St Lucia in 1951. With projects being commissioned and not awarded though competitions, Wilson Architects were primarily designing religious and commercial buildings due to their connections with family owned businesses like Morrows Ltd and religious ties with the Presbyterian Church of Queensland.

Religious Architecture
After the Second World War, R. Martin Wilson, Architect and Architectural Engineer maintained its tradition of religious projects due to Alexander and Ronald Wilson’s connection with the  Presbyterian Church of Queensland as Honorary Architects. Thus, a significant proportion of the projects completed after the war until 1976 were religious commissions. Beyond their Presbyterian ties, the Wilson family also had a solid relationship with the Greek Orthodox Community of St George, as well as the Church of England. With the primary client being the Presbyterian Church of Queensland commissioning:


 * Extension for the Presbyterian Church of Queensland, on Hampstead Road South Brisbane 1948
 * Church is now part of the Tongan community
 * St Lucia Presbyterian Church, corner Hawken Drive St Lucia 1951 Presbyterian Church St Lucia Entry.JPG
 * First Major Work after World War II
 * Now part of Uniting Church of Australia
 * "Wairuna" Hostel in Highgate Hill in 1948
 * Now a private residence
 * W.R. Black Home for Girls on 7 Laurel Avenue, Chelmer 1949-54
 * Now a private residence
 * Blackheath Home for Boys on 173 Cliveden Avenue, Oxley 1952-55
 * Demolished

R. Martin Wilson & Son’s were also the primary project architects for the Greek Orthodox Community of St George complex in South Brisbane, designing:


 * Greek Orthodox Church on Corner Besant St & Edmonstone St, South Brisbane 1958 for the Greek Orthodox Church
 * Lynchpin in larger Greek Orthodox Community ‘Precinct’ adj. Musgrave Park

Commissions for the Church of England also included:


 * St David’s Church of England on 69 Chelmer Street East, Chelmer
 * Women’s Shelter on Boundary Street, Spring Hill 1950-54

Awards and Accolades
Whilst Wilson architects won awards for their residential commissions, two of their highly influential projects were the Kindler Memorial Theatre at Queensland Institute of Technology and the La Boite Theatre Company in Paddington.

Kindler Memorial Theatre
Built in 1972 at Queensland Institute of Technology, it won the 1973  Royal Australian Institute of Architects Queensland Chapter Bronze Medal. Through its use of free geometry and materials, the Kindler Memorial Theatre represented a break from post-war modernism architecture.

La Boite Theatre
La Boite Theatre, built in 1972 at the corner of 69 Hale Street and Sexton Street Paddington, won the Prestigious Clay Brick Award. Designed by Blair Wilson, the form of the building was based off the size of the plot and strongly influenced by Alvar Aalto using lead glazed bricks.

Modern Firm
Under Hamilton Wilson, Wilson Architects has undertaken a large step towards larger projects. These projects fall under:

Learning

 * Brisbane Grammar School- The Lilley Centre 2010

Laboratories

 * UNSW Lowy Cancer Research Center

Living

 * King’s College Centenary Building

Adaptive Reuse

 * Mayne Hall Art Museum University of Queensland

Workplace

 * Wilson Architect Office 2005

Presbyterian Church of Queensland Commissions

 * Extension for the Presbyterian Church, South Brisbane 1948
 * "Wairuna" Hostel, Highgate Hill 1948
 * St Lucia Presbyterian Church, St Lucia 1951
 * Aged Men's Home "Hometown", Oxley 1950-52
 * W. R. Black Home for Girls, Chelmer 1949-54
 * Thursday Island Huts, Thursday Island 1949-54
 * Blackheath Home for Boys, Oxley 1952-55
 * Presbyterian Church, North Ipswich 1963

Greek Orthodox Community of St George Commissions

 * Greek Orthodox Church, South Brisbane 1958
 * “Hellenic House” Charlotte Street Brisbane 1959

Church of England Commissions

 * St David’s Church of England, Chelmer
 * Women’s Shelter, Spring Hill 1950-54

Commercial Commissions

 * Biscuit Factory, North Quay 1945-48
 * Private Enterprise for Martin Wilson Bros. Mary Street Brisbane 1948-58
 * Morden Laboratories, North Quay 1954
 * Radford House School, Buranda 1964
 * Veterinary Science School, UQ St Lucia 1968
 * La Boite Theatre, Paddington 1972
 * Kindler Memorial Theatre, QIT 1972
 * Science Building 1, Griffith University Nathan Campus 1974