William Armson

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Excelsior Hotel in Christchurch
Guthrey Center in Christchurch
Bank of New Zealand, Dunedin, 2009

William Barnett Armson (* 1832 or 1833 in London ; † February 25, 1883 in Christchurch ) was a New Zealand architect , surveyor and engineer . He was a co-founder of the Canterbury Association of Architects and an architect for the provincial government. In 1870 he founded the architectural firm Armson, Collins and Harman , which existed until 1993 and was the second oldest in New Zealand at the time. His main work was the Bank of New Zealand branch in Dunedin . Armson designed numerous buildings in New Zealand, including banks, churches, schools and landing shops. Its business buildings were stylistically based on Renaissance architecture . The banks and office buildings were notable for their textbook and strictly correct form. You are a good example of Andrea Palladio's architecture school .

Early years

Armson was born in London in 1832 or 1833 . His father, Francis William Armson, was a surveyor, building contractor and later also an architect. His mother was Jane Barnett. Armson received his education in Melbourne. His family immigrated to New Zealand in 1852 but moved to Melbourne , Australia in 1884 .

Working life

Armson trained for six years at the Melbourne architecture and engineering firm Purchas and Swyer . He acquired knowledge of architecture, engineering and surveying.

In 1861 Armson applied for a patent for street advertising in the form of illuminated displays, as he did not enclose a drawing, but he did not hold a patent on the advertising material that was later widely used.

Armson returned to New Zealand during the Otago Gold Rush in 1862, where he found employment as a draftsman in the provincial government's engineering department. Soon he was promoted to assistant architect. After retiring from the civil service, Armson practiced in Dunedin from 1864 . In 1865 he oversaw the construction of St Luke's Church in Oamaru .

In addition to Nathan Thornley, Armson was a partner in the Oamaru- based company Thornley and Armson . The office worked in architecture, engineering, surveying and the real estate industries. After the company dissolved in 1865, Armston moved an office to the Oamaru House Chambers at 5 Thames Street.

In 1866 he opened an architectural office in Hokitika and designed numerous buildings on the west coast, including the Hokitika Town Hall (1869).

In 1870 he moved his field of activity to Christchurch . It was here that his most important works were created, including the Public Library (Christchurch, 1875), the Bank of New Zealand branch in Lyttelton (1878), the Bank of New Zealand branch on Princes Street in Dunedin (1879), the Christchurch Girls' High School (1880) and St Mary's Church in Timaru (1880). He remained Christchurch's leading commercial building architect until his death.

Armson died in Christchurch on February 25, 1883. He was buried in Barbadoes Street Cemetery . The Macmillan Brown Library of the University of Canterbury keeps many of his drawings.

100 years after his death, the Christchurch Art Gallery hosted an exhibition of his original drawings and plans. In 1983 Art New Zealand published an article "Lost and Found: The Architecture of WB. Armson" in memory of his work.

Armson was a founding member of the Canterbury Club. In 1872 he was commissioned to design a new clubhouse, which he turned down because of health problems and other commissions. He was one of the founding members of the Canterbury Association of Architects in 1872 .

Important works

  • St Luke's Church , Oamaru (Site Supervision, 1865), Registered Historic Place Category 1 under number 4365 .
  • Hokitika Town Hall (1869)
  • Public Library, Christchurch (1875)
  • Bank of New Zealand branch in Lyttelton (1878)
  • Bank of New Zealand Branch, Dunedin (1879)
  • New Zealand Loan and Mercantile Woolstore , 116-118 Durham Street, Christchurch (1881), wool and grain warehouse of the New Zealand Loan and Mercantile Company . Registered as a historical monument by the NZHPT under number 3672, demolished after the 2011 earthquake.
  • Cranmer Center , Cranmer Square, Christchurch, then home of the Christchurch Girls' High School (1880, opened 1881)
  • Fisher's Building , Hereford Street, Christchurch (1881).
  • Christchurch Boys' High School (opened 1881).
  • Excelsior Hotel (1881), architectural monument.
  • Church of St. Mary in Timaru (1881).
  • Anderson Building (later Guthrey Center ), 126 Cashel Street, Christchurch (1881). The building was built on the street side of the Anderson's Foundry iron foundry to house offices and shops for its owner John Anderson (1820-1897). Registered by the NZHPT under number 3669 as Category 1 historic place . Canceled after the 2011 earthquake.
  • Harald's Building, Lichfield Street (1881).
  • Library Chambers (1875), stylistically based on Venetian Gothic
  • Librarian's House at 109 Cambridge Terrace and Hereford Streets, Christchurch (1894). Two story brick apartment building for the head librarian of the Christchurch Public Library. Registered by the NZHPT as Historic Place Category 2 under number 3704 , canceled after the 2011 earthquake.

Web links

Commons : William Armson  - Collection of Images, Videos and Audio Files

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ a b c Guthrey Center History. Christchurch Central City Directory, archived from the original on February 6, 2013 ; accessed on February 22, 2016 (English).
  2. ↑ Armson'S EARLY CAREER Melbourne, Dunedin, Hokitika. . In: peoplesnetworknz.info . Retrieved August 9, 2011.
  3. ↑ Christchurch (NZ). Environmental Policy & Planning Unit: The Architectural Heritage of Christchurch: Pavilions, temples & four square walls: Christchurch pump houses and substations . Christchurch City Council, 2003, ISBN 1-877313-09-2 , p. 10 ( Accessed June 5, 2011).
  4. ↑ Collins & Harman . In: historic.org.nz . Retrieved June 4, 2011.
  5. ↑ a b W B Armson: a colonial architect rediscovered . Christchurch Art Gallery. Retrieved August 11, 2011.
  6. ^ Royal Institute of British Architects: Journal of the Royal Institute of British Architects , Now in the public domain. Edition, The Institute, 1900, pp. 486 ff. (Accessed August 10, 2011).
  7. ^ A b Jonathan Mane-Wheoki: Armson, William Barnett - Biography . In: Dictionary of New Zealand Biography . Te Ara - the Encyclopedia of New Zealand. September 1, 2010. Retrieved August 9, 2011.
  8. ^ Assessment Schedule - 2008 - Art History: Discuss Art Works (90227) . (PDF; 161 kB) NZQA , 2008, archived from the original on February 22, 2013 ; accessed on May 24, 2019 (English, original website no longer available).
  9. ↑ a b c d e f g New Zealand Historic Places Trust: Bank of New Zealand Building (section "Construction professionals")
  10. ^ William Henry Archer: Victoria. Abstracts of specifications of patents applied for from 1854 to 1866 , Now in the public domain. Edition 1870, p. 6 ff. (Accessed on 10 August 2011).
  11. ^ New Advertisements . In: Volume IV, Issue 65 , North Otago Times, May 18, 1865, p. 3. Retrieved August 11, 2011.  
  12. ^ Richard LN Greenaway: Barbadoes Street Cemetery Tour . Christchurch City Council. June 2007. Retrieved September 30, 2011.
  13. ^ Architectural Drawings . University of Canterbury. Retrieved August 11, 2011.
  14. ^ JN Mané: Lost and Found: The Architecture of WB. Armson . In: Art New Zealand . No. 29, Summer 1983-84.
  15. ^ History. The Canterbury Club, accessed February 22, 2016 .
  16. ^ Historic Buildings of Dunedin - City of Grace and Grandeur. Visit Dunedin, accessed February 22, 2016 .
  17. ↑ a b NZHPT: Lost heritage Christchurch City DH. accessed February 1, 2015
  18. ^ City of Gothic Proportions . (PDF; 293 kB) Christchurch City Council , archived from the original on October 9, 2011 ; accessed on May 24, 2019 (English, original website no longer available).
  19. ↑ a b City Heritage Walks . Pp. 10, 15. Retrieved August 11, 2011.
  20. ↑ Heritage Images Online Photographer: Burton Brothers . Auckland Council. Retrieved August 9, 2011.
  21. ^ New Excelsior Backpackers. Christchurch Central City Directory, archived from the original on February 6, 2013 ; accessed on February 22, 2016 (English, original website no longer available).
  22. ↑ St Mary's (Anglican) Parish Church, Timaru, NZ . In: rootsweb.ancestry.com . Retrieved August 11, 2011.
  23. ↑ 80 Lichfield Street . Christchurch Kete People's Network NZ. Retrieved August 11, 2011.
  24. ^ Library Chambers . In: christchurchcitylibraries.com . Retrieved August 11, 2011.
  25. ↑ NZHPT: Lost heritage Christchurch City AC. accessed February 1, 2015
personal data
SURNAME Armson, William
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Armson, William Barnett
BRIEF DESCRIPTION New Zealand architect
DATE OF BIRTH 1832 or 1833
PLACE OF BIRTH London
DATE OF DEATH February 25, 1883
Place of death Christchurch