He described himself as “the usual misfit in a sport- dominated school”. However, he soon made his mark, rapidly advancing through the academic layers of College life. Among his strongest memories – recalled in a 2012 interview – was the desire for more Physics and less Latin. “Certainly in the Upper 6th, each day began with Latin with the Headmaster and we always had to have one’s Latin lesson sitting in the pews of the Chapel. We desperately tried to get the translation from one another. I can remember that there were only about 10 of us in the form and I remember sitting thinking to myself, ‘Please God, please God, the Headmaster can’t see me, I’m not here, I’m not here’, and suddenly there would be this terrible roar, ‘Warren, translate’. It was an ordeal every morning. I did at one stage ask if I could take less Latin and perhaps Physics would be more useful.” However, Sir Miles said that Headmaster RJ Richards’ reply was very direct: “You are not here to learn how to move a cow, but the principles of moving a cow.” And when the Headmaster heard of young Miles’ ambition to be an architect, he reportedly said: “Oh, Warren minor, we had high hopes for you.” On leaving school at age 16, Sir Miles “went to work for Cecil Wood, one of New Zealand’s foremost architects, and I was his sole draftsman, earning 30 shillings a week”.
Cecil Wood designed College’s Hare Memorial Building, the Dining Hall, the Open Air Classrooms (with additions by Robert Munro), and Jacobs House. After studying architecture in Auckland and gaining the University College Prize for Excellence, Sir Miles travelled to England in 1953. While working for the London County Council, he found himself “sitting right in the middle of the birth of Brutalism”. In tandem, he absorbed the minimalist sculptural designs of Scandinavian architects, including Finn Juhl. Influenced by the Brutalist emphasis on mass, characterised by powerful concrete forms, textured and contrasting surfaces, unusual shapes, and striking structures, Sir Miles returned to Christchurch to redefine New Zealand architecture, establishing a prominent business partnership with Maurice Mahoney in 1958. Prior to the partnership, Sir Miles designed the notable Dorset Street flats, launching the ‘Christchurch Style’. Highlighting exposed concrete blocks, simple lines, and few barriers between spaces, the flats set the scene for his long- lasting career. Following a significant commission to design a dental school, Warren and Mahoney was soon creating some of the city’s most striking Modernist concrete buildings, including
Christchurch College (now College House), the award- winning Harewood Crematorium, and the Chapman Block at Christ’s College. However, the Christchurch Town Hall brought Warren and Mahoney onto an even bigger stage, followed by the design for the Michael Fowler Centre in Wellington. Born in the same year as Sir Miles, the former Mayor of Wellington and noted architect Sir Michael Fowler was a fellow student at Christ’s College. From 1977, Sir Miles devoted his rare spare time to co-developing
Ōhinetahi, the 19th century homestead and renowned
garden overlooking Governors Bay on Banks Peninsula. Today, it features an Arts and Crafts- style formal garden, a sculpture garden, and a woodland walkway consisting of regenerating natives and established trees. It was gifted to the nation in 2012. He continued to create remarkable designs around New Zealand right up to his retirement in 1995 and then remained a strong voice for architectural education while still being involved with structural work for Christ’s College. He was also a trustee for several charitable trusts. In recognition of his remarkable career and leadership in his field, Sir Miles was made a Fellow of the New Zealand Institute of Architects (NZIA) in 1965, and awarded the NZIA Award of Honour in 1987, and the NZIA Gold Medal in 2000. Sir Miles was made a CBE in 1974,
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