John Miller (architect) explained

John Harmsworth Miller CBE (18 August 1930 – 24 February 2024) was a British architect. He is best known for major projects with universities and museums in England and Scotland including Tate Britain, the Whitechapel Gallery, the Fitzwilliam Museum, the Scottish National Gallery, and Newham College, Cambridge.^{[1] [2]} Born on 18 August 1930, Miller died on 24 February 2024, at the age of 93.^[3]

Sir Nicholas Serota, a British curator and former director of the Tate and the Whitechapel Gallery, has commented on Miller's work: "Like a well cut suit, the elegance of his architectural language has an ease which conceals the rigour and determination of his practice."^[4]

Career

Miller studied at the Architectural Association (AA) from 1950 to 1956, where his tutors included British architect Peter Smithson.^[5] He attended the AA alongside Patrick Hodgkinson, Kenneth Frampton and Neave Brown and other prominent British architects and critics.^{[6] [7]} The AA has described Miller as one of "the golden generation of post-war [AA] students".^[8] After graduating from the AA, in the late 1950s and early 1960s, Miller worked for architectural firms in London including Lyons Israel Ellis.^{[9] [10]}

In 1961 Miller co-founded the architectural practice Colquhoun + Miller with British architect Alan Colquhoun.^[11] Miller's wife Su Rogers joined the practice in 1986.^[12] In 1989 Colquhoun left the practice, which became John Miller and Partners. Notable projects completed by Miller and the firm included:

• Forest Gate School, London (1965);^[13]
• Royal Holloway chemistry laboratories (1970);^{[13] [14]}
• Pillwood House in Cornwall (1974), which was awarded Grade ll listed status by Historic England in 2017;^[15]
• an extension and renovation of the Whitechapel Gallery, which won a RIBA Regional Architecture Award (1987);^[16]
• the Queen's Building, University of East Anglia, which won a RIBA National Award for Architecture (1995);^[17]
• a renovation of the Serpentine Gallery (1998);^[18]
• the Centenary Development at Tate Britain, which was the most significant change to the gallery since its creation in 1897, adding 10 new and five refurbished exhibition spaces (2001);^[19]
• the new Horner-Markwick Library at Newham College, Cambridge (2004);^[20]
• the courtyard extension of the Fitzwilliam Museum, Cambridge (2004);^[2]
• the Weston link connecting the Scottish National Gallery and the Royal Scottish Academy in Edinburgh (2004).^[21]

In the 2006 New Year Honours, Miller was appointed Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) for services to architecture.^{[1] [22]}

During his career, Miller had various academic appointments including Visiting Critic at Cornell University (1966–71), Visiting Critic at Princeton University (1970), Professor of Environmental Design at the Royal College of Art (1975–85), visiting professor at Trinity College Dublin (1985–86), visiting professor at University of Manchester (1986–89), Fellow of Royal College of Art (1976), Fellow of Royal Society of Arts (1984) and Honorary Fellow of the Royal College of Art (1985).^[12]

Notes and References

1. Web site: Sharp . Rob . 3 January 2006 . Ritblat leads architectural honours . 15 October 2022 . The Architects’ Journal . en.
2. Web site: Higgins . Charlotte . 29 June 2004 . New light on Fitzwilliam as glass-roofed space opens . 15 October 2022 . The Guardian . en.
3. News: Sudjic . Deyan . John Miller obituary . 25 March 2024 . The Guardian . 8 March 2024.
4. Book: Nicholas, Serota . 'John Miller, Designing for Art' . 2009 . 978-1906155704 . 169.
5. Web site: DSA Architect Biography Report . 15 October 2022 . Dictionary of Scottish Architects.
6. Web site: Goulcher . Matthew . 24 February 2016 . Tribute to Patrick Hodgkinson . 15 October 2022 . Levitt Bernstein.
7. Web site: 2014 . Archives New Acquisitions . 15 October 2022 . Architectural Association.
8. Web site: AA School of Architecture 2014 - 1950s Acquisitions . 15 October 2022 . Architectural Association.
9. Web site: 2022 . Lyons Israel Ellis Gray . 15 October 2022 . London Architecture Diary . New London Architecture . en-US.
10. Web site: Ellis . John G. . 7 February 2017 . Mary Rosaleen Ellis obituary . 15 October 2022 . The Guardian . en.
11. Web site: Saxon . Jamie . 29 January 2013 . Architecture critic and 'superb educator' Alan Colquhoun dies . 15 October 2022 . Princeton University . en.
12. Web site: 4 April 2005 . John Miller and Partners : Background . https://web.archive.org/web/20050404100016/http://www.johnmillerandpartners.co.uk/background.htm . 4 April 2005 . 15 October 2022 .
13. Web site: Fulcher . Merlin . 14 December 2012 . 'Great educator' Alan Colquhoun dies aged 91 . 15 October 2022 . The Architects’ Journal . en.
14. Web site: modernism-in-metroland . Modernism in Metro-Land . 15 October 2022 . Tumblr.
15. Web site: Pillwood House . 15 October 2022 . AJ Buildings Library.
16. Web site: Limited . Alamy . Whitechapel Art Gallery, London, 1897 - 1901. Refurbished by Colquhoun and Miller, 1986. Upper gallery space Stock Photo - Alamy . 15 October 2022 . www.alamy.com . en.
17. Web site: 4 November 1994 . Miller's house . 15 October 2022 . Times Higher Education (THE) . en.
18. Web site: Serpentine Gallery, renovated by John Miller and Partners in 1998 (photo) . 15 October 2022 . www.bridgemanimages.com . en.
19. 1 November 2001 . Tate Britain's £32.2m development opens . Raidió Teilifís Éireann . en.
20. Web site: 5 November 2004 . The Horner-Markwick Library . 15 October 2022 . South Studio Architects . en-US.
21. Web site: 2014 . Scottish National Gallery . 15 October 2022 . Hoskins Architects . en-GB.
22. United Kingdom: