Warren Chalk

Warren Chalk (1927–1988) was an English architect. He was a member of Archigram. Amongst the group he was known as "the catalyst of ideas".^{[citation needed]}

Warren Chalk
Born	1927 England
Died	1988
Occupation	Architect

Early life and education

Chalk, (John) Warren (1927–1987),^[1] architect, was born on 7 July 1927 at 32 Killarney Road, Wandsworth, London, the second of three sons of James Percival Chalk (1887–1962), Unitarian minister, and his wife, Gretchen Elisabeth Stovold, née Brigden (1891–1972). He studied painting, then architecture at Manchester School of Art, now part of Manchester Metropolitan University.^[2]

Professional life

Chalk worked at London County Council where he designed with his east London friend and close colleague, Ron Herron. They made a reputation designing the London Southbank Centre, the Queen Elizabeth Hall, Purcell Room, Hayward Gallery, and the famous 'undercroft', now so popular with skate boarders. He taught at the Architectural Association School of Architecture (AA) in Bedford Square, London, and regularly attended lectures from his peers. He was friends with Reyner Banham, James Stirling, James Gowan, Alison and Peter Smithson and Cedric Price who also attended AA events. His major contribution was the Archigram magazines, especially Issue 4 with the famous Zoom cover.^[3] Chalk and Herron won various competitions before their involvement with Archigram, notably 'Gasket Homes' was an early success. He was known as the most critical and abrasive of the Archigram group, questioning the banal, and his interests were broad and eclectic. He was always divided between architecture and painting.

Past appointments

• Architectural Association School of Architecture, London Unit Master
• Fellow of the British Interplanetary Society
• Member of the Chartered Society of Designers
• Member of the Interfaculty Computer Graphics Research at UCLA
• Consultant at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory at NASA

References

1. "Warren Chalk - Archigram Archival Project". archigram.westminster.ac.uk. Retrieved 19 November 2020.
2. Sadler, Simon (2011). "Chalk, (John) Warren (1927–1987), architect". Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (online ed.). Oxford University Press. doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/61583. ISBN 978-0-19-861412-8. (Subscription or UK public library membership required.)
3. "Warren Chalk - Archigram Archival Project".