Frank Newby
Encyclopedia
Frank Newby was one of the leading structural engineers of the 20th Century, working with such architects as Philip Powell
and Hidalgo Moya
, Eero Saarinen
, Cedric Price
, James Stirling
, and the practice of Skidmore, Owings and Merrill
(SOM), and such engineers as Ove Arup
and Felix Samuely
.
, at Trinity College, Cambridge
between 1943 and 1947. He undertook National Service
from 1947 to 1949.
in London
. With Felix Samuely, he worked on the design of the Skylon (tower)
for the 1951 Festival of Britain
- a structure which became the symbol of the festival.
He spent 1952 in the United States
, funded by a National Security Alliance scholarship, where he worked with exponents of the modern movement such as Charles Greaves and Fred Scriven. He rejoined Samuely's practice in 1953.
During his early career, Newby was inspired by the work of Felix Samuely and Ove Arup
, the leading structural engineers of their day.
Newby became a partner of the practice in 1956 and then, following the death of Felix Samuely in 1959, the head of the practice at the age of 32. He had designed the British buildings in the 1958 Brussels Expo '58
, and this had helped him establish a reputation for being one of the most creative engineers working at the time. Over the following years he received a number of high profile appointments. In 1960 he was appointed to design the American Embassy in London with Eero Saarinen
, who he met in the United States
, and in 1965 to design a new Aviary for Regent's Park Zoo, with Cedric Price
and Lord Snowdon.
The most celebrated of his buildings is the Engineering Building at the University of Leicester
, designed with James Stirling
and James Gowan.
Newby went on to work with the Chicago
based firm of Skidmore, Owings and Merrill
to design a new factory for Boots
in Nottingham
, completed in 1968.
Newby was actively involved in the Institution of Structural Engineers
, where he was the convenor of the History Group, which examined the history of structural engineering
. He held this post until 2000.
Philip Powell (architect)
Sir Arnold Joseph Philip Powell , usually known as Philip Powell, was a ground-breaking English post-war architect.He was educated at Epsom College and then the Architectural Association....
and Hidalgo Moya
Hidalgo Moya
John Hidalgo Moya , sometimes known as Jacko Moya, was a famous American-born architect who worked largely in England. Moya was a native of California where he was born to an English mother and Mexican father but lived in England since he was an infant. He formed the architectural practice Powell &...
, Eero Saarinen
Eero Saarinen
Eero Saarinen was a Finnish American architect and industrial designer of the 20th century famous for varying his style according to the demands of the project: simple, sweeping, arching structural curves or machine-like rationalism.-Biography:Eero Saarinen shared the same birthday as his father,...
, Cedric Price
Cedric Price
Cedric Price was an English architect and influential teacher and writer on architecture.The son of an architect, Price was born in Stone, Staffordshire and studied architecture at Cambridge University Cedric Price (11 September 1934 – 10 August 2003) was an English architect and influential...
, James Stirling
James Stirling (architect)
Sir James Frazer Stirling FRIBA was a British architect. He is considered to be among the most important and influential British architects of the second half of the 20th century...
, and the practice of Skidmore, Owings and Merrill
Skidmore, Owings and Merrill
Skidmore, Owings and Merrill LLP is an American architectural and engineering firm that was formed in Chicago in 1936 by Louis Skidmore and Nathaniel Owings; in 1939 they were joined by John O. Merrill. They opened their first branch in New York City, New York in 1937. SOM is one of the largest...
(SOM), and such engineers as Ove Arup
Ove Arup
Sir Ove Nyquist Arup, CBE, MICE, MIStructE known as Ove Arup, was a leading Anglo-Danish engineer and generally considered to be one of the foremost architectural structural engineers of his time...
and Felix Samuely
Felix Samuely
Felix James Samuely was a Structural engineer.Born in Vienna, he immigrated to Britain in 1933. Worked with Erich Mendelsohn on the De la Warr Pavilion, Bexhill-on-Sea , the British Pavilion for the Brussels World’s Fair and on various parts of the Festival of Britain. Published MARS plan for...
.
Early life and education
Frank Newby was born in Barnsley on 26 March 1926. He studied "mechanical sciences", now known as engineeringEngineering
Engineering is the discipline, art, skill and profession of acquiring and applying scientific, mathematical, economic, social, and practical knowledge, in order to design and build structures, machines, devices, systems, materials and processes that safely realize improvements to the lives of...
, at Trinity College, Cambridge
Trinity College, Cambridge
Trinity College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge. Trinity has more members than any other college in Cambridge or Oxford, with around 700 undergraduates, 430 graduates, and over 170 Fellows...
between 1943 and 1947. He undertook National Service
National service
National service is a common name for mandatory government service programmes . The term became common British usage during and for some years following the Second World War. Many young people spent one or more years in such programmes...
from 1947 to 1949.
Early career
In 1949 Frank Newby joined the engineering consultancy firm of Felix SamuelyFelix Samuely
Felix James Samuely was a Structural engineer.Born in Vienna, he immigrated to Britain in 1933. Worked with Erich Mendelsohn on the De la Warr Pavilion, Bexhill-on-Sea , the British Pavilion for the Brussels World’s Fair and on various parts of the Festival of Britain. Published MARS plan for...
in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
. With Felix Samuely, he worked on the design of the Skylon (tower)
Skylon (tower)
The Skylon was a futuristic-looking, slender, vertical, cigar-shaped steel tensegrity structure located by the Thames in London, that apparently floated above the ground, built in 1951 for the Festival of Britain....
for the 1951 Festival of Britain
Festival of Britain
The Festival of Britain was a national exhibition in Britain in the summer of 1951. It was organised by the government to give Britons a feeling of recovery in the aftermath of war and to promote good quality design in the rebuilding of British towns and cities. The Festival's centrepiece was in...
- a structure which became the symbol of the festival.
He spent 1952 in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, funded by a National Security Alliance scholarship, where he worked with exponents of the modern movement such as Charles Greaves and Fred Scriven. He rejoined Samuely's practice in 1953.
During his early career, Newby was inspired by the work of Felix Samuely and Ove Arup
Ove Arup
Sir Ove Nyquist Arup, CBE, MICE, MIStructE known as Ove Arup, was a leading Anglo-Danish engineer and generally considered to be one of the foremost architectural structural engineers of his time...
, the leading structural engineers of their day.
Later career
Expo '58
Expo 58, also known as the Brussels World’s Fair, Brusselse Wereldtentoonstelling or Exposition Universelle et Internationale de Bruxelles, was held from 17 April to 19 October 1958...
, and this had helped him establish a reputation for being one of the most creative engineers working at the time. Over the following years he received a number of high profile appointments. In 1960 he was appointed to design the American Embassy in London with Eero Saarinen
Eero Saarinen
Eero Saarinen was a Finnish American architect and industrial designer of the 20th century famous for varying his style according to the demands of the project: simple, sweeping, arching structural curves or machine-like rationalism.-Biography:Eero Saarinen shared the same birthday as his father,...
, who he met in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, and in 1965 to design a new Aviary for Regent's Park Zoo, with Cedric Price
Cedric Price
Cedric Price was an English architect and influential teacher and writer on architecture.The son of an architect, Price was born in Stone, Staffordshire and studied architecture at Cambridge University Cedric Price (11 September 1934 – 10 August 2003) was an English architect and influential...
and Lord Snowdon.
The most celebrated of his buildings is the Engineering Building at the University of Leicester
University of Leicester
The University of Leicester is a research-led university based in Leicester, England. The main campus is a mile south of the city centre, adjacent to Victoria Park and Wyggeston and Queen Elizabeth I College....
, designed with James Stirling
James Stirling (architect)
Sir James Frazer Stirling FRIBA was a British architect. He is considered to be among the most important and influential British architects of the second half of the 20th century...
and James Gowan.
Newby went on to work with the Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
based firm of Skidmore, Owings and Merrill
Skidmore, Owings and Merrill
Skidmore, Owings and Merrill LLP is an American architectural and engineering firm that was formed in Chicago in 1936 by Louis Skidmore and Nathaniel Owings; in 1939 they were joined by John O. Merrill. They opened their first branch in New York City, New York in 1937. SOM is one of the largest...
to design a new factory for Boots
Boots UK
Boots UK Limited , is a leading pharmacy chain in the United Kingdom, with outlets in most high streets throughout the country...
in Nottingham
Nottingham
Nottingham is a city and unitary authority in the East Midlands of England. It is located in the ceremonial county of Nottinghamshire and represents one of eight members of the English Core Cities Group...
, completed in 1968.
Other work
From 1962 Newby lectured at the Architectural AssociationNewby was actively involved in the Institution of Structural Engineers
Institution of Structural Engineers
The Institution of Structural Engineers is a professional body for structural engineering based in the United Kingdom. It has 27,000 members in 105 countries. The Institution provides professional accreditation for structural engineers...
, where he was the convenor of the History Group, which examined the history of structural engineering
Structural engineering
Structural engineering is a field of engineering dealing with the analysis and design of structures that support or resist loads. Structural engineering is usually considered a specialty within civil engineering, but it can also be studied in its own right....
. He held this post until 2000.