Tributes paid to Marco Goldschmied, Richard Rogers Partnership co-founder

The architect, described by his RIBA presidential successor Paul Hyett as a ‘disruptive bruiser’ of ‘great kindness and character’, also founded the Stephen Lawrence Prize alongside Doreen Lawrence.

Goldschmied famously worked on the international competition-winning entry for the Pompidou Centre in 1971 alongside Renzo Piano and the late Richard Rogers, who died last December, aged 88.

He was born in England in 1944 to British educationalist Elinor Goldschmied (née Sinnott) and her Italian husband Guido Goldschmied. The family moved to Trieste in Italy in 1946 while the commune was under British administration in the aftermath of the Second World War. He went to the Rudolph Steiner School in Milan but, following the death of his father in 1955, Goldschmied returned to London with his mother.

He went on to study at the Architecture Association (1963-1969), where he met Mike Davies and John Young, who would later become practice partners at Richard Rogers Partnership (RRP). In February 1969 he married Andrea Halvorsen at Hampstead Town Hall. They had five children together between 1971 and 1982: Ben, Asa, Matthew, Emma and Dan.

He joined Rogers the same year at Richard + Su Rogers Architects and in 1971 he was made an associate partner of the newly formed Piano + Rogers, working at the firm until 1977. He spent the last three of those years running the London office before linking up with Davies, Young and Rogers to co-found RRP. He became managing director in 1984, growing the company to 120 staff and making it the most profitable per capita practice in the UK.

During his time with the company he was involved in a raft of high-profile schemes, such as the Channel 4 headquarters building in Horseferry Road, Lloyds of London, the practice’s Thames Wharf Studios, the retention and revamp of the old Billingsgate Market, Heathrow Terminal 5 and the Millennium Dome.

He also had a key role in masterplanning schemes in London, Shanghai, Berlin and Singapore.

He left in 2004 and was later involved in a legal battle with Rogers and Young over the value of the land occupied by RRP’s offices at Thames Wharf, Hammersmith. Following an out-of-court settlement, Goldschmied agreed to buy out Rogers’ and Young’s interests in the site, though the practice (later renamed Rogers Stirk Harbour + Partners) remained there until 2016, when it relocated to the Leadenhall Building in the City of London.

‘A long-time champion of inclusion’, according to current RIBA president Simon Allford, Goldschmied was a vocal supporter of the next generation of architects and an advocate for opening up the profession to youngsters from diverse backgrounds. In 1998 he set up the Marco Goldschmied Foundation to help, among other things, to support architectural education.

Later that year the charitable trust announced it would be sponsoring the RIBA Stephen Lawrence Prize, the annual accolade which rewards the best architecture projects with a construction budget of less than £1 million and comes with a £5,000 bursary for the winner.

He was president of the RIBA between 1999 to 2001, during which time he kickstarted the rebranding of the institute. From 2011 he also served as a non-executive director at the architectural practice Sparch.

In his last years he proposed solutions to the industry’s professional indemnity insurance crisis, arguing that practices should club together and mutually insure one another and that a new mutual company could be backed by the RIBA.

Goldschmied had been living with lung cancer for more than a year. He passed away peacefully at home with his family on the evening of 7 July.

A family statement read: ‘His deterioration was relatively sudden, having been taken ill in April. Throughout the process his familiar wit and sense of humour was never far away. And he approached his situation with courage to the end.’

Tributes

Paul Hyett, former RIBA president
These extracts from my open letter, ‘Why I want Marco for President’, published by the AJ in January 1999, capture the hope that Marco offered our Institute and profession:

Representing a persuasive blend of ability and awareness, he has that rare capacity to bridge the ever-yawning gap between large commercial and local practice … He understands small practice because he has been there - the Rogers office was a four-person outfit when he started … But because Marco also understands the difficulties and complexities of running a large operation…he is in a unique position to advance the interests and comprehend the ups and downs of our disparate and often desperate profession … his interests are also firmly focused upon tomorrow's agenda with a concern for buildings and land-use strategies that will promote a more sustainable future.

The rest is history: he would go on to become an outstanding president.

I will never forget the excitement of his inaugural address in the Jarvis Hall that summer evening of 1999. The atmosphere was electric, and Marco broke with all precedents, even weaving film extracts into his narrative.

He was, of course, a bruiser, and a disruptive bruiser at that. He had to be, both to survive at his level, and to get so far. To challenge him took courage and few fared well if they hadn’t done their homework. But above all, Marco was a man of great kindness and character. A co-creator of the founding spirit and ethos of the Rogers practice, his concern for social equality and fairness was as profound as it was enduring. Never was this more evident than through his commitment to the Stephen Lawrence Trust and the Stephen Lawrence Prize which his foundation funded.

Marco also had a wonderful sense of humour, and a sharp wit, especially in debate. I never forget the meeting when he announced that year’s RIBA Gold Medallist. Could have been Frank Gehry in 2000, but I think it was Jean Nouvel the following year. Anyway, a hapless council member rose to complain about elitism and ask: ‘Why can’t an ordinary architect win?’

Marco’s eyes narrowed. Pausing long for effect he then quipped: ‘Because the RIBA Gold Medal isn’t for “ordinary” architects …’ Sadly, we have lost one of the most extraordinary architects of our time.

Ian Birtles, senior partner, RSHP
We are deeply saddened by the news that Marco Goldschmied passed away last week. Marco was one of the original four co-founders of the Richard Rogers Partnership, now RSHP, and was managing director at the practice for more than 20 years.

In the early years, he was instrumental in many of the practice’s major projects such as the Pompidou Centre (Piano+Rogers), Patscenter in Princeton, Lloyd’s of London, Montevetro, Channel Four Headquarters, Terminal 5 Heathrow Airport and the repurposing of Thames Wharf Studios, our home until 2015.

Marco was an architect who possessed a sharp commercial brain, a relentless entrepreneurial spirit and spearheaded our commercial and strategic business planning during his many years at the practice. The commercial principles that he put in place during this period remain relevant and continue to be used at RSHP.

He pioneered (with Richard Rogers, John Young and Mike Davies) the decision to eliminate private shares and transfer ownership of the business to a charity, a model unique in the architectural profession. This structure and our constitution which is embedded in the charity (written in 1990) still guide and govern the practice today.

Marco was a mentor and a friend to many of us who remain at the practice. On a recent visit to see him it was clear that he had never realised the impact and influence that he had had on the professional lives of many of us who worked with him.

He was always challenging, and while Marco and I didn’t always agree, I learned so much from him during my early years at the practice.

When we weren’t talking 'shop', conversation would invariably turn to football. We could talk for hours about our favourite subject and our respective love of two rival North London teams.

Our thoughts are now with the Goldschmied family during this very difficult time. With much love from everybody at the RSHP family.

Simon Allford, RIBA President
My condolences to Marco’s family and friends at this very sad time. I have known Marco for many years and feel honoured to follow in his footsteps as RIBA President. His term of office spanned 1999 to 2001 – a time of great ambition, when architecture was on a millennium high. As a co-founder and managing director of the then Richard Rogers Partnership, his professional credentials are outstanding. When I pass the Channel 4 HQ, Lloyds of London, Billingsgate and the ultimate millennium project – the Dome – I will forever think about the mark he has left on the capital. As I will when I next have the pleasure of visiting the Pompidou Centre in Paris.

A long-time champion of inclusion, Marco sought to create opportunity for others. In 1998 he and Doreen Lawrence established the annual Stephen Lawrence Prize, set up in memory of the teenager who was on his way to becoming an architect when he was tragically murdered in a racist attack in 1993. RIBA continues to award the prize in Stephen’s name, with the Marco Goldschmied Foundation today.

I recently re-read Marco’s RIBA election priorities of almost 25 years ago: a promise to shake-up architecture, raise professional standards and the profile of the profession, as well as a campaign for a radical revision of the planning process. He achieved a considerable amount, much of which remains valid today.

I last saw him at his home where we spoke of the challenges ahead. In particular of PII, on which he did much of the recent groundwork to shape our own project. We will continue this with the vigour and intelligence with which he initiated it. We also spoke of his ideas for supporting the next generation and of constructing new ways into the profession.

Marco was always generous with his time. We reminisced of the people he had known, his family, of architecture and life. As ever it was illuminating and, despite his difficult circumstances, fun. Marco’s death is a huge loss, and his generosity and passion will be greatly missed.

Mike Fairbrass, author, screenwriter and former head of modelmaking and photography at Rogers Stirk Harbour + Partners
When I was made redundant from RSHP in 2016, in what Marco termed the ‘cull’, he was the one who called me to offer his counsel and support and we remained in touch to the end.

Like a formidable great white crossed with a cheeky dolphin

When I first joined RRP in the early 90s, he seemed scary and intimidating, but I quickly discovered him to be incredibly receptive to my ideas for modelshop innovation, either for workshop expansion or bringing the model photography in house with the advent of digital SLRs. He even agreed to my sassy request to borrow his classic Porsche 911 RS. Marco possessed a razor-sharp mind, partnered with a glint in the eye and a mischievous smirk. Like a formidable great white crossed with a cheeky dolphin.