David Littlemore

David Littlemore AO was one of Australia's most distinguished architects. Littlemore was one of the first life fellows of the Royal Australian Institute of Architects. He headed the consortium that took over the design and construction of the Sydney Opera House in 1966 when Mr Jørn Utzon resigned his commission from the NSW Government.

Career

Littlemore's career began with the design of a sugar mill in his home town of Bundaberg when he was 14, followed by study and design work with esteemed Sydney architect Mr Emil Sodersten.

He became a partner in Rudder, Littlemore, and Rudder, which won the Royal Institute of British Architects' Gold Medal for the Qantas Building located at 1 Chifley Square in Sydney's CBD. "Qantas House" was added to the New South Wales Government State Heritage Register.

Littlemore's first born son David Anthony Lidwill Littlemore joined the practice of Rudder Littlemore and Rudder after returning from America where he completed his master's degree in Architecture at Harvard University and worked in Boston with the founder of the Bauhaus School legendary Architect Walter Gropius.

Improvisation and Design Skills

Littlemore was known for his ability to improvise solutions and to resolve complex design problems. In New Guinea in the 1950s he built aircraft maintenance hangars by stringing cables between trees and suspending roofs from them.

Design & Construction of the Sydney Opera House

Littlemore headed the Hall, Todd, and Littlemore consortium that was responsible for the design and construction of the Sydney Opera House from 1966 until the building was completed in 1973.

Officer of the Order of Australia

Littlemore served for 10 years on the Council of Macquarie University and was made an officer of the Order of Australia in 1979.

Text imported from Wikipedia article "David Surrey Littlemore" and modified on July 22, 2019 according to the CC-BY-SA 4.0 International license.