In 1955, Luke Manousso, chairman of Mayfield Properties, commissioned two young architects to design flats for a long, narrow site in Ham, Richmond – the back garden of a Georgian house, Langham House, facing the common. Today the ‘Ham Common Flats’ are recognised around the world as a landmark in post-war British design and in 1998 the flats and garages forming the Estate were ‘listed’. Since 2006, the estate has held Grade II* status.  

THE ARCHITECTS

James Stirling and James Gowan, both born in Glasgow, met while working at the architectural practice of Lyons Israel Ellis in London. In 1955 Stirling got the commission for the Ham Common site from the father of a student he had taught at the Architectural Association.  After failing twice to get planning permission Stirling came to Gowan for help. Over a weekend Gowan revised the scheme and planning permission was granted. At the same time Gowan was designing a house on the Isle of Wight for his brother-in law. These projects formed the beginning of the partnership and were first published in The Architectural Review in April 1958 to much acclaim, which earned them the nickname ‘Styling and Gowan’. Shortly after these were completed they began work on Leicester University’s Engineering Building, a project that made them internationally famous. In 1963 the partnership was dissolved and Stirling practiced alone for several years before teaming up with Michael Wilford. In 1981 Stirling won the Pritzker Prize, the world’s leading architectural prize. Stirling and Wilford worked together until 1992, when Stirling died unexpectedly after a routine operation. Gowan’s best known building is Schreiber House in Hampstead, while Stirling and Wilford are perhaps best known for the Neue Staatsgalerie, Stuttgart.
The Stirling Prize, British architecture’s most prestigious award, is named in the architect’s honour.