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Farrell, Terry
(b Sale, Cheshire, 12 May 1938). English architect. He studied architecture at the University of Newcastle (1956–61) and was a Harkness Fellow at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia (1962–4). Returning to England after further travel in the USA and Japan, he established the practice of Farrell Grimshaw with Nicholas Grimshaw in 1965. The buildings designed in partnership, such as the Herman Miller Factory (1976), Bath, were in a High-tech modernist style, but after 1980, when he began to practise independently, his work began to display the influence of Post-modernist American architects, particularly Michael Graves. His small but expressive buildings of this period make flamboyant use of ornament and historical imagery; examples include Clifton Nurseries at Bayswater (1979–80) and Covent Garden (1980–81), both in London, and Henley Royal Regatta headquarters (1983–5). His principal work of this period is the TVam headquarters (1981–2), London, a conversion of a 1930s garage, which reflects Farrell’s particular enthusiasm for Art Deco ornament. Other notable conversions of industrial buildings include Limehouse Studios (1982–3), a former rum and banana warehouse; his own offices (1985–8) at Hatton Street in North London, a former aero-tyre factory; and Tobacco Dock (1985–90) in London’s Docklands. Farrell’s later large-scale buildings in London are stylistically more refined, combining elements of historicism with High-tech modernism. His significance lies not in matters of style, however, but in his commitment to the urban context of buildings and the restoration of urban life in declining areas. He was especially concerned with repairing the damage that the isolated structures of the Modern Movement had caused to the traditional urban fabric. His commercial redevelopment above Charing Cross Station (1987–90; for illustration see LONDON, fig. 11), for example, has a powerful curved skyline that evokes the former train shed and is designed to revive the Thames waterfront. Other major office complexes include Alban Gate (1987–92), 125 London Wall, and Vauxhall Cross (1988–92), a government headquarters building fronting the River Thames.
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