1949 in architecture
The year 1949 in architecture involved some significant events.
Events
- January 26 – Fire breaks out in the golden hall of Horyu-ji Buddhist temple, Japan, causing severe damage to the building, mainly its first floor, and murals. As a result of the restoration it is estimated that about 15–20% of the original seventh century Kondo materials is left in the building; the charred timbers are carefully removed to a separate fireproof warehouse for future research.
- George Pace is appointed surveyor to the Church of England Diocese of Sheffield and establishes a private practice in York.
Buildings and structures
Buildings opened
- Early – Spa Green Estate in London, designed by Berthold Lubetkin of the Tecton Group with Ove Arup & Partners.
- August 20 – Las Lajas Shrine in Colombia, begun in 1916.
- December 16 – The Voortrekker Monument in Pretoria, designed by Gerard Moerdijk.
Buildings completed
- Ford House in Illinois designed by Bruce Goff.
- Glass House in New Canaan, Connecticut designed by Philip Johnson.
- Eames House in Los Angeles, California, designed by Charles Eames.
- Promontory Apartments in Chicago, Illinois, designed by Ludwig Mies van der Rohe.
- Church of Saint Francis Xavier, Kansas City, Missouri, designed by Barry Byrne.
- Googies coffee shop, West Hollywood, California, designed by John Lautner.
Awards
- American Academy of Arts and Letters Gold Medal – Frederick Law Olmsted.
- AIA Gold Medal – Frank Lloyd Wright.
- RIBA Royal Gold Medal – Howard Robertson.
Births
- January 4 – Peter Blundell Jones, British architectural historian
- June 14 – BoÅ™ek Å Ãpek, Czech neo-baroque architect and designer
- August 26 – Dan Cruickshank, British architectural historian
- December 9 – Tom Kite, American professional golfer and golf course architect
- Demetri Porphyrios, Greek New Classical architect
Deaths
- March 1 – Gordon Kaufmann, English-born American architect known for his work on the Hoover Dam
- March 4 – Sir Charles Nicholson, 2nd Baronet, English ecclesiastical architect
- April 17 – R. Harold Zook, American architect working in Chicago
- May 1 – Josep Maria Jujol, Catalan architect
- September 27 – David Adler, American architect