Philip Cox


Philip Sutton Cox is an Australian architect. He is the founding partner of Cox Architecture, one of the largest architectural practices in Australia. His work has won him multiple awards, the first being in 1963, one year after graduating from the University of Sydney.

Early years and education

Philip Sutton Cox grew up in Killara on the North Shore in Sydney.
Cox attended Gordon Public School and then the Sydney Church of England Grammar School in North Sydney. In his first years at Shore, art was taught by John Lipscombe, who had helped plan the new art block which had been praised by the architect Harry Seidler, who had lectured in the building in July 1952. Cox decided at quite an early age that he wanted to be an architect, though this was not clear until it was nearly time to leave school. He won a Commonwealth scholarship which was to pay his fees.
Cox studied at the University of Sydney School of Architecture, Design and Planning between 1957 and 1962, where he graduated with a Bachelor of Architecture, then at the University of New South Wales between 1970 and 1975, where he was awarded a Doctorate of Science.

Career

Cox commenced his first practice with Ian McKay in 1962, and in 1967 he founded his own practice, Philip Cox and Associates.
Shortly after he had graduated in 1980, Michael Rayner joined Philip Cox & Partners, working closely with Cox for the next ten years. Rayner was responsible for designing noted public buildings, including Australian National Maritime Museum and the Sydney Exhibition Centre in Darling Harbour. In 1990 Rayner moved to Brisbane and established Cox Rayner Architects.
The firm grew, becoming become Cox Architecture, with offices across Australia as well as in Dubai and Abu Dhabi.
Involved in much of concept design for each project over 50 years, Cox stepped back from the business in 2015. Cox Architecture is responsible for projects throughout Australia and also in Southeast Asia, China, the Middle East, South Africa, and Europe.
Cox has been described as "epitomising the Sydney School of Architecture" in earlier projects.

Awards and honours

Cox has won many architectural awards, the first being in 1963, one year after graduating from the University of Sydney.
Cox has received the Royal Australian Institute of Architects Gold Medal in 1984, the Sir Zelman Cowen Award for Public Architecture in 1985. His was given Life Fellowship to the RAIA in 1987 and Honorary Fellowship of the American Institute of Architects in the same year.
In 1988 he was appointed an Officer of the Order of Australia in recognition of service to architecture.
In 1993 he received the inaugural award for Sport and Architecture from the International Olympic Committee, and was elected a Fellow of the Australian Academy of the Humanities in the same year.

Other roles

Cox has held a range of voluntary positions during his professional career including Vice President, Environment Board, RAIA, NSW Chapter; a Member, Historic Buildings Committee, Cancer Patients Assistance Society of NSW; Vice President, Cancer Patients Assistance Society of NSW; Vice Chairman, Architecture and Design Panel, Visual Arts Board, Australia Council; and Chairman of Education Board of the RAIA, Federal Chapter.

Major works

Cox was the architect responsible for initially implementing the American Radburn design for public housing in New South Wales.
Cox and his firm have designed many iconic public buildings in Australia and throughout South East Asia, including a number of the buildings used for the 2000 Summer Olympics. The following list provides a summary of some of the major architectural design works of Cox and his firm, ordered from earliest to most recent, where Cox has either worked individually or as part of consortia:
CompletedProject nameLocationAwardNotes
1963St Andrews Presbyterian ChurchLeppington, South-western Sydney, New South WalesJohn Sulman Medal
1965C B Alexander Agricultural College, New South Wales
1969Hawkins Residence19 Norma Crescent, Wilkinson Award
1977Bruce StadiumBruce, Australian Capital Territory
1985Ayers Rock ResortYulara, Northern TerritorySir Zelman Cowen Award
1987Haileybury ChapelSpringvale Road, Melbourne, Victoria
1988Sydney Convention & Exhibition CentreDarling Harbour, Sydney, New South WalesJohn Sulman Medal
1988Rod Laver ArenaFlinders Park, Melbourne, Victoria
1991Australian National Maritime MuseumDarling Harbour, Sydney, New South Wales
1988Sydney Football Stadium, Sydney, New South Wales
1995Brisbane Convention & Exhibition Centre, Brisbane, Queensland
1994Sydney Olympic Park Aquatic CentreSydney Olympic Park, Sydney, New South Wales
1997Sydney Harbour CasinoDarling Harbour, Sydney, New South Wales
1999Sydney SuperDomeSydney Olympic Park, Sydney, New South Wales
1999Singapore ExpoChangi, Singapore
2001National Wine Centre of AustraliaNorth Terrace, Adelaide, South Australia
1996Cairns Convention CentreCairns, Queensland
2000Princess Alexandra Hospital RedevelopmentWoolloongabba, Brisbane, Queensland
2001Goodwill BridgeSouth Bank, Brisbane, Queensland
2002Western Australian Maritime MuseumVictoria Quay, Fremantle, Western Australia
2004Brisbane Magistrates CourtGeorge Street, Brisbane, Queensland
2005Challenger Institute of Technology, Marine CampusFremantle, Western Australia
2006Northern Stand, Melbourne Cricket Ground
2007National Institute of Circus ArtsPrahran, Melbourne, VictoriaAward for Architectural Steel Design – Large Project, Australian Steel Institute VIC
2008District Court of Western AustraliaPerth, Western Australia
2008Australian Film, Television and Radio SchoolMoore Park, Sydney, New South WalesState Commendation for Commercial Architecture, AIA NSW
2010Energex Headquarters, Brisbane, Queensland
2010The HelixMarina Bay, Singapore
2010AAMI ParkSports & Entertainment Precinct, Melbourne, VictoriaWorld's Most Iconic and Culturally Significant Stadium, World Stadium Congress
National Award for Public Architecture, AIA
State Architecture Medal, AIA VIC,
William Wardell Award for Public Architecture, AIA VIC
2012One One One Eagle StreetBrisbane, QueenslandJohn Dalton Award for Building of the Year, AIA QLD
Corian Design Awards Winner
2012Queensland Performing Arts Centre RefurbishmentSouth Bank, Brisbane, QueenslandInterior Design Impact Award, AIDA
2013Neuroscience Research Australia, Sydney, New South WalesThe People's Choice Award, Randwick City Council
2014Kaohsiung Exhibition CenterKaohsiung, TaiwanExcellence Award, Chinese Institute of Engineers
2015Carnarvon Police and Justice Complex, Western Australia
2015Newcastle CourthouseNewcastle, New South Wales
2015Indonesia Convention ExhibitionBSD City, Tangerang, Indonesia
2016Anna Meares Velodrome, Brisbane, QueenslandVenue for 2018 Commonwealth Games
2018Sir John Monash CentreVillers-Bretonneux, France
2018Jakarta International VelodromeJakarta, Indonesia
2020National Maritime Museum of ChinaTianjin, China
2020Christchurch Justice and Emergency Services PrecinctChristchurch, New Zealand
2021Oman Across Ages MuseumMuscat, OmanSpecial prize for an Exterior, Prix Versailles

Personal life

Cox is separated from wife Louise Cox AO, a fellow architect. They married in Sydney in April 1972 and have two daughters.
His longtime partner is the journalist Janet Hawley.