J. M. Gerald Gordon


Joseph Moses Gerald Gordon was a South African architect, Professor at the University of Witwatersrand School of Architecture, and Honorary Research Fellow of the university. He is best known for inventing the "Thin-Skin" building method. His papers and drawings are archived at the University of the Witwatersrand School of Architecture & Planning. He was president of the Transvaal Institute of Architects in 1978 and 1979. His residential home was commemorated with a "Blue Plaque" by the Johannesburg Heritage Foundation in 2021.

Early life

He was born in Vryheid in Natal to Lithuanian Jewish parents. The family moved to Johannesburg for its larger Jewish community. Gordon had a Bar Mitzvah at Yeoville Shul in Yeoville, an inner city neighbourhood of Johannesburg. He attended Athlone Boys' High School in the city.