Denys Louis Lasdun [commonly known as Denys Lasdun] was born in London, England, on 8 September 1914 and briefly studied at the Royal College of Music before deciding to pursue a career in architecture. He subsequently attended the Architectural Association Schools in London from 1932 to 1937. Whilst still a student he designed his first architectural work, a house in Oxshott, Surrey (1934), and from 1935 to 1937 collaborated with Wells Coates (1895-1958) on projects. His next significant architectural work was 32 Newton Road in Paddington, London (1937). The house, which was designed for the painter F. J. Conway, clearly shows the influence of Le Corbusier on Lasdun's thinking at this time.
In 1937 he joined the London architectural practice Tecton, founded by the Russian émigré modernist Berthold Lubetkin (1901-1990). During World War Two Lasdun served in the Royal Artillery and then in the Royal Engineers building airfields. He was also involved in the D-day landings. Following the war he went back to Tecton and was a partner in the firm from 1946 to 1948. In 1948-49 he taught at the Architectural Association and in 1949 he formed a partnership with Lindsay Drake (1909-1980) who had previously been a partner in Tecton. In 1952 Lasdun and Drake formed a partnership with Maxwell Fray (1899-1987) and Jane Drew (1911-1996) as Fry, Drew, Drake & Lasdun, partly in order to run Fry and Drew's office whilst they were engaged on work in Chandigarh, India. The partnership was dissolved in 1959 and the following year Lasdun established his own practice, Denys Lasdun & Partners (from 1978, Denys Lasden, Redhouse & Softley).
The 1960s was a particularly fruitful decade for Lasdun. He completed a building for the Royal College of Physicians (1960); the University of East Anglia in Norwich (1962-68); the redevelopment of areas of the University of London, including School of Oriental and African Studies, the Institute of Education, and the Institute of Advanced Legal Studies (1963); and the National Theatre (now Royal National Theatre) in London (1963-1976).
In 1976 Lasdun was knighted for his services to architecture and in 1977 was awarded the RIBA Royal Gold Medal. In 1991 he was elected a Royal Academician (RA).
Lasdun refused to retire and his practice was never formally wound up. He died in London on 11 January 2001.
See: British Listed Buildings; Historic England [links below]
Baird, George. 'Paradox in Regent's Park: a question of interpretation'. Arena vol. 81, April 1966 pp. 272-276 [The Royal College of Physicians in London designed by Denys Landun in 1960 is discussed]
Booth, Philip and Taylor, Nicholas. Cambridge New Architecture. Foreword by Nilolaus Pevsner. London: Leonard Hill, 3rd edition,1970
Boyansky, Alvin. 'The architecture of etcetera'. Architectural Design vol. 35, June 1965 pp. 268-270 [The work of three architectural practices - Alison and Peter Smithson, James Stirling, and Denys Lasdun, is discussed]
Calder, Barnabas. ‘The Education of a Modern Architect: Denys Lasdun in the 1930s’ in British Architecture and Design in the 1930s. Edited Suannah Charlton, Elain Harwood and Alan Powers. The Journal of the Twentieth Century Society, no.8, 2007 pp.118-127
Curtis, William. Denys Lasdun: Architecture, City, Landscape. London: Phaidon Press, 1994.
'Denys Lasdun: the evolution of a style'. Architec tural Review vol. 145, May 1969 pp. 345-358
Harwood, Elain. Mid-Century Britain: Modern Architecture 1938-1963. London: Batsford, 2021
A language and a theme. The architecture of Denys Lasdun & Partners. London: RIBA Publications, 1976
Lasdun, Denys. 'An architect's approach to architecture'. Architectural Design vol. 35, June 1965 pp. 271-291
Lasdun, Denys. 'An architect's approach to architecture'. RIBA Journal vol. 72, April 1965 pp. 184-195
Lasdun, Denys. ‘Architectural aspects of the National Theatre’. Journal of the Royal Society of Arts vol. 125, no. 5256, November 1977 pp. 780-792
Miller, Russell. 'Denys Lasdun, architect'. Architect and Builder (South Africa) vol. 21, March 1971 pp. 8-10
Powers, Alan. Modern. The Modern Movement in Britain. London: Merrell, 2005
Service, Alastair. The Architects of London and their buildings from 1066 to the present. London: The Architectural Press, 1979
Thirties: British Art and Design before the War. London: Arts Council of Great Britain, 1979 [Catalogue of an exhibition at the Hayward Gallery, London, 25 October-13 January 1979]
Webb, Michael. 'A palatial College for Physicians'. Country Life vol. 137, 29 April 1965 pp. 998-1001 [The Royal College of Physicians in London designed by Denys Landun in 1960 is discussed]
Webb, Michael. Architecture in Britain Today. London: Country Life, 1969