Eric Alfred Lyons [commonly known as Eric Lyons] was born in London on 12 October 1912 and attended evening classes at Regents Street Polytechnic. After qualifying, he worked for T.P. Bennett and, In 1936-37, for Walter Gropius (1883-1969) and E. Maxwell Fry (1899-1987) in London.
In 1937, with Geoffrey Paulson Townsend (1911-2002), whom he had met at Regent Street Polytechnic, he formed an architectural partnership and subsequently worked on small housing schemes. The practice closed during World War Two. Following the war Lyons designed flat-pack furniture for Tetra. His partnership with Townsend was also reactivatedin 1945. Initially they worked on the restoration and repair of bomb-damaged buildings. In 1948 they completed Oaklands a housing scheme in Whitton which comprised four maisonette blocks set within landscaped grounds. The partnership with Townsend was dissolved in 1954.
In 1953 Townsend founded his own development company, Bargood Estates, in conjunction with Henry Cushman, an agent for the Alliance Building Society. In 1954 Townsend, Cushman and Leslie Bilsby (who had acquired some land in Blackheath) formed Priory Hall Ltd. In 1957 they formed SPAN Developments Ltd, with Lyons as consultant architect, Townsend and Bilsby as joint managing directors. Ivor Cunningham (1928-2007) subsequently became a partner in Eric Lyons's practice and worked for Span on landscaping schemes
By the end of the 1960s SPAN had been involved in over seventy development schemes in London, Kent and East Sussex. and had built over 2,000 houses, however, in the early 1970s they ran into financial difficulties and Townsend, Bilsby and Lyons withdrew from the company. Townsend then worked as an independent developer for a number of years before forming SPAN Environments Ltd., with Lyons and Cunningham acting as architectural consultants.
In addition to his work for SPAN, Lyons acted as a consultant or architect for various housing schemes including the London County Council Frampton Park Estate in Hackney and a development in Vilamoura, Portugal.
Lyons was elected a Fellow of the Royal Institute of British Architects (FRIBA) and was a Member of the Society of Industrial Artists (MSIA). He was President of the Royal Institute of British Architects from 1975 to 1977. He died at Hampton Court in Richmond-upon-Thames, Surrey, on 22 February 1980.
See: UK Modern House [link below]
Eric Lyons & Span. Edited by Barbara Simms London : RIBA Publishing, 2006.
Harwood, Elain. Mid-Century Britain: Modern Architecture 1938-1963. London: Batsford, 2021
Jackson, Lesley. ‘Exhibition: Eric Lyons and Span’. Icon February 2007 p. 81
Jordon, Robert Furrneux. 'SPAN, the spec builder as patron of modern architecture'. Architectural Review vol. 125, February 1959 pp.109-120
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Padovan, R. ‘Six primary schools. 4, New Ash Green County Primary (Junior) School; Architects: Eric Lyons Cunningham & Partners’ Architects' Journal vol. 156, no. 45, 8 November 1972 pp. 1064-1067.
Pearce, David. ‘Lyons untamed: conversations with Eric Lyons (Part 1)’ Building Design no. 460, 17 August 1979 p. 2
Pearce, David. ‘Spanning the years: conversations with Eric Lyons, Part 2.’ Building Design no. 460, 24 August 1979 pp. 10-12
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Sachs, Hessie. 'Planning for community'. Official Architect and Planner vol. 34, June 1971 pp. 455-458 [A report on the speculave village development at New Ash Green in Kent by SPAN]
Simma, Barbara. Eric Lyons and Span London: RIBA, 2017
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Tiffen, C. E. ‘Architects take stock of public opinion: the views of Eric Lyons, RIBA president’. Indian Architect vol. 18, no. 8, August 1976 pp. 88-89
Webb, Michael. Architecture in Britain Today. London: Country Life, 1969
‘4 lock-up shops, with self-contained maisonettes above, in Richmond, Surrey’ [Architect: Eric Lyons] Architects’ Journal 29 July 1954 pp. 134-137
‘Biographical notes on Eric Lyons and G. P. Townsend’. Architects' Journal 20 January 1955 pp. 72-73
‘Bungalows for old people for Esher U. D. C.’ [Architects: E. Lyons & G. Paulson Townsend] Architect & Building News 5 January 1951 p.14
‘Conversion of stables into houses: two schemes’ [Designed by: E. Lyons & G. Paulson Townsend at (1) Twickenham, (2) East Molesey] Architect & Building News 5 January 1951 pp. 1013
‘Eric Lyons (1912-1980)’. RIBA Journal vol. 87, no. 4, April 1980 p. 29.
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‘Eric Lyons, Hon FAIA (-1980)’. AIA Journal vol. 69, no. 8, July 1980 p. 38.
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‘Eric Lyons: death of an innovator’. Building vol. 238, no. 7128 (9), 29 February 1980 p. 14
‘Flats at Oaklands, Whitton, Middlesex’ [Architects: E. Lyons and G. P. Townsend] Architect & Building News 8 October 1948 pp. 288-291
‘Flats at Oaklands, Whitton, Middlesex’ [Architects: E. Lyons and G. P. Townsend] Architects’ Journal 9 September 1948 pp.243-246
‘Flats, Jameson Road, Bexhill-on-Sea’ [Architects: Eric Lyons and G. Paulson Townsend] The Builder 21 March 1952 pp. 445-447
‘Ground floor and basement of No. 47 Albemarle Street, London, converted for a travel bureau for Blakes (Norfolk Broads Holidays) Ltd’ [Architect: Eric Lyons] Architects’ Journal 1 October 1953 pp. 414-416
‘House at Hurst Road, East Molesey, Surrey’ [Architect: E. Lyons & G. Paulson Townsend] The Builder 31 August 1951 pp. 287-289
‘House in Strawberry Hill Rd., Twickenham’ [Architect: Eric Lyons] Architectural Review April 1955 pp.255-256
‘Housing at Longmead Road, Weston Green, Esher. [Architect: Eric Lyons] Architectural Review February 1954 p. 126
‘Housing at Weston Green, Surrey, designed for Esher U. D. C.’ [Architects: E. Lyons and G. P. Townsend] Architects’ Journal 25 November 1948 pp.490-492
‘Obituary: Eric Lyons, CBA, PPRIBA’. Housing Review vol. 29, no. 3, May/June 1980 p. 78.
‘Parkleys Estate, Ham Common, Richmond, Surrey’ [Architect: Eric Lyons] Architettura cronache e storia no. 26, 1957, pp. 530-535
'Residences by the Thames’ [Architects: Eric Lyons Cunningham Partnership] House Builder vol. 39, no. 8, September 1980 pp. 282-283.
'Terrace houses in Third Cross Road, Twickenham, Middlesex’ [Architect: Eric Lyons]. Architects' Journal 14 April 1955 pp.504-505
‘The House and Garden 'House of Ideas' 1957, part of the Priory Estate at Blackheath, Lewisham’. [Architect: Eric Lyons]. House & Garden June 1957 pp. 38-41 p.84
‘The House and Garden 'House of Ideas' 1957, part of the Priory Estate at Blackheath, Lewisham’. [Architect: Eric Lyons]. House & Garden July 1957 pp. 26-35
‘The House and Garden 'House of Ideas' 1957, part of the Priory Estate at Blackheath, Lewisham’. [Architect: Eric Lyons]. The Builder May 1957 pp. 985-987
'Urban development in a rural environment: New Ash Green, Kent [Architect: E. Lyons] Ideal Home October 1967 pp. 44-53