John Leslie Martin [commonly known as Leslie Martin; also known as Sir John Leslie Martin, and as J. Leslie Martin] was born in Manchester, England on 17 August 1908 and studied architecture at the University of Manchester, where he was awarded an M.A. in 1932 and a PhD. in 1936. Martin not only practised architecture but taught the subject. His first teaching post was at the University of Manchester in 1930, where he was an assistant lecturer and master of elementary design. In 1934, at the age of 26, he was appointed head of the School of Architecture at Hull College of Art. In 1926 he met Sadie Speight (1906-1992), who with him had been an architectural student at the University of Manchester. They subsequently married in 1935. Martin and Speight began practising together as John Leslie Martin & Sadie Speight [or Martin & Speight]. Between between 1935 and 1939 they were engaged on several architectural commissions in the north of England.
In 1939 Martin gave up his teaching post at Hull College of Art and with Speight moved to London where he was employed by the London, Midland and Scottish (LMS) Railway as principal assistant architect from 1939 to 1948. In October 1948 he was appointed Deputy Architect by London County Council (LCC). Over the next three years was engaged on the design and construction of a new permanent concert hall (Festival Hall) on the South Bank site. In 1953, Martin succeeded Robert Matthew as Architect to the LCC.
In 1956 Martin took up an appointment as the first professor of architecture in the University of Cambridge and head of the department of architecture. From 1957 to 1973 he was also a fellow of Jesus College. Soon after his move to Cambridge, he set up his practice in the nearby village of Great Shelford.
Martin was a Recognised Schools Silver Medallist in 1929 and a Soane Medallist in 1930. He was elected an Associate of the Royal Institute of British Architects (ARIBA) in 1930 and was awarded the RIBA Royal Gold Medal for Architecture in 1973, and the RIBA Trustees' Medal in 1992. In 1957 he was knighted for his services to architecture. He died at Great Shelford on 28 July 2000.
See: UK Modern House; and the Official website of Sir Leslie Martin [links below]
'Arts building and Middleton Hall, University of Hull'. Baumeister no. 2, 1968 pp. 136-139 [Architect: Leslie Martin]
Arts building and Middleton Hall, University of Hull'. Architectural Review October 1967 pp. 258-264
Booth, Philip and Taylor, Nicholas. Cambridge New Architecture. Foreword by Nilolaus Pevsner. London: Leonard Hill, 3rd edition,1970
Calder, Barnabas. Raw Concrete: The Beauty of Brutalism. William Heinemann: London. 2016
Campbell, Louise. ‘Constructivism and Contextualism in a Modern Country House: The Design of Brackenfell'. Architectural History vol. 50, 2007 pp. 247-266 [Discusses the design of Brackenfell is in Cumberland by Leslie Martin and Sadie Speight for Alastair Morton in 1937-38]
Cardin, Peter. 'Obituary: Sir Leslie Martin, 1908-2000'. Architects' Journal vol. 212, no. 5, 3/10 August 2000 p. 20.
'College Hall, Leicester' Architectural Review June 1961 pp. 378-383 [Architects: J. Leslie Martin and Trevor Dannat]
'Country house, extension of existing building, at Dockray, Cumberland'. Architects' Journal 3 July 1941 p. 9 [Architects: Leslie Martin and Sadie Speight
Frampton, Kenneth. 'On Leslie Martin'. ARQ: Architectural Research Quarterly vol. 5, no. 1, March 2001 pp. 11-12
'Gonville & Caius College, Cambridge'. Casabella no. 268, 1962 pp. 25-32 [Architects: Leslie Martin and Colin St John Wilson]
Harwood, Elain. ‘Leslie Martin and the St Cross Building, Oxford’ Twentieth Century Architecture no.11, 2013 pp.122-135
Harwood, Elain. Mid-Century Britain: Modern Architecture 1938-1963. London: Batsford, 2021
Hawkes, Dean. 'Obituary: Leslie Martin 1908-2000'. Architectural Review vol. 207, no. 1244, October 2000 p.39
Hodgkinson, Patrick. 'Patrick Hodgkinson on Leslie Martin.' ARQ: Architectural Research Quarterly vol. 5, no. 4, December 2001 pp. 297-300
'Leslie Martin receives the Royal Gold Medal'. RIBA Journal vol. 80, no. 2, February 1973, pp. 56, 60.
McKean, John Maule. Royal Festival Hall : London County Council, Leslie Martin and Peter Moro. London : Phaidon, 2nd edition, 2001.
Martin, Leslie. 'Architects' approach to Architecture'. RIBA Journal vol. 74, May 1967 pp. 191-200
Martin, John Leslie and Speight, Sadie. The Flat Book. London: William Heinemann, 1939
Mills, Edward David. The New Architecture in Britain 1946-1953. London: The Standard Catalogue Co., 1953 [Discusses Royal Festival Hall, South Bank, London designed by Robert H. Matthew and John Leslie Martin pp. 107-128]
'Peterhouse hall of residence, Cambridge'. Architect & Building News 8 Septembrt 1965 pp. 447-450 [Architects: Sir L. Martin & C. St. John Wilson.]
Powers, Alan. Modern. The Modern Movement in Britain. London: Merrell, 2005
'Pure gold: Sir Leslie Martin, recipient of this year's Royal Gold Medal for Architecture'. Building Design no. 135, 2 February 1973 pp. 10-11
Ray, Nicholas. 'Sir Leslie Martin 1908-2000'. Building Design no. 1452, 11 August 2000 p. 2.
'Residential building for Gonville and Caius College, Cambridge'. Architectural Design November 1962 pp. 522-529 [Architects: Leslie Martin, andC. St. J. Wilson.]
Robson, G. 'Bodleian Law Library, Oxford'. RIBA Journal November 1966 pp. 505-510 [Architects: Sir Leslie Martin and C. St. John Wilson.]
Seddon, Jill. 'Sadie Speight and the Flat Book' in Women Designing. Redefining Design in Britain between the Wars. Edited by Jill Seddon and Suzette Worden. Brighton: University of Brighton, 1994 pp.131-135
'Shop at New Bond Street, London'. Architects' Journal 3January 1952 pp.12-13 [Shop designed by Sadie Speight with L. Manasseh, Lois Hutchings, for Messrs. Kaye]
'Shop in Liverpool Street for Richard & Partners Ltd., for the sale of watches & pens'. Architects' Journal 13 November 1952 p. 581 [Shop designed by Sadie Speight and Leonard Manasseh]
'Sir Leslie Martin: Royal Gold Medal for Architecture 1973'. Concrete Quarterly no. 96, January/March 1973 pp. 33-35.
'Sir Leslie Martin.' Architects Trade Journal vol. 3, no. 3, March 1973 p.p 10-11.
Spring, Martin. 'Royal Festival Hall architect dies at 91.' Building vol. 265, no. 8148, 4 August 2000 p. 13
Stevens, Thomas. 'The Third Force in Architecture: the work of Sir Leslie Martin'. Architectural Design vol. 35, September 1965 pp. 429-448 [Contains a review of Martin's work from 1935 to 1965]
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]
'University building with flexible structural grid'. Asian Building & Construction November 1972 pp. 39-41 [Zoology and Pstchology Building, University of Oxford. Architect: Leslie Martin]
Williams-Ellis, Clough. Royal Festival Hall. London : Parrish in association with London County Council, 1951 [Architects: Robert Matthew, Leslie Martin and Peter Moro]