Michael Carleton Langhorne Powell [commonly known as Michael Powell] was born in Skipton, Yorkshire, England on 15 May 1916 and studied at Corpus Christi, Cambridge University and at the Architectural Association Schools in London. He was subsequently elected an Associate of the Royal institute of British Architects (ARIBA) and practised as an architect in London. In 1946, with his brother, Philip Powell, (1921-2003) and Hidalgo Moya (1920-1994), both also graduates of the Architectural Association, he formed the architectural partnership Powell & Moya.
In 1950 Michael Powell withdrew from Powell & Moya to join London County Council Architects as Assistant Housing Architect.
During World War Two Michael Powell served as a major in the Royal Engineers. He died in Kensington, London on 25 July 1971
During his association with Powell & Moya, projects on which he worked included a competition-winning commission to rebuild a large area of war-damaged housing in Pimllico, London in 1946. The project was developed in stages and eventually completed in 1962. Other projects included Chichester Festival Theatre in Chichester, Sussex (1950–61); the Skylon at the South Bank, London for the Festival of Britain (1951).
Mills, Edward David. The New Architecture in Britain 1946-1953. London: The Standard Catalogue Co., 1953 [Discusses two houses in Chichester, Sussex designed by Powell & Moya pp. 55-62]
Powell, Andrew B. Powell & Moya. London: RIBA Publishing, 2009
Powell, Kenneth. ‘Powell & Moya: the first fifty years’. Architects’ Journal 4 July 1966 pp. 27-58