Roderick Ham: Difference between revisions

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{{Short description|British architect}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}

[[File:Theatre, Church Street, Leatherhead - geograph.org.uk - 430379.jpg|thumb|Thorndike Theatre, now known as the Leatherhead Theatre]]

'''Roderick Thomas Mathieson Ham''' (September 1925 -– 19 January 2017) was a British architect, principally of theatres, who often worked with [[George Finch (architect)|George Finch]]. He designed the [[New Wolsey Theatre]] in [[Ipswich]], and the [[Thorndike Theatre]] in [[Leatherhead]].<ref name="c20society1">{{cite web|url=http://www.c20society.org.uk/botm/thorndike-theatre-leatherhead/ |title=Thorndike Theatre, Leatherhead — The Twentieth Century Society |website=C20society.org.uk |date= |accessdate=2016-12-14}}</ref>

==Early life==

Ham was born in [[Balham]], South London. He was the son of Bob Ham, a salesman, and Rea (nee Mathieson-Macbeth).<ref name=guardian>{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2017/mar/02/roderick-ham-obituary|title=Roderick Ham obituary|author=Foster. T|newspaper=The Guardian|date=March 2017}}</ref>

In World War II, he served in the British Army, rising to Second Lieutenant.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/37134/supplement/3173/data.pdf |format=PDF |title=Supplement to the London Gazette |date=19 June 1945 |page=3173 |website=Thegazette.co.uk |accessdate=2016-12-14}}</ref>

In World War II, he served in the British Army, joining straight from school and rising to Secondsecond Lieutenantlieutenant.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/37134/supplement/3173/data.pdf |format=PDF |title=Supplement to the London Gazette |date=19 June 1945 |page=3173 |website=Thegazette.co.uk |accessdate=2016-12-14}}</ref>

==Career==

When he was demobbed in 1947, Ham joined the [[Architectural Association]] to start his studies as an architect, where he would return later in his career to teach.<ref name=guardian/>

Ham designed the [[Thorndike Theatre]] in [[Leatherhead]] within the shell of the disused 1930s Crescent Cinema, which opened in 1969.<ref name="c20society1"/><ref name="Fair2016" />

In 1954 he set up his own practice, and due to his love of amateur dramatics, decided to concentrate on theatre design.<ref name=guardian/> His early work included alterations to the Festival theatre in Battersea Park and additions to the Royal Court. His first major project was designing, with George Finch, the [[Thorndike Theatre]] in [[Leatherhead]] within the shell of the disused 1930s Crescent Cinema, which opened in 1969.<ref name="c20society1"/><ref name="Fair2016" /> The building is now Grade II listed<ref name=guardian/> and won both a [[Royal Institute of British Architects|RIBA Award]] and a building for the disabled award in 1970.<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=8BhVAAAAMAAJ&q=%22Roderick+Ham%22+friba|title=Britain|author=Peter Murray, Stephen Trombley|date=1990|page=126|isbn=9780442308179}}</ref>

Ham designed the [[Derby Playhouse]] with George Finch, which opened in 1975.,<ref name="Fair2016">{{cite book|author=Alistair Fair|title=Setting the Scene: Perspectives on Twentieth-Century Theatre Architecture|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=iU2rCwAAQBAJ&pg=PA20|date=3 March 2016|publisher=Routledge|isbn=978-1-317-05692-8|page=20}}</ref> and the [[New Wolsey Theatre]] in [[Ipswich]], which was built from 1977 to 1979, followed by the Sackville theatre at Sevenoaks school in Kent, in 1981.<ref name=guardian/>

In 1961, Ham was one of the founding members of the [[Association of British Theatre Technicians]] and was elected a Fellow in 2012.<ref name=guardian/> With Peter Moro, he produced a series of information sheets on aspects of theatre design that were published by the ''Architects' Journal''. Ham developed this work into his 1972 book ''Theatre Planning'',<ref>{{cite journal|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=6YdUAAAAMAAJ&q=%22Roderick+Ham%22+friba|title=Theatre Planning|journal=Built Environment|volume=2|date=1973|page=35}}</ref> and his 1987 publication ''Theatres: Planning Guidance for Design and Adaptation''. He was elected Master of the [[Art Workers' Guild]] in 1989.<ref name=guardian/>

Ham designed the [[New Wolsey Theatre]] in [[Ipswich]], which was built from 1977 to 1979.

==Personal life==

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==References==

{{Reflist}}

{{authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Ham, Roderick}}

[[Category:1925 births]]

[[Category:2017 deaths]]

[[Category:British20th-century English architects]]

[[Category:British Army personnel of World War II]]

[[Category:Royal Engineers officers]]

[[Category:Masters of the Art Worker's Guild]]

[[Category:People from Balham]]