Sad news today as multiple outlets are reporting the death of Brutalist icon and former RIBA president Owen Luder in England at the age of 93.

Luder held a number of different titles throughout his six-decade career and was a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) at the time of his passing.

Born in South London in 1928, Luder studied at what was then called The Brixton School of Building (today a part of London South Bank University) before opening his own practice in 1957 and going on to create some of the most controversial buildings in the post-war UK. 

Characterized by his signature multi-use developments, Luder famously paired with Rodney Gordon on a number of theaters and multi-use projects that ultimately failed to withstand tests of time and wuthering public criticism. 

Developments like the so-called “Dunston Rocket” in Tyre and Tricorn Centre in Portsmouth remain as some of the most salient examples of lost architecture in the Commonwealth. Luder’s surviving buildings include the Grade-II listed South London Theatre. A shopping center in London’s Catford district recently served as the springboard of a community regeneration project from Tsuruta Architects.

Luder was later the founder of a consulting concern called Communications in Construction. He was the only architect to serve as RIBA head twice. A 2020 documentary about his life and work can be accessed below.