Sir Terry Farrell: 1938-2025
The world-renowned architect, who grew up in Gosforth, leaves a legacy in Newcastle through landmark projects and the Farrell Centre. Tony Henderson reports
When Sir Terry Farrell came back to home territory to donate £1m to the university where he laid the foundations for a spectacular six-decade career, it spoke volumes for the depth of his ties to Tyneside.
That bond went back to the days when international architect, planner and urban designer Sir Terry grew up in one of the first council houses on the Grange estate in Gosforth, Newcastle, earning his first income as a newspaper delivery boy.
He studied architecture at Newcastle University between 1956 and 1961 after attending St Cuthbert’s High School in the city.
His many projects abroad include Incheon Airport in Seoul, the Peak Tower in Hong Kong, and in China Beijing South Station and Guangzhou South Station – for a time the biggest station in the world.
The list also includes the KK100 tower in Shenzhen, the tallest building to be designed by a British architect, and the MI6 building in London.
Sir Terry, who has died aged 87, also donated his personal archive of thousands of items spanning his illustrious career. His extensive collection includes models, drawings, papers and diaries referencing award-winning designs, plus pieces from his schooldays in Newcastle and from his five years at university.
His financial gift founded the Farrell Centre at the university. Sir Terry had long believed that every city should have such a centre to showcase and debate architecture – and its impact, for better or worse, on the lives of people.
He also envisaged another role for the centres as places where the man and the woman in the street could be informed and have their say in how their city should develop and function.
His projects have included masterplans for some of the most prominent buildings in Newcastle. He produced plans for the East Quayside redevelopment, Newcastle University campus, the Centre for Life and the transformation of the Victorian Hancock Museum into the Great North Museum.
Sir Terry was made a visiting professor in the university’s School of Architecture, Planning and Landscape and also an honorary freeman of Newcastle in 2016.
His many awards include the Royal Town Planning Institute’s Gold Medal, conservation, town planning and Civic Trust Awards, and Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) awards including the International Award.