Jack Manning (1929–2021), a highly awarded Fellow of Te Kāhui Whaihanga NZIA and Gold Medal recipient, passed away earlier this week, leaving a legacy of city-shaping projects such as Wellington’s Majestic Centre and Auckland’s AMP Building.

Manning’s career began with the Group Architects and he later went on to practice with David Mitchell, with whom he worked to design many buildings for the University of Auckland, including the School of Music on Symonds Street and the Epsom Campus Education buildings. With numerous award-winning and enduring designs to his name, Manning was honoured with the NZIA Gold Medal in 2011, after more than 50 years of work.

The NZIA noted in their Gold Medal citation:

“In a profession that accommodates various proficiencies, Jack has always been, in essence, a designer. As he came from a modest background, did not possess a ready-made network of prospective clients and, by his own admission, is not naturally inclined to commercial activity, his advancement has been based on the realisation of his design talent. More than that, Jack has a thorough-going appreciation of how buildings are put together. In this respect, he epitomises the virtues and values of his generation of architects, a generation for whom the art of drawing was inseparable from the craft of making.”

Manning has made a notable impact on cities throughout New Zealand and will be missed by many, from both the architectural profession and the wider community.

A full obituary will follow in an upcoming issue of Architecture NZ, along with a republishing of his Gold Medal interview on ArchitectureNow in the coming days.