Terry Farrell Project Archives 特里．法雷爾項目檔案

Sir Terry Farrell , a leading British architect and urban designer, began his architectural studies at Newcastle University in England. He then pursued a master’s degree in urban planning at the University of Pennsylvania in the United States, where he was profoundly influenced by architects Louis Kahn, Paul Davidoff, Ian McHarg, Robert Venturi, and Denise Scott Brown. His exposure to modernism, landscape architecture, urban design, and civil rights issues during this period left a lasting impact on his design philosophy. 

In 1965, Farrell joined forces with Nicholas Grimshaw to establish the Farrell Grimshaw Partnership. He subsequently founded his own practice, Terry Farrell & Partners, in 1980. Departing from the rigid constraints of modernist architecture, Farrell embraced post-modernism, emphasising the incorporation of historical references and pluralistic design approaches in his practice. 

Among Farrell's notable works located in London  are Clifton Nurseries (1980), the TV-am studios (1983), Embankment Place (1990), Alban Gate (1992), the headquarters of the British Secret Intelligence Service (1993), and the Royal Institution (2008). In Hong Kong they include the Peak Tower (1995), the British Consulate (1996), and the Kowloon Station Development (2009); and in the Chinese Mainland, the KK100 Mall in Shenzhen (2011) and the Guangzhou Museum (2014). 

The project archives, which contain approximately 160 archival items, comprise sketches, drawings, prints, and photographs related to two of Farrell's Hong Kong projects: the Peak Tower (1991–1995) and the Kowloon Ventilation Building (1993–1997). 

Farrell’s version of the Peak Tower , which replaced the smaller 1972 Peak Tower designed by architect Chung Wah Nan (see also fonds CA10 Chung Wah Nan Architects Archive), has become a city landmark. Restricted by a height limit of 428 metres and drawing inspiration from traditional Chinese architecture, his design concept incorporates a bowl–shaped structure symbolising wealth.

Located on the West Kowloon waterfront, the Kowloon Ventilation Building (KVB) houses essential facilities such as pumping and filtration systems, floodgates, and Kowloon Station train sidings. Farrell’s design employs architectural layering and collage techniques to create sculptural forms and geometric patterns resembling a stylised dragon, a nod to the district’s name, ‘Kowloon’, which translates to ‘nine dragons’ and is itself a reference to local mythology and history. 

The following items related to Terry Farrell’s works are available to explore in the M+ Collections: 2021.165, 2021.166, and 2021.167.  Additional archival materials can also be found in Special Collections & Archives, The University of Newcastle, England.   

M+ is committed to preserving, organising, and describing the collection archives in keeping with the highest international standards. As sections of the archives are catalogued, they will be made available on the M+ Collections website. 

See also Farrell (Sir Terry) Archive (#TF) at Special Collections & Archives, The University of Newcastle, England.