For half a century, Avante-Garde, neo-futurist architect, writer, and professor Peter Cook has played an important role in architecture globally. Peter Cook founded Archigram and was Knighted by Queen Elizabeth II in 2007 for his works in architecture and teaching. He was also awarded the Royal Gold Medal in 2004 by the Royal Institute of British Architects for his achievements in Archigram. He is also a royal academician and a Commandeur de l’Ordre des Arts et des Lettres of the French Republic
According to Peter Cook, Archigram is a neo-futuristic, non-heroic, and pro-consumerist architectural group that draws inspiration from technology to create a new reality that was previously only expressed in hypothetical projects.
Education and Career
Born on 22 October 1936 in Southend-on-sea, Essex, Sir Peter Cook studied Architecture at Bournemouth College of Art(1953-1958). He later entered the Architectural Association School of Architecture in London and graduated in 1960.
Cook was director of London’s Institute of Contemporary Art and chair of Architecture at Bartlett School of Architecture. His construction of an arts building in 2003, the Kunsthaus Graz (aka ‘The Friendly Alien’) in Graz, Austria (with Colin Fournier), brought his works to the public. From 2007 to 2013 he worked with Gavin Robotham at CRAB (Cook Robotham Architectural Bureau Ltd).
Zaha Hadid opened his first building in the UK, a new drawing studio at the Arts University Bournemouth in March 2016. He also built the innovation studio at the Arts University Bournemouth which was opened in 2021. He currently practices with Erlend Blakstad Haffner and Branko Belaćević at CHAP (Cook Haffner Architecture Platform Ltd).
Ideology
Peter Cook has always argued in favor of architecture that counteracts outdated traditions and interests with a radical transformation. From the 1960s, he has presented several innovative design ideas through Archigram. Archigram promoted ideas like residential capsules that are presented as mobile elements and utopian urban design ideas like “plug-in cities” or the “walking city”. The first Archigram according to Cook’s “Notes on the Archigram Syndrome” was a reaction against the stagnant and uninspiring built environment of London. He believed that many of the so-called modern buildings had betrayed the ideas of early modernism.
The future has turned more uncertain since the turn of the millenium. However many questions raised by Archigram 50 years ago continue to be ignored. They discussed many topics like electric cars, consumerism, nomadism, etc.. that were way ahead of their time. British pop art and humor were used by them to call for a change. Peter Cook believed that modern, efficient solutions were more practical.
For Peter Cook, Handmade drawings were always the means of expression. He challenges the usual average through colorful depictions of landscapes, cities, and buildings from a variety of perspectives.
He also makes 3-dimensional installations from his 2-dimensional speculations for the viewers to immerse themselves and walk around.
Notable Projects
The Plug-in-city was proposed in 1964 by Archigram. Though never built, it proposed a fascinating approach to urbanism, challenging the traditional perceptions of the infrastructural role in a city. From 1960-1974, Archigram created over 900 drawings, among which the plan for plug-in-city was proposed by Peter Cook.
The innovation studio encourages innovation and creativity acting as a catalyst of growth for creative industries. The architectural details indicate the self-identification of the groups. Each group is offered a differently shaped window from the next and a series of eyelid shutters which can adjust the mood of privacy and exposure for each group. The building breaks down the categories of office, studio, and workshop with a direct connection to the workshop making the building and ideal hybrid for the future.
The Kunsthaus Graz, designed by Peter Cook and Colin Fournier, is a centerpiece of the Graz’s European Capital of Cultural celebrations, that redefines contemporary architecture. It has a biomorphic form, that is nicknamed ‘the Friendly Alien’ that captured global attention. It challenges the concept of a cultural institution rejecting orthogonal geometry and seamlessly merging architecture, art, and public interaction.
Peter Cook through his works inspires us to think unconventionally and question our surroundings, past, and future. He envisioned a future by addressing issues faced by contemporary architects in reality. He hoped for an architecture that would make the maximum out of the situation rather than minimizing it. His works always expressed the restlessness and dissatisfaction with today’s design thinking. His perspective ‘that every building or drawing should contain a minimum amount of new ideas and atmospheric content’ continues to inspire designers globally.
- Articles
www.richardsaltoun.com. (n.d.). Peter Cook – Biography | Richard Saltoun. [online] Available at: https://www.richardsaltoun.com/artists/394-peter-cook/biography/.
Sanchez, A. (2023). Peter Cook’s Architectures of the Spirit | ndion. [online] ndion. Available at: https://ndion.de/en/peter-cooks-architectures-of-the-spirit/.
ArchDaily. (2021). Innovation Studio / Sir Peter Cook. [online] Available at: https://www.archdaily.com/971888/innovation-studio-sir-peter-cook?ad_source=search&ad_medium=projects_tab [Accessed 23 Mar. 2025].
Baldwin, E. (2019). Spotlight: Peter Cook. [online] ArchDaily. Available at: https://www.archdaily.com/440979/happy-birthday-sir-peter-cook.
Ferreira, D.B. (2024). Kunsthaus Graz: A Friendly Alien Among Historic Landmarks. [online] ArchDaily. Available at: https://www.archdaily.com/1024004/kunsthaus-graz-a-friendly-alien-among-historic-landmarks?ad_source=search&ad_medium=projects_tab&ad_source=search&ad_medium=search_result_all [Accessed 23 Mar. 2025].
- Images/visual mediums
Sanchez, A. (2023). Peter Cook’s Architectures of the Spirit | ndion. [online] ndion. Available at: https://ndion.de/en/peter-cooks-architectures-of-the-spirit/.
ArchDaily. (2020). Gallery of Innovation Studio / Sir Peter Cook – 1. [online] Available at: https://www.archdaily.com/971888/innovation-studio-sir-peter-cook/618ed7ac7e35f901655d3e9f-innovation-studio-sir-peter-cook-photo [Accessed 23 Mar. 2025].
Baldwin, E. (2019). Spotlight: Peter Cook. [online] ArchDaily. Available at: https://www.archdaily.com/440979/happy-birthday-sir-peter-cook.
ArchDaily. (2020). Gallery of Kunsthaus Graz: A Friendly Alien Among Historic Landmarks – 6. [online] Available at: https://www.archdaily.com/1024004/kunsthaus-graz-a-friendly-alien-among-historic-landmarks/6744f51a905e7e0188f3c769-kunsthaus-graz-a-friendly-alien-among-historic-landmarks-photo [Accessed 23 Mar. 2025].
- Other source types
cook, P. (2015). Architect Sir Peter Cook: I’m a creative cynic. [online] the goodwill projecr. Available at: https://goodwillproject.in/architect-sir-peter-cook-im-a-creative-cynic/.
