Michael Sutton
A long life briefly
In helping to assemble this book which
includes most of my work over the past sixty years, I’m left with one
overriding emotion – gratitude. For so many things – people (family, friends,
clients), so many circumstances (luck, if you will) – that have helped and
guided me through a long and happy life.
In a way
luck started from birth (2.6.1928). Unlucky to be born stone deaf but lucky to
have loving parents, Bill and Dolly, who had the determination and means to
give my sister Ann (also deaf) and myself the best possible education; which
meant the family moving from South Africa to England just before the outbreak
of the Second World War because that was where the best schools for the deaf
were.
And then
there was Monica Martin, who came as I turned 2 to be governess, teacher,
surrogate mother, whose guiding hand was there for us till her death at 90. She
told me that, still in a pram, I was more interested in houses than the people
in them. If so, I’m somewhat reformed.
My father
re-joined the RAF and my mother drove an ambulance during the London Blitz. We
all came together on school holidays and in spite of food rationing and bombers
overhead, we had a wonderful time wherever my father was stationed with his
squadron – Kent, Surrey, Newcastle , Scotland , Devonshire .
The castles, grand country houses, delightful villages, gothic cathedrals we
visited stirred my interest in architecture.
Back in South Africa after the war, after a struggle at
matriculating (because of the required Afrikaans) I was finally accepted at Witwatersrand University . My father had died after our
return, his business having gone broke in his absence. Gratefully, my uncle Sir
George Albu paid the varsity bills.
Even
before university I had been working for Steffen Ahrends, who has remained a
big influence on my work. He was a product of the famous Bauhaus and had to
flee Nazi Germany before the war. His insistence on honest materials, basic
simplicity, and good proportions based on human scale, remained with me.
In 1956 I
shared a flat with Tom Russell, then a film and music critic on The Star.
Since then and off-and-on for neigh on 60 years, he has remained my best
friend, companion – and architectural critic. We built or renovated at least 7
houses together.
In 1961
Tom persuaded me to start on my own – up till then I had only occasional small
commissions from friends. My practice had its ups and downs like all
businesses. First partner was John Griffiths whom I knew in Steffen’s office.
Then came David Walker who was a great help in running the office, organizing
and supervising building work thus leaving me time for design work. His command
of the office allowed me to travel overseas often, including 6 months in India and Nepal
in 1971 and many months at a time in Greece .
In the
sixties, after a failed two-year marriage, I belatedly enjoyed sowing a few
wild oats. It was the time of the hippy - flower power - Timothy Leary - joss
sticks - “joints” - yoga. I joined three Spanish friends in India in spite
of only a 72 hour transit visa and an airport sign “No Dogs and South Africans
allowed”. Then I went on my own following a sadhu on foot, train or bus from Kashmir to Rajasthan, sleeping in caves, shrines, on
station platforms. Tragedy struck when my very dear Spanish friend ended his
life in Delhi .
I came to Greece because Tom, as a journalist, had had
enough of apartheid politics in South
Africa and had emigrated. His criticism of
the junta in Greece
landed him in trouble. He fled to Cyprus taking his caique yacht with
him. When he decided to sell it I jumped at the chance. “Sofia ” became my new love. A year later –
drama! The day after we sailed out of Kyrenia harbour every boat there was sunk
by the invading Turks. That was in July 1974. Luck, again.
I spent
more and more time on “Sofia ” exploring the
islands of Greece ,
fascinated and inspired by their beautiful architecture. Then came one
commission after another to design houses for wonderful Greek clients. The
office in South Africa
closed when David with his family emigrated to Australia .
In 2000
Tom and I returned to the new South
Africa . We built a lovely house in Stanford
which we enjoyed but we missed Greece .
Five years later we moved back.
My
architectural philosophy (or whatever you call it) is best stated by Sri Lankan
architect, Geoffrey Bawa: “I have always enjoyed seeing buildings but seldom
enjoyed explanations about them – as I feel, with others, that architecture
cannot be totally explained but must be experienced.”
I cannot
conclude without thanking my old friends and “serial” clients Costas and Penny
Apostolidis for their kindness, generosity and perseverance in making this book
possible.
Michael
Sutton
Poros,
January 2015