Stephenson and Turner
| Company type | Architectural firm |
|---|---|
| Industry | Architecture |
| Predecessor | Stephenson and Meldrum (1921–1937) |
| Founded | 1921 |
| Founder | Arthur George Stephenson, Percy Hayman Meldrum |
| Defunct | 1995 (merged with John Castles) |
| Fate | Merged to form Castles, Stephenson and Turner |
| Headquarters | Melbourne , Australia |
Area served | Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, Hong Kong, Iraq |
Key people | Arthur George Stephenson, Percy Hayman Meldrum, Donald Turner |
| Products | Hospital architecture, industrial architecture, exhibition pavilions |
Number of employees | 300–400 (at peak) |
Originally established as Stephenson and Meldrum (1921–1937), the architectural firm later known as Stephenson and Turner (1938–1995) became a prominent Australian practice, distinguished for its innovative modernist hospital architecture during the 1930s and 1940s.
Percy Meldrum
Percy Hayman Meldrum (1887–1968), a native of Casterton, Victoria, pursued architectural studies at Ballarat College before apprenticing with Melbourne architect A. A. Fritsch between 1907 and 1913, during which he was awarded the Royal Victorian Institute of Architects Bronze Medal.
In 1913, Meldrum journeyed to Chicago, where he was influenced by Frank Lloyd Wright’s architectural style. The following year, he relocated to England to design aircraft hangars for the War Office. By 1919, he had joined the Architectural Association (AA), where he encountered and taught Arthur Stephenson and Donald Turner. Meldrum’s notable projects include the 1930 Art Deco Castlemaine Art Museum. Serving as artistic director, he collaborated with Melbourne artists such as Napier Waller, whose mosaic adorned the facade of Newspaper House in 1933. He also oversaw the reconstruction of Cook's Cottage in Melbourne’s Fitzroy Gardens, a project financed by businessman Russell Grimwade.
The partnership between Stephenson and Meldrum concluded in 1937; subsequently, Meldrum partnered with Arthur Noad to form Meldrum and Noad. That same year, he became a founding figure of Robert Menzies’ anti-modernist Australian Academy of Art. His son James gained recognition as a surrealist painter and lecturer at RMIT.
Arthur George Stephenson
Arthur George Stephenson (1890–1967), born in Box Hill, Melbourne, began his architectural career in 1907 while studying construction at the Working Men's College. During World War I, he served as a captain in the Australian Imperial Force and was honored with the Military Cross. After the war, Stephenson studied under Percy Hayman Meldrum at London’s Architectural Association School and became a member of the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) in 1920. Upon returning to Melbourne, he co-founded Stephenson & Meldrum in 1921.
Stephenson led the firm's focus on hospital design, delivered numerous lectures, and participated on influential bodies such as the International Hospitals Federation and Melbourne's Hospital Advisory Council. He was knighted in 1954 for his contributions to architecture and was the first Australian recipient of the RIBA Gold Medal in 1964. Additionally, he received accolades from both the Royal Australian Institute of Architects and the American Institute of Architects.
Donald Turner
Donald Turner (1895–1964), hailing from Maitland, New South Wales, commenced his architectural career with Ross & Rowe in 1912. After serving as a captain during World War I, he pursued studies at London's Architectural Association, where he met both Stephenson and Meldrum. Turner joined RIBA in 1921 and worked for the Imperial War Graves Commission before returning to Melbourne in 1924 to join Stephenson and Meldrum. He became director in 1936; following Meldrum’s exit in 1937, the firm was renamed Stephenson and Turner in 1938.
Hospitals
During the 1930s, Stephenson’s firm held a leading role in shaping hospital architecture across Australia. As noted by Robin Boyd, hospitals offered modern architecture one of its earliest significant platforms within the country. Leveraging advancements in medical technology, Stephenson undertook research into American hospital developments during a 1926–27 visit abroad. This research informed key commissions including Wangaratta Base Hospital, the Jessie McPherson wing at Queen Victoria Hospital, and a pediatric hospital complex at Somers. Their inaugural major urban hospital project was the Healy Wing at St Vincent's Hospital in Melbourne—completed between 1931 and 1934—exemplifying efficient spatial planning alongside contemporary medical facilities with an eclectic style influenced by American architecture that gradually transitioned toward Art Deco.
A subsequent European research trip from 1932 to 1933 inspired a move toward Modernism influenced by projects such as Zonnestraal Sanatorium and Paimio Sanatorium. This evolution is evident in Mercy Hospital for Women (1934–35), a six-storey reinforced concrete building featuring stark white cantilevered balconies designed for sun shading and outdoor patient areas. The design garnered acclaim for its precise and machine-like efficiency.
Following Mercy Hospital’s success, Stephenson and Turner secured numerous hospital commissions nationwide characterized by streamlined functionalist designs with extended horizontal balconies featuring curved corners on cream brick exteriors. Prominent examples include Melbourne’s Freemason's Hospital (1936), Sydney’s United Dental Hospital (1940), and the Pathology Block at Royal Women's Hospital (1941). The Royal Melbourne Hospital, completed in 1942, adopted a minimalist International Style façade with distinctive sweeping balconies on its rear elevation; during World War II it also served as an American military hospital.
Simultaneous projects in Sydney included King George V Hospital for Mothers and Babies (1939–41), distinguished by horizontal balconies on its front façade, and Concord Repatriation General Hospital (1942), which reflected Royal Melbourne’s design principles through a simple front dominated by tower elements complemented by prominent rear balconies adapted to its site conditions.
International exhibitions
Stephenson and Turner were responsible for designing Australian pavilions at three significant global exhibitions, showcasing their dedication to Modernist principles and their established reputation. The 1937 Australian pavilion at the International Exposition of Arts and Technology in Modern Life held in Paris took the form of a minimalist cylindrical structure. For the 1940 New Zealand Centennial Exhibition in Wellington, their design incorporated intersecting geometric forms crowned by a striking stylised classical portico. At the 1939 1939 New York World's Fair, they provided interior design services for the Australian section adjoining the British Pavilion, collaborating closely with artists to deliver a vibrant modernist environment; Stephenson received U.S. citizenship in recognition of this contribution.
Post-World War II developments
Following World War II, Stephenson and Turner were instrumental in supporting Australia's manufacturing expansion, creating facilities for companies such as Holden in Dandenong, Ford, BHP, Fibremakers, as well as Australia's inaugural experimental nuclear reactor at Lucas Heights under the Atomic Energy Commission. Their designs prioritized advanced technologies and innovative production techniques. The General Motors Holden Factory complex (1954–56) in Dandenong notably featured a curtain wall on its administrative building.
In addition to major projects across Australian capital cities, New Zealand, and a hospital in Basra, Iraq, Stephenson and Turner grew to become the largest architectural practice in Australia during their peak, employing between 300 and 400 personnel. They extended their international presence with offices established in Singapore (1949), New Zealand (1956), and Hong Kong. Around this time, distinguished architect Col James joined the firm after graduating from the University of NSW and was later awarded a firm-funded scholarship to study at Harvard University.
The mid-1980s global economic recession had a profound effect on the firm. In 1995, they merged with John Castles to create Castles, Stephenson and Turner.
21st century
Since the year 2000, all Australian operations have been discontinued. Presently, Stephenson & Turner operates from four locations within New Zealand—Auckland, Waikato, Wellington, and Christchurch—focusing primarily on social infrastructure projects while preserving their longstanding expertise in healthcare architecture.
Noteworthy projects
- Collins Court Office Building, Little Collins Street, Melbourne, Victoria, 1920–1922
- Melbourne Town Hall (renovations including new main hall), Swanston Street, Melbourne, 1925–1927
- Members Pavilion at Melbourne Cricket Ground, East Melbourne, Victoria, 1927 (demolished)
- Shire of Eltham War Memorial located in Kangaroo Ground War Memorial Park, Victoria, 1927
- Castlemaine Art Museum on Lyttleton Street, Castlemaine, Victoria, 1931
- Royal Children's Hospital Crippled Children's Home in Somers, Victoria, 1931 (demolished)
- Lord Somers Camp situated in Somers, Victoria, 1931
- Healy Wing addition to St Vincent's Hospital, Fitzroy, Victoria, 1930–1934
- Newspaper House on Collins Street, Melbourne, 1932
- Mercy Hospital located in East Melbourne, Victoria, 1934
- Bethesda Hospital in Richmond, Victoria, 1936 (demolished)
- United Dental Hospital in Surry Hills, New South Wales, 1936–1940
- Freemasons Hospital situated in East Melbourne, Victoria, 1936
- Royal Melbourne Hospital located in Parkville, Victoria, 1936–1942 (altered)
- Gloucester House at Royal Prince Alfred Hospital in Darlinghurst, New South Wales, 1936
- Australian Pavilion at Paris Exposition Internationale des Arts et Techniques dans la Vie Moderne in Paris, France, 1937 (demolished)
- Victorian Railways Spirit of Progress train design created in 1937
- English Scottish and Australian Bank (currently ANZ), Royal Branch on Collins Street, Melbourne, Victoria, 1938–1942
- Australian Pavilion for the 1939 New York World's Fair held in New York City (demolished)
- Interior renovation of Victorian Government Tourist Bureau in Melbourne (demolished), 1939
- King George V Hospital for Mothers and Babies located in Sydney, New South Wales, 1939–1941
- Concord Repatriation Hospital (formerly Yaralla Military Hospital), Concord NSW, 1940–1942
- King George V Jubilee Maternal and Infant Welfare Pathological Building at Royal Women's Hospital Melbourne (demolished), 1941
- Torpedo Factory Workshops and Administration Buildings at Neutral Bay Sydney, 1942–1943
- Holden Complex spanning Dandenong and Fishermans Bend in Victoria; Pagewood NSW; Strathpine Queensland; and Trentham New Zealand; constructed between 1952–1964
- Australian Atomic Energy Commission Research Establishment located at Lucas Heights NSW from 1954 to 1962
- Royal Children's Hospital Parkville Melbourne (demolished), built between 1958–1963
- Fibremakers Factory situated in Bayswater Victoria from 1958 to 1968
- Southern Base Teaching Hospital located in Basrah Iraq constructed between 1958–1982
- Royal North Shore Hospital Sydney NSW developed from 1961 to 1971
- Colonial Mutual Life Assurance Society Building located in Melbourne Victoria completed in 1963
- Main Ward Block addition at Alfred Hospital Prahran Victoria during the 1960s
- United Christian Hospital Extension (Staff Quarters) at Hong Kong N.K.I.L. 6014 completed in 1986
Awards
- 1941 Sulman Medal awarded for the King George V Memorial Hospital for Mothers and Babies located in Sydney, New South Wales
- 1941 RVIA Street Architectural Medal granted for the King George V Jubilee Maternal and Infant Welfare Pathological Building at the Royal Women's Hospital in Melbourne, Victoria
- 1946 Sulman Medal received for the Yaralla Military Hospital in Concord, New South Wales
Sources
- Australian Institute of Architects, Nationally significant 20th century architecture: Mercy Hospital (former), http://www.architecture.com.au/docs/default-source/vic-notable-buildings/mercy-hospital-(former).pdf
- East Melbourne Historical Society, East Melbourne Walk, emhs.org.au/catalogue/emvf0131
- Julie Willis, Machines for healing, Architecture Australia, July/August 2002
- Philip Goad et al., Australian Modern: the architecture of Stephenson and Turner, Miegunyah Press and State Library of Victoria, 2004
- John Shaw, Sir Arthur Stephenson: Australian Architect, The Stephenson & Turner Sydney/Hong Kong Group, 1987