Peter Hall papers mainly concerning the Sydney Opera House, 1958-2006

fonds

1958-2006

Textual Records, Graphic Materials, Photographs, Clippings, Architectural and Technical Drawings

9607954

1.36 metres of textual material (6 boxes), includes some copies of architectural drawings
2047 slides (4 boxes)
825 negatives
214 photographic prints
39 transparencies
23 contact sheets

Peter Hall was born in Newcastle in 1931. After spending his early childhood in Narrabri, he attended Cranbrook School in Sydney and then the University of Sydney, graduating in Architecture in 1957 and Arts in 1958. He held a traineeship with the NSW Government Architect until 1966. During this time he won the Hezlet Bequest Travelling Scholarship through the University of Sydney, which he used to travel in Europe. He worked for the London firm Anderson Forster & Wilcox from 1958 to 1960 before returning to Sydney.
At the Government Architect's Office, Hall was responsible for the design of a number of university buildings including the library at Macquarie University, chemistry and agricultural economics buildings at the University of New England, and Goldstein Hall and college buildings at the University of New South Wales, which won the Sir John Sulman Award in 1965.
After Jørn Utzon resigned from the Sydney Opera House project in 1966, Hall accepted an invitation from the NSW Minister of Public Works to become the design architect for the project. He joined Todd & Littlemore, to become Hall, Todd & Littlemore, a consortium established to complete the Opera House.
The project was marred with controversy, as Hall had to resolve difficulties with the design and had been left little in the way of documentation from Utzon. Despite the challenges, Hall brought the building to completion and it was opened in 1973 to great acclaim, although Hall's contribution was not celebrated by the profession or the general public.
After his work on the Opera House, Hall went into private practice, working on a number of institutional projects. In the 1980s he worked on the design of the Opera House forecourt, which won the RAIA's Lloyd Rees Civic Design Award in 1988.
Hall died of a stroke in 1995. His work was recognised in 2006 by the presentation of the RAIA's 25 Year Award.

Reference:
Library correspondence file

Prior to their acquisition, the papers had been stored in a shed at the home of Peter Hall's son, Willy, in the NSW Southern Highlands.

The collection is Peter Hall's personal archive of material relating to his career, with a focus on his work on the Sydney Opera House project. The archive includes correspondence, personal diaries and sketchbooks, photographs, reports, notes, drawings, clippings and publications.

SERIES 1
Peter Hall diaries, correspondence, clippings and other material, 1958-2006

SERIES 2
Peter Hall photographs, ca. 1967-1986

SERIES 3
Peter Hall negatives and transparencies, ca. 1967-ca. 1986

SERIES 4
Peter Hall slides, 1956-1985

Copyright status:: In copyright - This collection has multiple rights owners
Approval for reproduction required: From copyright holder
Please acknowledge:: Mitchell Library, State Library of New South Wales and Courtesy copyright holder