Owen Williams (engineer)

Updated on Oct 26, 2023

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Children Owen Tudor Williams Role Engineer Education University of London		Name Owen Williams

Full Name Evan Owen Williams Born 20 March 1890 Tottenham, London Practice name Sir Owen Williams & Partners Significant projects Gravelly Hill Interchange, Birmingham Died May 23, 1969, Hemel Hempstead, United Kingdom Structures Daily Express Building, Manchester, The Dorchester, Boots Factory, Nottingham (1) Significant design Daily Express Building, Manchester, Nottingham Similar People William Curtis Green, Jock Kinneir, Margaret Calvert
Significant advance Concrete engineering Engineering discipline Architectural engineering Institution memberships University of London

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Sir Evan Owen Williams (20 March 1890 – 23 May 1969) was a British engineer and architect, known for being the principal engineer for Gravelly Hill Interchange (known popularly as Spaghetti Junction) as well as a number of key modernist buildings, including the Express Building in Manchester and Boots D10 Building in Nottingham.

Owen Williams (engineer) Engineering Timelines biography Owen Williams selected works

Primarily an engineer, he was not classically trained as an architect but showed an exceptional degree of proficiency with both flair and functionality in his buildings which were considered far ahead of their time during the 1930s. Williams ultimately believed architecture and engineering must be inseparable.

Owen Williams (engineer) Engineering Timelines Findhorn Bridge

Owen williams banned for 6 weeks for contact with the eyes

Career

Owen Williams (engineer) Owen Williams The Concrete King Modernism in MetroLand

Williams born at 16 Caroline Terrace in Tottenham, London, England, on 20 March 1890. He was the son of Evan Owen Williams, a Welsh-born grocer and Mary Roberts. Originally both farmers, they both moved to London some years before Owen was born. Williams had two sisters and two brothers. Mary Kate died young, but the second born, Elizabeth Maud, became an author. Owen had an older brother, Robert Osian, who was a successful banker and came out of retirement to manage the finances of his brother's engineering practice which was launched in 1940. Williams attended Tottenham Grammar School and Williams excelled in mathematics. He was apprenticed to the Electrical Tramways Co. in London in 1907 and at the same time did an engineering degree at the University of London.

In 1912 Williams assumed a position as engineer and designer with the Trussed Concrete Company. Seven years later, he started his own consulting firm, Williams Concrete Structures.

Appointed chief consulting civil engineer to the British Empire Exhibition which included the old Wembley Stadium. The commission also included the Palace of Industry building in Brent, the first building in the United Kingdom to use concrete as the exterior. The building was listed in 1997 in recognition of this but was delisted in 2004 after an appeal by a property developer. Williams was recognised for his achievements and recognised a knighthood in 1924.

Through the exhibition, Williams came into an association with its architect, Maxwell Ayrton, which led to their working together on the design of Williams's bridges in Scotland.

Williams designed his buildings as functional structures sheathed with decorative facades. More an engineer than an architect, Williams produced a series of reinforced concrete buildings during the period between the wars. After World War II he worked on developing the first plan for Britain's motorway system. His other works include the Dorchester Hotel, the Boots pharmaceutical factory in Beeston, Nottinghamshire, the M1 motorway and the Pioneer Health Centre in Peckham, south London.

In the 1940s the company expanded and became Sir Owen Williams and Partners. This followed the building of the Daily Express Building, Manchester, which Williams designed. Contrary to popular belief, the Manchester building was the only one of the three Express Buildings which Williams designed – the others in Glasgow and London were designed by Ellis and Clark. Although Williams was more of an engineer than an architect, the Manchester Express Building was lauded for architecture and demonstrated his proficiency as an architect.

His nephew is quoted as saying "Just fancy Taid taking all that time over the trip to Barnet, when 60 years later his Grandson was head of Civil Engineering for the M1 ....."

Owen Williams' grandson, Richard Williams, was chief executive of the Owen Williams Group until its acquisition by Amey in 2006.

List of works

(Including bridges)

1913–14 – Resident engineer for Trussed Concrete Steel Company at Patent Fuel Works, Swansea Docks

1914–16 – Chief estimating engineer, Trussed Concrete Steel Company

1916–17 – Assistant aeroplane designer, Wells Aviation

1917–18 – Various ships and slipways, Poole, Dorset

1921–24 – British Empire Exhibition buildings at Wembley Park with Maxwell Aryton (included Palace of Industry Building which was listed in 1997 and delisted in 2004)

1921–24 – Wembley Stadium with Maxwell Aryton

1924–25 – Lea Valley Viaduct and Bridge with Maxwell Aryton

1924–25 – Parc des Attractions, Paris

1924–26 – Findhorn Bridge with Maxwell Aryton

1924–27 – Road Bridge, Shepherd Leys Wood

1924–29 – Bournemouth Pavilion with Home & Knight

1925–26 – Spey Bridge, Newtonmore ... architect: Maxwell Aryton

1925–26 – Crubenmore and Loch Alvie Bridges ... architect: Maxwell Aryton

1925–26 – Duntocher Bridge ... architect: Maxwell Aryton

1925–26 – Belfast Water Tower, Northern Ireland

1925–26 – Wansford Bridge, Huntingdonshire with Maxwell Aryton

1926–28 – Dalnamein Bridge with Maxwell Aryton

1926–28 – Carr Bridge (demolished) with Maxwell Aryton

1926–28 – Lochy Bridge with Maxwell Aryton

1927–28 – Brora Bridge

1927–30 – Montrose Bridge

1928–29 – Pont-Rhyd-Owen Bridge

1928–30 – Wadham Road Viaduct

1928–30 – Harnham Bridge, Wiltshire

1928–30 – Pilkington's Warehouse, London

1929–30 – The Dorchester Hotel proposal

1929–31 – Wakefield Bridge

1929–31 – Llechryd Bridge proposal

1929–31 – Daily Express, London as engineer with architects H. O. Ellis & Clarke

1930–32 – Boots Packed Wet Goods Factory (D10 Building)

1931–33 – Sainsburys Factory and warehouse

1932–34 – Cumberland Garage and Car Park

1933–34 – Empire Pool, Wembley Park

1933–35 – Pioneer Health Centre, London

1933–36 – Residential flats, Stanmore

1935–37 – Provincial Newspaper office, London

1935–38 – Odhams Printing Works

1935–38 – Boots Packed Dry Goods Factory (D6 Building)

1935–39 – Daily Express Building, Manchester

1936–37 – Lilley & Skinner office and warehouse extension

1936–38 – Dollis Hill Synagogue

1936–39 – Scottish Daily Express Building, Glasgow

1938–39 – Daily News Garage, London

1939–41 – Vickers-Armstrong Aircraft Factory completed by Oscar Faber & Partners

1944–45 – Wilvan Houses

1944–45 – Mobile home

1945–67 – Newport By-pass (present-day M4)

1950–55 – BOAC Maintenance Headquarters, Heathrow

1951–59 – M1 Motorway phase one

1953–66 – Port Talbot By-pass

1954–56 – BOAC Wing Hangars, Heathrow

1955–61 – Daily Mirror Building (now demolished)

1956–67 – M1 Motorway phase two

References

Owen Williams (engineer) Wikipedia

(Text) CC BY-SA

Owen williams the man who ate a hurricane the broom cupboard sessions

Contents

Owen williams banned for 6 weeks for contact with the eyes

Career

List of works

References