Ian Ritchie Architects Offices, Limehouse Architecture, Colt Street Building Design

Ian Ritchie Architects Offices

London Architectural Studio – Commercial Limehouse Building, Colt Street Property

Post updated 3 June 2024

Offices at Three Colt Street, Limehouse, London
Dates built: 1998-02
Design: Ian Ritchie Architects

photo from Ian Ritchie Architects 2007

15 Aug 2007

Ian Ritchie Architects Office

In 1981, Ian Ritchie established his own practice, Ian Ritchie Architects, on the basis of a possible commission for a private house from Ursula Colahan. Since 1978, Ian Ritchie had been working part-time as a consultant at Arup within Peter Rice’s Lightweight Structures Group, and also with Peter Rice on the Shelterspan system. He was also a partner in Chrysalis Architects and teaching at the AA with Mike Davies and Alan Stanton.

In the same year, Peter Rice had been approached by the French Government to help on the design of the new Museum of Science, Technology and Industry at La Villette. The design competition had been won by Adrien Fainsilber. Peter Rice was not too keen on undertaking the “structural steelwork” of the project, but was interested by the proposed glass facades and glass domes on the roof.

photos from Ian Ritchie Architects 2007

Peter Rice invited Martin Francis and Ian Ritchie to join him. Martin Francis lived in France, designing yachts, and would be able to bring an extra expertise – industrial design – to the project. Martin Francis and Ian Ritchie were friends, and had worked together while at Foster Associates on the Willis Faber & Dumas office building in Ipswich.

Rice Francis Ritchie, a design engineering practice, was formed on an equal basis between the three principle directors. The first engineer to join was Henry Bardsley, who was a key member of Arup’s engineering team, under the direction of Peter Rice, on the Centre Pompidou and in the Piano-Rice Partnership.

During the following six years, Ian Ritchie divided his time between London and Paris. Eagle Rock House for Mrs. Colahan was completed in England in 1982 and Jean Nouvel invited Ian Ritchie to exhibit the design of Eagle Rock House at the first Biennales de Paris des Jeunes Artistes. The seminal work of RFR La Villette was completed in France in 1986. Design work on the Louvre Pyramids and Sculpture Courts had begun in 1984, and the design of the ‘Cloud’ at the Arch at La Défense in 1987.
Source: Ian Ritchie Architects

Ian Ritchie Architects

Location: Three Colt Street, Limehouse, East London, England, UK