15 Jul WILLIE MEYER
1992
WILLIE MEYER
THE THREE PASTS TO OUR PRESENT
Wilhelm Olaf Meyer was born in Pretoria. As a youngster he developed a love for architecture while travelling and living in Europe and the USA. Willie spent time in the offices of Gerard Moerdijk, known for the Voortrekker Monument in Pretoria, before registering for architecture at the University of the Witwatersrand.
In 1960/61 Willie enrolled in the master class of Louis I Kahn in the United States. He returned to South Africa and rejoined the practice founded by Moerdijk and collaborated in several design competitions. In 1966 he founded Wilhelm O. Meyer and Partners.
The young architect was appointed as design leader for the new Rand Afrikaans University (RAU) project. Following RAU, Willie and Francois Pienaar received the winning entry in the international Pahlavi National Library competition for Tehran in 1978.
The practice WO Meyer & Partners then changed its name to Meyer Pienaar and Partners. During 1977 Willie served as president of the Transvaal Provincial Institute of Architects and was a recipient of the Medal of Honour for Architecture by the SA Akademie vir Wetenskap en Kuns in 1980. He retired from practice in 1992. For a few years thereafter he taught at the University of Port Elizabeth and acted as an assessor of design competitions and awards.
Born 14 May 1935; † 23 February 2006
Education 1961: Masters in Architecture, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, USA; 1959: Bachelor of Architecture, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, Gauteng
Projects featured House Abalone, Plettenberg Bay, Western Cape (1966); RAU, Johannesburg, Gauteng (1967-1981)
HOUSE ABALONE
Plettenbergbay, Western Cape | 1966
RAND AFRIKAANSE UNIVERSITY (RAU)
Johannesburg, Gauteng | 1967 - 1981
