Peter Jamieson Beaven (born 13 August 1925) is a New Zealand architect based in Christchurch. He is a co-founder of New Zealand's first heritage lobby group, the Civic Trust.
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Beaven was born in Christchurch and was educated at Christ's College and the School of Architecture of the University of Auckland. A conversation with the architect Paul Pascoe during his secondary school time led to the choice of his professional career. His tertiary education was interrupted by war service with the Royal New Zealand Navy.[1]
Beaven was based in Timaru for four years after his graduation, mainly designing woolstores all over New Zealand. He then moved to Christchurch, where he established his practice in the mid-1950s. Early in his career, he explored the world and lived in Japan for six months in the early 1950s, and undertook major tours to Europe and Asia in the early 1960s, all of which influenced his architectural style.[1]
His outlook soon became focussed on his local Christchurch, and he was inspired by Victorian Gothic Revival and worked a lot with symbolism.[1] The Lyttelton Road Tunnel Administration Building uses the latter approach, with the brief asking for a grand entrance to the Canterbury Plains. With reference to the First Four Ships, Beaven designed the building as the fifth ship moored next to the motorway at the tunnel entrance. The building, in the form of the tub of a ship, is based on exposed pile foundations, with low planting representing the sea around the ship. The Modern Movement architecture employed here has form following function and was registered by the New Zealand Historic Places Trust as a Category I heritage building on 14 May 2008. It was honoured as an example of Beaven's contribution to New Zealand architecture.[2] The toll booths were removed in 1979 when the tunnel toll was removed,[2] and the canopy once over the toll booths was demolished after receiving damage from rock fall caused by the February 2011 Christchurch earthquake.[3]
The former approach inspired the Manchester Unity Building and later known as the SBS Building, built in 1967 on the corner of Manchester and Worcester Streets. The design won an award from the New Zealand Institute of Architects (NZIA) in 1969, and was honoured again with a 25-year design award by NZIA in 1999. According to Beaven, the judges described it as "the most significant post-war office building". The nine-storey building was demolished in September 2011 following damage received during the February 2011 earthquake.[4][5]
When Beaven turned 80 in 2005, he was New Zealand's oldest practising architect.[6]
Sir Miles Warren and Beaven are the only two Christchurch architects who have been awarded the New Zealand Institute of Architects gold medal.[7] Beaven received his gold medal in 2003.[8] Beaven is credited with having made a significant contribution to retaining the Christchurch Arts Centre after the University of Canterbury moved to its new campus in Ilam.[8]
Beaven is married to Lesley Beaven.[6] He co-founded the Christchurch Civic Trust, New Zealand's first lobby group for heritage buildings.[1]