1949 in architecture
# 1949 in architecture

The year 1949 in architecture involved some significant events.

## Events

* January 26 – Fire breaks out in the golden hall of Horyu-ji Buddhist temple, Japan, causing severe damage to the building, mainly its first floor, and murals. As a result of the restoration (completed in 1954) it is estimated that about 15–20% of the original seventh century Kondo materials is left in the building; the charred timbers are carefully removed to a separate fireproof warehouse for future research.
* George Pace is appointed surveyor to the Church of England Diocese of Sheffield and establishes a private practice in York.

## Buildings and structures

### Buildings opened

* Early – Spa Green Estate in London, designed by Berthold Lubetkin of the Tecton Group with Ove Arup & Partners.
* August 20 – Las Lajas Shrine in Colombia, begun in 1916.
* December 16 – The Voortrekker Monument in Pretoria, designed by Gerard Moerdijk.

### Buildings completed

* Ford House in Illinois designed by Bruce Goff.
* Glass House in New Canaan, Connecticut designed by Philip Johnson.
* Eames House in Los Angeles, California, designed by Charles Eames.
* Promontory Apartments in Chicago, Illinois, designed by Ludwig Mies van der Rohe.
* Church of Saint Francis Xavier, Kansas City, Missouri, designed by Barry Byrne.
* Googies coffee shop, West Hollywood, California, designed by John Lautner.

## Awards

* American Academy of Arts and Letters Gold Medal – Frederick Law Olmsted.
* AIA Gold Medal – Frank Lloyd Wright.
* RIBA Royal Gold Medal – Howard Robertson.

## Births

* January 4 – Peter Blundell Jones, British architectural historian (died 2016)
* June 14 – Bořek Šípek, Czech neo-baroque architect and designer (died 2016)
* August 26 – Dan Cruickshank, British architectural historian
* December 9 – Tom Kite, American professional golfer and golf course architect
* Demetri Porphyrios, Greek New Classical architect

## Deaths

* March 1 – Gordon Kaufmann, English-born American architect known for his work on the Hoover Dam (born 1888)
* March 4 – Sir Charles Nicholson, 2nd Baronet, English ecclesiastical architect (born 1867)
* April 17 – R. Harold Zook, American architect working in Chicago (born 1889)
* May 1 – Josep Maria Jujol, Catalan architect (born 1879)
* September 27 – David Adler, American architect (born 1882)
