Richard Manaton HORDEN RIBA

Richard Manaton Horden RIBA professor TU Munich 26th December 1944 - 5th October 2018
Richard was one of my closest friends. We worked together as architect and engineer, we skied together and we sailed together. He was an unbelievably talented designer in the widest sense of the word and what I would call visionary with amazing drawing skills. Richard and I met in 1984 when he was still working at Foster Associates on the Sainsbury Centre, which was also one of my projects.
His late wife Kathy and my former wife Diana were close friends and Poppy is Diana's goddaughter. In 1985 he'd set up the office Richard Horden Associates with projects that include The Queen's Stand Epsom, St. Mark's Hospital London and others. In 1995 he was appointed Professor of Architecture at the Technical University Munich, where he pioneered the microarchitecture teaching program for lightweight, mobile and ecological building design. In 1999, he formed Horden Cherry Lee Architects with Stephen Cherry and Billie Lee and they have since completed many projects and are presently working with the Canary Wharf Group completing the Newfoundland residential tower. I particularly remember his passion for precision: the hard edged steel columns that he insisted upon (very difficult to achieve), his all-white interiors to his houses and his minimal palette of clothing colours, namely navy blue and white. His ideas as a designer were wide ranging early on, a house designed for his parents in Poole, which 40 years on is a classic example of elegant minimalist architecture. It is unbelievable and very sad that such a talented man should die at the height of his prime. I know that his children Poppy and Christian, his sister Char, his partner Rita and his business partners Stephen and Billie, my wife Helene and I and a whole lot of his friends are very sad to find that he is not around anymore, he will be greatly missed.
Tony Hunt
Richard's funeral and burial service will take place on Friday 12th of October at 3.00pm at All Saints Church, Branksome Park, Dorset, BH13 7BP UK. Reception afterwards at The Royal Motor Yacht Club, 54 Panorama Rd, Poole, BH13 7RE UK. If you would like to make a donation, the family have chosen the Forest Holme Charity, where Richard was so well cared for. Donations can be made online at www.cpjfield.co.uk Letters of condolence to Harden Cherry Lee Architects, 36-38 Berkeley Square, London, W1J 5AE UK.