Sir Michael Fowler dies aged 92

Sir Michael Fowler. Photo / Wellington City Council - Wellington City Archives

By RNZ

Sir Michael Fowler, the architect who made his mark as a colourful and aggressive mayor of Wellington, has died aged 92.

Edward Michael Coulson Fowler was born in Marton in the Rangitikei district in 1929 and was educated at Christ's College and the University of Auckland where he took a master's degree in architecture. He was in an architectural partnership in Wellington when he was elected to the city council in 1968. He had designed a number of buildings in the city and was frustrated by the council holding up a development for what he considered to be inane reasons.

He became mayor in 1974 and set about revamping Wellington, pushing through projects that included the concert and convention centre that was named after him. A number of buildings, considered to be earthquake risks and too expensive for their owners to strengthen, were pulled down and replaced with constructions that, in his view, have enhanced the city.

Fowler was regarded as a first class marketer of Wellington but he and his council were taken to task by the local newspaper, The Evening Post, for not telling the public a good deal more about their operations. He was accused by some councillors of being antagonistic and of making personal attacks on them. One described his remarks as ungracious and snide.

Sir Michael Fowler (left). Photo / Wellington City Council archives

He was knighted in 1981 and retired from local politics in 1983. That year, he was appointed by the then National government to the chairmanship of the Queen Elizabeth Arts Council. His appointment aroused some controversy, with the Labour opposition condemning it as grotesquely political and reeking of cronyism. He was never backward in criticising those working to preserve buildings he regarded as rubbish, and once described them as jackbooted zealots.

He wrote and illustrated several books on architecture and received both the New Zealand Institute of Architects Award of Honour and the New Zealand Institute of Planning's Alfred O Glasse Award for outstanding services to planning by non-planners.

Sir Michael and his wife Barbara moved to Blenheim for some years but eventually returned to Wellington.

Lady Fowler died in 2009.

A man whose father knew Fowler said he told him his one regret was that the building named after him blocked the view of the harbour.

The Michael Fowler Centre on Wakefield Street sits at the base of Cuba Street.

Phil Sprey told NZME he had an interesting conversation with Fowler once, who said people should be able to look down Cuba Street and see the harbour.

Sir Michael Fowler. Photo / Wellington City Council archives

"He said that was his one regret."

Sprey said what was visionary about Fowler was that he didn't look at each new building or project in Wellington as standalone, but rather he looked at the whole cityscape and how each building looked with the others.

"He had some sense of shape and pattern."

Sprey described Fowler as "statesman-like" and someone who commanded respect with his presence.

Former councillor Rosemary Bradford, who worked with Fowler, said he came in on his first day in office as the town hall was about to be repainted, and completely changed the colour scheme.

"It looked amazing," she said.

The move was "a symbol of what was to come" with Fowler's leadership.