The College is saddened to note the death of architect and writer Alan Berman who leaves a tangible and lasting legacy in the College in the form of both the award-winning Shulman Auditorium and the redevelopment of the College’s kitchens and Hall servery. The latter included the ingenious New Dining Room, built in between Back Quad and Hall in a space that had hitherto been dismissed as an eyesore.
His obituary in Architects’ Journal comments that: “The Shulman Auditorium and Queen’s College Dining Room…exemplify his respect for what had come before. Where many architects sought to impose, Alan preferred to converse new with old. This modesty set him apart in a profession often driven by ego.”
Alan founded the architecture practice Berman Guedes soon after graduating from Cambridge and London schools of architecture. He formed BGS Architects when he moved to Oxford and the practice won numerous awards for its contemporary design in historic contexts. Alan had a strong reputation across the University and was both an Honorary Fellow of Wolfson and an Associate Fellow of Green Templeton, where he served on their Buildings Committee.
Our thoughts are with Alan’s family, his wife, Alison, and daughters Philippa and Zoë. We will update this page with details of memorial arrangements when they become available.
