Joseph Maddison

Maddison was born in Greenwich, Kent, England in 1850. His parents were the beer merchant John Maddison and Matilda Clarkson.{{DNZB|title=Joseph Clarkson Maddison|first= John|last= Wilson|id=2m25|accessdate=23 April 2017}} He attended private schools.{{cite book |title=The Cyclopedia of New Zealand : Canterbury Provincial District |year=1903 |url= https://nzetc.victoria.ac.nz/tm/scholarly/tei-Cyc03Cycl-t1-body1-d3-d32-d12.html |publisher=The Cyclopedia of New Zealand |author=Cyclopedia Company Limited |accessdate= 5 February 2012 |location=Christchurch |chapter= Maddison, Joseph Clarkson}}

File:Old Government Building in Christchurch, New Zealand 2006 01.jpg]]

File:International Exhibition in Christchurch, main building.jpg, main building]]

From age 17, Maddison studied in England under architect George Morris and at the National Art Training School. He apparently emigrated to Christchurch, New Zealand in 1872 on the Charlotte Gladstone (the source calls the ship the Gladstone, but only a Charlotte Gladstone came to Lyttelton{{cite web|title=A guide to some of the 19th century passenger lists in newspapers, on microfilm, and some other sources held at Christchurch City Libraries|url= http://christchurchcitylibraries.com/FamilyHistory/PassengerLists/PassengerLists.pdf |publisher=Christchurch City Libraries|accessdate=4 February 2012}}) but his name does not appear on the shipping list.{{cite web|title=Charlotte Gladstone|url= http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~ourstuff/CharlotteGladstone.htm |publisher=Rootsweb|accessdate=4 February 2012}} He initially had an office in Cashel Street, but from 1878 to 1916 worked from an office in Hereford Street approximately opposite Liverpool Lane.{{cite web|title=The Architectural Heritage of Christchurch : 5. Government Buildings |url= http://christchurchcitylibraries.com/Heritage/Publications/ChristchurchCityCouncil/ArchitecturalHeritage/GovernmentBuildings/GovernmentBuildings.pdf |publisher=Christchurch City Council Town Planning Division|accessdate=4 February 2012|date=May 1986}}

He won two major competitions with his designs, including taking both first and second place in a competition to design Christchurch Town Hall in 1879. This success led to commissions from a variety of clients throughout the 1880s. During the 1890s, he worked primarily on the design of freezing works and abattoirs. In 1887, he was made a Fellow of the Royal Institute of British Architects.{{cite web|title=Maddison, Joseph Clarkson|url= http://www.historic.org.nz/corporate/registersearch/ProfessionalBio/Professional.aspx?ID=128 |publisher=NZHPT|accessdate=4 February 2012}}

In the early twentieth century, having established a national reputation for his work, Maddison designed the Christchurch Government Building, the Clarendon Hotel and the temporary exhibition buildings for the 1906 International Exhibition.{{cite web|title=New Zealand International Exhibition 1906|url=http://christchurchcitylibraries.com/Heritage/Exhibitions/1906/Buildings/MainBuilding/|publisher=Christchurch City Libraries|accessdate=2 February 2012}} The exhibition building was constructed in Christchurch's Hagley Park and had massive dimensions: the frontage measured 399 m, it was 113 m deep and the two towers were 49 m tall. The building, erected at a cost of £54,000, was removed again after the International Exhibition finished. The Government Building in Cathedral Square, which exemplify Maddison's restrained and pragmatic style, is modelled on Italian palazzo architecture.Hodgeson, Terrance; Looking at the architecture of New Zealand Grantham House, 1990, {{ISBN|978-1-86934-025-4}} p37

File:Parliament Buildings competition entry.jpg]]

Maddison entered the competition for the new Parliament Buildings in Wellington, after the original building burned down in 1907. The competition received 33 entries,{{cite web |title=The halfway house - Parliament buildings|url= http://www.nzhistory.net.nz/politics/parliament-buildings/the-halfway-house |publisher=New Zealand History Online|accessdate=12 February 2012}} and Maddison's entry did not get amongst the first nine.{{cite news|title=New Parliament Buildings|url= https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/cgi-bin/paperspast?a=d&cl=search&d=THS19110928.2.5 |accessdate=12 February 2012|work=Thames Star|volume=XLVII |issue=10273 |date=28 September 1911|page=1}} Government architect John Campbell's entries won first and fourth prize, and the building that was constructed combines elements of those two designs.

Due to his preference for functionality over ornament, Maddison designed only two churches in his career, St Paul's Church at Port Levy and Holy Innocents' Church at Amberley, in 1888 and 1890 respectively.

A remarkable number of Maddison's designs are (or were) recognised by Heritage New Zealand (NZHPT) as notable heritage buildings. Many of the Christchurch buildings were damaged in the 2010 Canterbury earthquake and after further deterioration in the 2011 Christchurch earthquake, at least half of them were demolished.

The following buildings in the Christchurch area are or were listed by the NZHPT:

The following buildings outside of Christchurch are listed by the NZHPT:

Maddison was known for his plain and utilitarian style, which suited the industrial design field in which he preferred to work. He tended to specialise in the classical Italian mode, rarely expanding into other, more baroque areas of architecture. He made forays into domestic gothic architecture with the Nurses' Home at Christchurch Hospital and the Zetland Arms Hotel, but these buildings were not as well-received as his usual work.

Maddison married Jane Midmore, the daughter of a surveyor, in 1873. They had three daughters together. For the last few years of his life, Maddison lived with one of his daughters in Napier. His wife Jane died in 1920. He died on 11 December 1923 at Napier at age 73.{{cite news|title=Obituary |url= https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/cgi-bin/paperspast?a=d&cl=search&d=EP19231212.2.76 |accessdate=2 February 2012 |work=The Evening Post|volume=CVI |issue=141 |date=12 December 1923|page=6}}

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Category:1850 births

Category:1923 deaths

Category:New Zealand architects

Category:Architects from Christchurch

Category:English emigrants to New Zealand