Raymond McGrath

Raymond McGrath (7 March 1903 – 23 December 1977) was an Australian-born architect and interior designer who for the greater part of his career was Principal Architect for the Office of Public Works in Ireland.

Life

Born in Sydney of Irish descent in 1903, he studied English and architecture at Sydney University, graduating in 1926. He then moved to England to take up a fellowship at Clare College, Cambridge, during which Mansfield Forbes had McGrath redecorate the interior of the College's house Finella, a large Victorian house on the backs in Cambridge, now belonging to Gonville and Caius College, Cambridge. McGrath's bold modernist remodelling of Finella made adventurous use of materials, with copper-clad doors, an aluminium-walled bathroom, mirrored ceilings and a rubberised floor decorated with Pictish motifs.

Setting up practice in London in 1930, McGrath's first commission was to design the interiors for Broadcasting House in Portland Place, London. To assist with such a large commission, McGrath solicited the help of Wells Coates and Serge Chermayeff; the latter was passing through London and would emigrate to America in 1940.