Vale Simon Barr

It is with great sadness that we inform our colleagues and friends that our former Principal, Simon Barr, passed away on late Wednesday/early Thursday 1st August.

Simon was a fundamental part of fjcstudio for many years. He started with us in 2005 as a sixth-year graduate, very quickly became an Associate in 2009, Senior Associate in 2013 and then a Principal in 2016. He left the studio in 2022 to start up his own successful studio Simon Barr Atelier.

Simon truly believed in Architecture with a capital ‘A’ – making better places for anyone and everyone who would use them. He was an exceptionally skilled architect and led so many of the influential projects in our studio.

Three of his favourite projects were Surry Hills Library, Bankstown Library and Tāmaki Paenga Hira Auckland War Memorial Museum. All of these projects embody everything he believed in – impeccable details, projects for the public, a commitment to sustainability, bold and impactful.

Simon touched so much of our studio, both in Sydney and Melbourne with his infectious opinions about the world, his zest for life and sense of humour, and his passion for architecture. Almost every day, we come across something that Simon did that has impacted our work.