Big, bold, exuberant Sir Ian remembered as a true artist

Sir Ian Athfield

Sir Ian Athfield was remembered as a bold architect who went into battle for his designs, at a public memorial service in Wellington yesterday.

Actor and director Sam Neill, prominent architects, family and Wellington's mayor were among those to pay tribute to Sir Ian. The renowned architect, known as Ath, died in Wellington on January 16.

Neill said Sir Ian was the "greatest living architect".

"He was a true artist and a true New Zealander and a true man. Ath was big and bold and exuberant. He was larger than life, but there was always something humble and vulnerable about Ath - and above all, he was lovable."

Fellow architect and friend Roger Walker said Sir Ian's work would be regarded in the future as having the same influence on Wellington as Frank Lloyd Wright's work had on Chicago. Sir Ian was appointed as a knight in this year's New Year's Honours list.

The architect designed a number of Hawke's Bay homes.

Most notably Coleraine (The Buck House 1980), owned by Te Mata Estate's John Buck, situated opposite his Havelock North winery.

In an interview with Hawke's Bay Today in 2010, he was asked about his favourite designs in the region.

"I'm not an expert on the range of buildings there [Hawke's Bay]," Sir Ian said.

"But the structures which influence me are William Gummer's House Craggy Range near Havelock North, and the phosphate works [Ravensdown] along the Napier foreshore".

He was a former president of the Institute of Architects and a recipient of the institute's gold medal for career achievement. - additional reporting Hawke's Bay Today