Crosby, Theo

   b. 1925, Johannesburg (South Africa); d. 1994, London

   Architect and designer

   Born in South Africa, Crosby arrived in England in 1947. He worked on the influential Architectural Design and then went on to found Pentagram, a group which provides an extensive range of design services in many fields. Examples of their environmental design are Lewisham shopping centre and the Arts Council shop in London. Crosby is a great believer in visual complexity and compound symbolism. He considers the built environment the product of many complementary skills, not just or even primarily those of architects. Working with a team of designers at Pentagram, his remodelling of a section of Nash’s Ulster Terrace in Regent’s Park demonstrates Crosby’s emphasis on fine detail and patterning. Pentagram have produced the signage for many notable buildings, from the British Library, the Victoria and Albert Museum and the Tate Galleries to the Barbican and Lloyd’s.

   PETER CHILDS