Lawrence & Swan (also Swan & Lawrence)

Francis Swan practiced under the name of Swan & Lawrence, and then Lawrence & Swan from 1934 until the early 1950s. The practice was formed after the dissolution of Swan, Lawrence & Swan in 1933.

Swan, Lawrence & Swan was one of Wellington’s pre-eminent architecture practices of the early 20th century. It was formed by John Sydney Swan (1874-1936), Charles Alexander Lawrence (c.1873-1933) and Francis Herbert Swan (1885-1958). Swan, Lawrence & Swan was responsible for, among others, the former Home of Compassion Crèche, Buckle St, (1916); the library wing of the Hunter Building (1918) and the Physics Wing (1920) at Victoria University. Swan also designed, with William Gray Young, the Wellington Technical School (1919) (now Wellington High School) and, in 1930, the celebrated Erskine College Chapel (1930). John Swan was a director of the Kelburn and Karori Tramway Co. which led to the firm’s commission to make major changes to the cable car Winding House in 1933. Charles Lawrence died in 1933 and, a year later, John Swan left the practice he established to form Swan and Lavelle with Jim Lavelle. This firm later became Structon Group.

Francis Swan worked as a draughtsman in the practice of his older brother John Swan before moving to Sydney. He returned in 1915 and became a partner until the practice dissolved in 1933. Although Charles Lawrence had died in 1933, Francis Swan continued to practice under the name of Lawrence & Swan until the 1950s. He worked with William Gray Young on four university buildings including the Old Kirk Building and Stout Building (both 1937) and his other work included commercial buildings in Wellington and Petone.

Sources:
Kernohan D. and Kellaway T. 1994, Wellington’s Old Buildings, Victoria University
Mew, Geoff & Adrian Humphris. “Raupo to Deco: Wellington Styles and Architects 1840 – 1940” (Wellington: Steel Roberts Aotearoa, 2014) 
Press pp 24-25
Stones Directories 1915-1940; ATL 13/191/1
WCC Heritage Inventory 2001