From the Archives: Origin stories of our prizes and awards

Howard Tanner Prize for Drawing

The Howard Tanner Prize for Drawing was established in 2005 by Architect Howard Tanner AM LFRAIA (SGS 1959-1963) and is awarded to a boy in Fourth Form for outstanding observational or representational drawing. Tanner’s aim in providing the drawing prize to Grammar was to enable boys to develop their skills in this area.

“During my years at Grammar I was fortunate to have three masters who influenced my career and interests thereafter: Major AJ Hill (History), Mr PJ Young (Geography) and Mr KB Potten (English). While studying architecture at the University of Sydney, we were all taught to draw by well-known artists Lloyd Rees and Roland Wakelin. Throughout the course of my career, I had the privilege of working with architects Sir Hugh Casson in London, Philip Cox in Sydney and Sir Miles Warren in New Zealand: all gifted artists and who could quickly and effectively illustrate their design ideas.”

Pictured: Mrs Mary and Mr Howard Tanner at the opening of the portico

Pictured in header: Opening of the portico in December 2002

Tanner has long been an advocate of architectural and building design that enhances the human experience, and that starts with a good understanding and visualisation of how to best present and interpret a particular space. But, while it is important to be able to express your ideas through the ability to draw, good design is not something that can be extracted solely from or reduced to a 2D image. “The real experience with architecture is the experience of walking around or through a space.”¹ Being engaged, whether it applies to the architect or the building, is an essential quality of successful architecture.

Tanner has been involved in various Grammar building projects from as early as 1980 until 2008. Initially, the sandstone buildings fronting College Street were completely rehabilitated, and later the Big School Room was restored and the organ loft introduced. The neo-classical portico intended since 1830 for the street façade was installed in 2002. He enlarged and remodelled the buildings fronting Stanley Street and the Australian Museum, the latter incorporating a new library. At Weigall Ground all the facilities were upgraded and the Barry Pavilion and the Headmaster’s House – a favourite of Tanner’s – were constructed. The projects all exemplify Tanner’s ethos of the importance of clearly communicating your vision, careful planning and a context-specific approach.

Pictured: Sir Hugh Casson drawing of the Grand Staircase, Burlington House 1977

At School, Marc played tennis and was a member of the athletics squad. His forte became cross country running and he became captain in his final year. He was selected to run in the GPS and CIS cross country teams. While at school Marc took part in outdoor excursions which included camping, bushwalking, kayaking, abseiling and rock climbing. With his friendly rival, Nick Bradley, he initiated a climbing competition on the Climbing Wall at the end of the Science Building. They shared the honours in the 1999 competition.

Marc studied advanced science at the University of New South Wales following school. Having completed his undergraduate studies, Marc was accepted for an honours year to study abnormalities in the central nervous system and olfactory pathways in Parkinson’s disease. He then took a year’s break to explore more of the world and went climbing in Europe, Asia and South America.

Pictured: Black and Gold Climbing Competition 1996 Newsletter

The Sydney Morning Herald described Marc as “a young, accomplished mountaineer on the last leg of a gruelling, yet exhilarating, year-long world tour”. On his way back home, indeed almost there, he completed one of the last challenges he had set himself – to climb Mount Aspiring in New Zealand with his friend from School, Giovanni Trambaiolo. On the descent, he tragically fell 50 metres to his death.

His Housemaster at the time, Mr CA Johnston, remarked in The Sydneian of 2005: “There is no greater sadness than the untimely and sudden death of someone who is so young, but there is at least a little solace in knowing that Marc packed what years he had with action and adventure. Marc drank fully from the cup of life, and he died doing what he loved.”

Pictured: Churinga 1997 cover