Archigram co-founder Dennis Crompton has passed away at the age of 89. Born in Blackpool in 1935, Crompton studied architecture at Manchester University. Together with Peter Cook, Warren Chalk, Michael Webb, David Greene, and Ron Herron, Crompton established Archigram in London in 1960, renowned for their experimentations with technology, mobility, and the future of urbanism. 

Crompton worked with the group until its disbanding in 1975 and continued to maintain the Archigram Archive in later decades. With Ron Herron, Crompton created the ‘Archigram: Experimental Architecture 1961-74’ exhibition in Vienna, opening in 1994, and propagated the group’s work and outlook in exhibitions and books across the world. In 2019, Archigram’s archive was acquired by the M+ museum in Hong Kong for over $2 million.

In addition to his design work, Crompton lectured and collaborated with institutions across the United States and Europe including the Architectural Association and the Bartlett.

“Sadly, Dennis Crompton, powerhouse, Archigram keeper of the flame, died yesterday,” fellow Archigram founder Peter Cook wrote on Instagram on Wednesday. “R.I.P Dennis.”