BRYER, MONTE

BRYER, MONTE (1912– ), South African architect. Born in Bloemfontein, he practiced in Johannesburg. His work as an architect was marked by boldness of conception and a flair for experimentation. His outstanding achievement was in 1963, when he headed a team that produced the winning design in an international competition for the new civic center of Johannesburg. Also typical of his technique was a design for a metal industries center, in which he exploited to the full the use of structural steelwork instead of reinforced concrete and of light metals instead of heavy conventional materials. Bryer's other works included the Jewish communal center and synagogue in Bloemfontein. He was president of the Institute of South African Architects (1961–62), and a joint president of the Royal Institute of British Architects, representing the South African Institute on that organization. (Louis Hotz)