Joseph Emberton

Who was Joseph Emberton?

Joseph Emberton was an English architect of the early modernist period. He was born 23 December 1889 in Audley, Staffordshire and was educated at the Royal College of Art. He first worked for the London architects Trehearne and Norman between 1913-1914, before serving as a gunner in the Honourable Artillery Company during the First World War.

In 1923 he designed Olympia National, then known as the New Hall. This sat alongside Olympia Grand at the Kensington event venue. 1932 saw the construction of his second addition to Olympia - Olympia Central. Today these venues are known collectively as Olympia.

His 1931 design of the Royal Corinthian Yacht Club at Burnham-on-Crouch represented Britain at the influential International Exhibition of Modern Architecture held at Museum of Modern Art in New York City in 1932. He went on to design the Simpsons of Piccadilly department store in 1936 with the interior designed by László Moholy-Nagy, and the Casino at Blackpool's pleasure beach in 1939. Joseph Emberton's archive is located at the University of Brighton Design Archives.