There are very few people who have had as profound an impact on contemporary Australian architectural culture as Peter Corrigan (1941- 2016). His philosophy of “living a life through architecture” saw him tirelessly engage in teaching, writing, exhibitions, publishing, building and theatre, all of which was interwoven in a deliberate contribution of ideas.

Through his practice Edmond and Corrigan, established with partner Maggie Edmond in Melbourne in the 1970s, and nearly four decades of teaching at RMIT University, Corrigan shaped both the architectural fabric of his home city and the minds of several generations of Australian architectural practitioners. But while some observers have come to associate Corrigan’s influence with the riotously expressive architecture he and many other Melbourne-based architects are best known for, it has had a much deeper register than this perception does justice to.

This book documents and celebrates the influence of architects Edmond and Corrigan on the architectural culture of Australia. It is a follow-up to the ‘Influence: Edmond and Corrigan + Peter Corrigan’ event held in 2017 that saw current and former RMIT Architecture staff and students, as well as the wider community of practice, explore the influence of Edmond and Corrigan on their work. These accounts are leavened with a rich trove of previously unpublished correspondence, drawings and other historical material from the RMIT Design Archives, to trace the dense web of social relations and relentless creative production that saw Corrigan become such an influential cultural force in Australia, and most especially Melbourne.