Joe Holyoak was a powerhouse for Birmingham’s heritage, and for the Society’s Birmingham & West Midlands Group.
Joe was one of Birmingham’s most knowledgeable and influential architectural conservationists, whose association with the Victorian Society spanned more than half a century.
An architect, urban designer, teacher and writer, he twice chaired the Birmingham & West Midlands Group and brought exceptional knowledge, wisdom and judgement to its casework. Among his most significant contributions was his alternative plan for Victoria Square, demonstrating that redevelopment could proceed while retaining Sir Henry Tanner’s Central Post Office, while he also played a valued role during the restoration of Birmingham’s Grand Hotel.
Genial, thoughtful and immensely knowledgeable, Joe understood Birmingham, its buildings, planning history and communities, as few others did, and his death is a profound loss both to the city and to the Victorian Society.
A full tribute written by the Chair of the Society’s Birmingham & West Midlands Group can be read here.
