John Di Castri fonds
| Record No. | SC429 |
| Main Entry | Di Castri, John A., 1924-2005 |
| Title | John Di Castri fonds |
| Dates | 1918-2005 |
| Physical Description | 3 m of textual records. -- 3,023 architectural plans. -- 1,118 photographs. |
| Bio/Admin History | John A. Di Castri (1924-2005) was a Canadian architect born in Victoria, British Columbia and a key figure in establishing modern architecture in that city. At the age of 16, he was hired as an apprentice at the Architectural Branch of the B.C. Department of Public Works and received his education by correspondence. In 1947, he worked briefly in the office of Birley, Wade & Stockdill before leaving to study at the University of Oklahoma under Bruce Goff, a protege of Frank Lloyd Wright. Di Castri returned to Victoria in 1951 and went into partnership with W. Nicholls before starting his own practice in 1952. He was committed to establishing modern architecture in Victoria and had a major impact on the community throughout his career. He designed shops and churches, private residences and public buildings. Major works include his award-winning Trend House; the Canadian Institute for the Blind building; the University of Victoria Student Union Building, Cornett Building and Interfaith Chapel; and the Crystal Pool. In his obituary, Di Castri was called "an essential figure in West Coast architecture in the postwar years." |
| Scope and Content | The fonds consists of architectural plans and drawings by Di Castri for homes and buildings in Victoria and other locations in B.C. Fonds also includes notes, correspondence, construction contracts and photographs of commissioned projects, as well as portfolios, proposals, articles about Di Castri, notebooks, and manuscripts. |
| Title Source | Title based on the contents of the fonds. |
| Finding Aids | An inventory is available. |
| Online Finding Aids | Inventory of the Architectural Plans and Papers of John A. Di Castri (PDF, 497 kB) |
| Restrictions | Some of the materials (floppy diskettes, mini audio cassettes, film reels) are restricted due to lack of compatible equipment. |
| Notes | The fonds was originally stored in the Di Castri firm's offices before being transferred to the basement of Di Castri's home. The material donated was selected by Martin Segger and Chris Gower in 2007 and transferred to Special Collections. |
| Provenance | Di Castri, John A., 1924-2005 |
| Repository | University of Victoria Libraries Special Collections |
| Subject Headings | Architects--British Columbia--Victoria Architecture--Designs and plans Architecture--Photographs Campus planning--British Columbia--Victoria Di Castri, John A., 1924-2005 University of Victoria (B.C.). Administration Building (Proposed) University of Victoria (B.C.). Cornett Building University of Victoria (B.C.). Student Union Building University of Victoria (B.C.). University Interfaith Chapel University of Victoria (B.C.)--Buildings |
| Related Links | Architecture Collections Cornett Memories John A. Di Castri (Meet Our Donors page) Modern Architecture in Victoria Winchester Galleries (Di Castri's artwork) |