Eddie Emamooden 1928-2015

Edmund Emamooden who was born in Shanghai, China in 1928, has died aged 87.

He attended the Public and Thomas Hanbury School for Boys in Shanghai where he excelled at Chinese, Physics and English Literature before leaving aged 17 on the premature death of his father.

Employed initially as an architectural drafting assistant, he obtained a qualification in engineering technology.

In 1952, Eddie escaped to Hong Kong following the Communist takeover of China in 1949.

It was while working in Hong Kong as a chief draughtsman that he developed a flair for interior design. As a result, he was encouraged by teachers at his extra-mural course in design and painting at the University of Hong Kong, to apply for further studies. On their recommendation he submitted a sketchbook of 60 drawings to Sir Hugh Casson, Principal of the Royal College of Art (RCA), and despite not having much formal art training was accepted for a place in the School of Interior Design. During this time he also had a work – ‘The Empty Cage’ – accepted into the permanent collection of the Hong Kong Museum of Art.

After an epic journey across the Pacific and Atlantic by ship, and by bus across the USA, Eddie arrived in London to take up his place at the RCA. Studying under under Sir Hugh Casson and Iris Murdoch, Eddie qualified with Des RCA in 1965. On graduating, he was responsible for the design of the British Council exhibition for ‘British Week’ in Hong Kong. He was very proud to escort Princess Margaret and Lord Snowden around the exhibition when they visited.

Among later positions held, Eddie worked as a Senior Designer at YRM architects in London. During this time, he was engaged on the rebuilding of St Thomas’ Hospital in London where he was responsible for the interior section of the Nurses’ Residence and Nightingale Training School. He was subsequently employed at the architects firm of John R Harris and worked on a variety of projects, several in the Middle East. His extensive portfolio included work on a number of hospitals in the UK and overseas, and as a member of the BTEC Validation Panel and Panel of External Assessors Glasgow College of Building and Printing.

He was a Fellow of the British Institute of Interior Designers from 1977, and became its last President in 1987-88, overseeing and negotiating its successful merger with the Chartered Society of Designers.

Eddie ended his career as an inspiring and much respected Senior Lecturer in Spatial Design at the Kent Institute of Art and Design (KIAD).

As well as success in his career, Eddie was also a loving husband to Jane and much loved father of two daughters, Kate and Mary. Both daughters followed in Eddie’s footsteps in their different ways. Kate, by becoming a successful international graphic designer, and Mary by inspiring very young members of society as an early years teacher.

Eddie Emamooden was a man who through his own experiences and talent inspired and encouraged many others. And that inspiration continues today, both through his own children and grandchildren, and through the many ex-students who benefitted from his knowledge, wisdom and guidance – always delivered with passion, warmth and humour. He will be much missed.