Hugh Vivian Taylor

Hugh Vivian Taylor (born 1894) was a prominent Australian architect and acoustic consultant, known for his work in both fields.

Born in 1894, Taylor's early education was at Swinburne Technical College, but his architectural career was forged under unique circumstances. Following service in World War I, Taylor could not afford a formal apprenticeship, so he worked on building sites saving money and eventually passing the Royal Institute of British Architects exams to qualify as an architect in 1921. By 1925, he had returned to Australia and formed the architectural firm H. Vivian Taylor & Soilleux with Garnet Argyle Soilleux, a collaboration that lasted for many years. His partnership with Soilleux, and the experiences gained while working with modernist architect Wells Coates in London, brought a modern, functional aesthetic to his architectural designs, marrying form and function.

His groundbreaking work in the field of architectural acoustics coincided with of sound being introduced to films, which spurred a need for acoustic solutions in preexisting cinemas and theatres in Melbourne and around Australia. Over the course of his career, he collaborated with other architects as well as theatre and cinema owners to optimise the acoustic environment of hundreds venues across Australia. Some of his most notable projects include his work as an acoustic consultant on the refurbishment of Melbourne's Her Majesty's Theatre and radio studios for the ABC.

Hugh Vivian Taylor's contributions advancing both architecture and acoustic design in Australia were formally acknowledged when he was elected as the first Fellow of the Australian Acoustical Society in 1972. His firm's legacy has been compromised by the number of theatres and cinemas that he worked on being pulled down in recent decades to make way for other types of buildings. One of the best examples that still remains today is the heritage listed Rivoli theatre in Hawthorn East.