Martin, (John) Leslie (1908–2000)

English architect. He was co-editor (with Naum Gabo and Ben Nicholson) of the review Circle, which helped to introduce the Modern Movement to England. With Peter Moro (1911–98) and Robert Matthew (1905–75), he designed the Royal Festival Hall, London (1951).

In 1991 he received a RIBA award for his series of buildings for the Gulbenkian Foundation, Lisbon (completed in 1984), which span a period of 30 years.

He was head of the Hull School of Architecture from 1930 to 1934, and principal assistant architect to the London, Midland, and Scottish Railway from 1934 to 1939. As deputy architect (1948–53) and architect (1953–56) to the London County Council he was responsible for much effective school building and housing, including the Roehampton Estate. With Colin St John Wilson he designed Harvey Court (1960–62) for Gonville and Caius College, Cambridge; the William Stone students' building (1963–64) for Peterhouse, Cambridge; and the Law Library in Oxford. Subsequently he designed the Zoology/Psychology building, Oxford, in 1970.

Martin was Professor of Architecture at Cambridge University from 1956 to 1972, during which period the department's Centre for Land Use and Built Form Studies exercised considerable influence over the development of architectural theory.

His books include The Framework of Planning (1967). He was knighted in 1957.