Career
Elected Associate of the Royal Institute of British Architects. in 1929 and Fellow of the Royal Institute of British Architects in 1938, he was council’s critic for the Royal Institute of British Architects prizes and studentships, joint secretary of the Royal Institute of British Architects exhibition committee and assessor in competitions conducted by the Institute. From 1936 to 1942 Pierce was director of architectural studies at the Hastings School of Artist The designs were exhibited at the Royal Academy in 1933 and 1934, and the City Hall was completed and opened by King George VI in October, 1938.
Standing in a commanding position above the market place, the Norwich municipal offices have been described as one of the most satisfying civic buildings in the country, dignified in general form and interesting in details.
A slightly Swedish flavour dates the building as belonging to the period between the wars. Other civic buildings in which Pierce had a hand were the Hertford County Hall (1940) and the town hall at Slough (1936).
From 1941 to 1942, Pierce was lecturer at the School of Architecture at Manchester University. Pierce was also vice-chairman, Faculty of Architecture at the British School at Rome.
