A recent biography of Sir Ninian Comper reasseses the career and reputation of this prolific church architect. The book ‘Sir Ninian Comper’ by Anthony Symondson and Stephen Bucknall is published by Spire Books, and you can read a review (from The Daily Telegraph) here.
Alternatively you could browse the extensive flickr site here.
The picture shows the new movable nave altar by Francis Roberts Architects at Comper’s church of St Mary, Wellingborough. Short description and original drawing.
Fifty years ago James Stirling* was commissioned to design new housing for Preston. The scheme was completed in 1962 and was one of his earliest built projects in independent practice. In ‘Complete Works 1950-1974’ the scheme is illustrated alongside a reproduction of an L.S. Lowry painting and a descriptive text which refers to the ‘horizontal approach’ of housing in 19th century towns: “…you pass perhaps twenty or more front doors coming to your own; with children playing in the roads, parents chatting on the pavement and sitting in doorways, and the old peering through windows…the 19th century solution seems more dynamic than later planning solutions for mass housing.”
The scheme was built in an area of ‘slum clearance’ adjacent to four new tower blocks (map comparison 1955 & 1984)…
…and took the form of thin blocks of flats and maisonettes around a communal garden. The associated cubic forms were housing for old people.
Pictures taken soon after construction show Stirling’s idea of using utility structures on the facade to articulate individual dwellings. His own pictures show the occupants using the communal ramps at the end of the block and include 19th century dwellings in the background.
By the early ‘nineties the housing had been significantly altered, losing the stark parapet in favour of a standard local authority eaves detail. The mound depicted in the original drawing is there but less sharp than before…
…and the old peoples’ houses have lost their pyramidal roofs.
The whole scheme was recently demolished along with the adjacent tower blocks.
*Stirling & Gowan
From Wikipedia: During the Second World War, two German fortresses defended the Gironde Estuary: Gironde Mündung Nord (or Royan) and Gironde Mündung Süd (or La Pointe de Grave). These constitued one of the Atlantic “pockets” which the Germans held on to grimly well after the liberation of the rest of France. In the early hours of 5 January 1945 planes of the Royal Air Force, having been told that nobody was left in Royan but Germans and collaborators, in two raids bombed the centre of Royan out of existence. This appalling raid is usually attributed to the Free French Forces General Larminat. The Allied operation, which was directed against the German forces on ÃŽle d’Oléron and at the mouth of the Gironde River, began with a general naval bombardment at 0750 on 15 April 1945, some 10 months after D-Day. For five days the US naval task force assisted the French ground forces with naval bombardment and aerial reconnaissance in the assault on Royan and the Pointe de Grave area at the mouth of the Gironde. American B-17 Flying Fortress and B-24 Liberator aircraft carried out aerial bombing missions, including extensive and pioneering use of napalm, finishing the destruction of 5 January.
The replanning of the town enabled by this destruction affords a very pleasant (because it is so rare?) opportunity to study mid-century modernism, the skyline dominated by the church of Notre Dame de Royan (1958) by Guillaume Gillet. Perhaps a too literal interpretation of Le Corbusier’s praise of the grain silo, the elliptical church is a late example of how the liturgical aesthetics of the Council of Trent were interpreted in the Twentieth Century. Unfortunately the corrosive properties of the sea air are having a damaging effect on this remarkable and inventive landmark.
Town and country. In between one and two dimensions.
The Wedding Tower at the Matildenhoe, Darmstadt 1906-1909. Architect: Josef Maria Olbrich. The tower was erected to commemorate the marriage of the Grand Duke Ernst Ludwig to Princess Eleonore zu Solms-Hohensolms-Lich on 2 February 1905.
On the top floor is the observation platform
On the fifth floor is the room of the Grand Duchess, the “Wedding Chamber”
On the fourth floor is the “Room of the Grand Duke”
The roof motif has always evoked (for me) the image of a raised hand but the sale of matches in the box shown below suggests a different interpretation.
An infill scheme in the Plaza del Colegio del Patriarca in Valencia uses an arcaded screen derived from the blind arches in the adjacent building to produce an understated urban form. I have no information about the date of the building or the architect.
Lutyens’ little joke
Electa Bookshop, out of season
Ronny Ford has written to us remembering Stirling:
In 1991 I made a six-month visit to Italy with the intention of taking in all of the regions and as many of the islands as possible in that time. Looking back now on the number of photographs taken, the varied array of buildings and events that were sought out photographed, sketched, strolled around or watched, it seemed as though I had spent years there, and although I have been back and lived there since, that trip in 91 remains the most memorable. By September of that year I was preparing to return home to undertake the postgraduate course at the Liverpool School of Architecture. So after starting out in Milan earlier in the year and travelling as far south as Marsala in Sicily, I began to head back north, with the last region being Veneto, and in particular to Venice, as I had visited both Verona and Vicenza earlier on in the year on the way up to Udine.
Once in Venice, it was by pure coincidence that I became aware that the architectural biennale was taking place at the giardini. The bold silver and mauve posters in the various squares pronounced the British Pavilion, exhibiting such luminaries as Rogers, Foster, Grimshaw and James Stirling. What luck I thought, and asking directions in the best dialect, I found myself at the site.
I vaguely remember being waved through the Scarpa ticket booth and gate by a couple of what looked like architecture students whilst also noting that there was not much of a rush on at the time. Due to it being the end of the summer, the sight of a building form in the immediate foreground was just about visible amongst the trees, and thus I ambled towards this point.
Once there I could now make out that this was in fact, a brand spanking new bookshop, not I might add, any bookshop but an Electa bookshop, architects everywhere will know what I mean by this accentuation.
Without a moment’s hesitation, I darted through the open single leaf that was ajar. That there was no other person in the space, except for a diligent carpenter working away at the reception desk. was of little concern to me. I was immediately taken aback by length of the space that reached before me, as mentioned the amount of tree foliage had created a dark environment initially, but the huge curved end consisting of two pieces of glass intensified the light like a prism at the far end, and I was sure at that point that I had entered a tardis.
I now realised that I had gained entry by default, and decided against book browsing and began to frantically click away with the camera in order to get as many shots as possible. Finally an efficient young female biennale person politely ejected me from the interior with a firm “do come back when we are open, bye bye!!â€
I then began photographing around the nautical looking exterior. Predominating the buildings form was the draped and steeply pitched green patinated copper roof, and although this has cladding type is common enough now, in 1991 it was very new, especially utilised in this manner.
I eventually made my way around to the curved end of the building, and in doing so noted a few people here and there milling around what seemed like a makeshift café bar. I continued snapping and finally as one last parting gesture thought I should see what roof material felt like, and on tiptoe I just managed the reach this at the junction with the eaves. As I rocked back on my heels after being overstretched I felt the presence of someone standing a couple of feet directly behind me, and as such I was also aware they were studying my actions quite closely. Trying to ignore this I thought I should try to get a close up shot of the texture of the material. This proved a little more difficult with two hands in the air holding the camera this resulted in my being propelled head first towards the curved glass window where the woman who had earlier slung me out was standing inside, and who must have been thinking I was taking no for an answer whilst attempting a slightly more unconventional means of entry.
It was at this point that I heard a burst of laughter from behind, and I swung around to see a corpulent man in a beige suit strolling towards the bar. Slightly fatigued by both the heat and the incident I thought it would be a good idea to have a break as at was now about 2.30PM
As I made my way across to the café the man in the suit was sitting on the wall facing the bar I could now make out other features that made him stand out, other than his size. These were his bright green open neck shirt and matching socks!! These being crammed into a pair of ankle high hush puppies! And to top it all, both shirt and socks matched perfectly the colour of the copper roof.
Two and two began to make four and as drew closer it was undoubtedly Jim Stirling and the bookshop was obviously his latest building. As I passed to get my drink he nodded to me in acknowledgement and I gesturing back before joining the queue to get my refreshment. After waiting about five minutes it was apparent some disagreement was going on up front, I turned around and asked “Hi, what came first, the shirt or the roof?†laughing, he didn’t respond directly to the question but said very matter fact, “I’m having a beer, would you like to join me?†“Yes great I’ll just get mine†I replied. “Allow me†he answered and in going to the bar he attracted the barman’s attention immediately and strolled back with an ice-cold bottle of San Souci and a plastic glass.
We did not speak about architecture at all, or his building, despite his renowned taciturnity, he was interested in my travels, had I been to Pompeii? what was the Palio like? did I have Pecorino in Sardinia? was the wine better at source in Orvieto? these amongst the questions he asked.
I mentioned that I would be returning to Liverpool to complete my studies, “Yes, I haven’t been back recently, I used to go often to visit my mother in Bootle, that was until she died a few years ago. I used to enjoy going back to Liverpoolâ€. For some reason, which I now regret I had to go and meet some friends, I took my leave but asked could I buy him a beer back, no thank you, I had one before this and I have a little speech to give later tonight, with that he turned and strolled towards the bar. “Hopefully you will get back to Liverpool again†“Yes I would like to†he replied in the distance.
I learned from a friend I made some years later who worked for Jim, who was also in Venice at that time, that during the very formal exhibition opening ceremony that evening, attended by both dignitaries and famous architects alike, Jim forced security personnel to let in 20 to 30 architectural students who had gathered at the gates, into the gardens and the party, for an evening, I gather such as Byron might have known.
I made it back to Liverpool, and completed my course; I gather Jim never did return, which was sad, as I would have liked to have the opportunity to buy him that beer.
R. Ford, July 2007
James Stirling 22 April 1926 – 25 June 1992
Classical Cornice, Devil’s Staircase
St Nicholas, Fleetwood, Lancashire
Architect: Laurence King 1907-1981
Foundation stone laid 1960
West End incomplete.
James Stirling’s relationship with his clients and end users is no better demonstrated than the pride with which the architect and his work is presented on the site for Wissenschaftszentrum Berlin (Social Science Research Centre) in the Kulturforum. The eclectic elements of the building’s architecture are thoroughly documented. Take the virtual tour…LINK
CiA students at Bachelor of Architecture Graduation 2007. Click here for more pictures.
