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Promise, Demonstrating a Fruitful Marriage Between History, Heritage

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Promise, Demonstrating a Fruitful Marriage Between History, Heritage REVIEWS 327 promise, demonstrating a fruitful marriage From 1987 to 1992 Simpson prepared between history, heritage and science. designs for Paternoster Square, City of London, to replace the dismally grim work (1956)of William Graham Holford (1907–75), who airily AUDREY MTHORSTAD and arrogantly declared he wanted ‘no harmony of scale, character, or placing, just a total con- trast’, and deliberately obliterated all traces of earlier street-patterns. Although Simpson’s work was never realised, it has been influential in that doi:10.1017⁄s0003581517000191 it shows a humane and beautiful alternative to the kind of Dystopian dreariness that was de The Architecture of John Simpson: the timeless rigueur when Holford’sinflated reputation — — language of classicism.ByDAVID WATKIN. which did not long survive him unaccountably 330mm. Pp 304, many ills, chiefly col. Rizzoli dazzled his contemporaries (Nikolaus Pevsner International Publications, New York, 2016. ( 1902–83), in The Buildings of England (1973) ’ ’ ISBN 9780847848690.£55 (hbk). called Holford s work near St Paul s Cathedral an ‘outstandingly well conceived precinct’, John Anthony Simpson (b 1954) has established which it patently was not, and it barely lasted himself as an architectural practitioner of what twenty years). has become known as New Classicism, drawing Other important works were Simpson’s on a rich and infinitely adaptable architectural designs for Poundbury, Dorset, including the language that was deliberately discarded by Market Hall (2000); substantial interventions at Modernists in favour of a poverty-stricken Kensington Palace (including the delightfully pidgin (in linguistic terms, the equivalent of delicate cast-iron loggia forming the new garden- monosyllabic grunts), the appalling failures of entrance to the building); buildings at Lady which are obvious to all those not blinded Margaret Hall, Oxford, including remarkable by their beliefs in a destructive cult. He has allusions to the Tomb of Marceius Vergileus also championed intelligent use of materials Eurysaces, pistor et redemptor (master-baker and used in buildings for purposes of durability, contractor), Porta Maggiore,Rome(c 30 BC), that function and beauty. Recognising that archi- continue an eclectic tradition established by Basil tecture is a public art, and that every building Champneys (1842–1935), Reginald Theodore contributes to the street, the square, the town- Blomfield (1856–1942), Giles Gilbert Scott scape, his work brings delight and loveliness to a (1880–1960) and Raymond Charles Erith world where too much of the urban fabric has (1904–73), a tradition, moreover, that was ‘almost been badly damaged by puritanical followers like a freak of nature’ to Pevsner when Wolfson of Modernism. Quad was built (1957–61)toErith’sdesigns Among his best buildings are The Queen’s (Pevsner 1974); and the remodelling (from 2014) Gallery, Buckingham Palace (with splendid of the interior of the Royal College of Music, architectural sculpture by Alexander Stoddart (b Kensington, London (1889–94), by Arthur 1959) integrated with, rather than stuck on, the William Blomfield (1829–99). architecture); the New Quadrangle at Eton Admirable are his Pavilion in the Walled College (2010–15), including the exquisite Jafar Garden at Sheringham, Norfolk, designed in Gallery (in which Ancient Greek themes are 2012 for Paul Doyle (for whom he also designed dominant); the Soanesque Ashfold House, Sus- a Gothic library at Bintree Manor, Norfolk); sex (1985–91), designed for his parents; and the works at Vincent Square, Westminster (includ- Fellows’ Dining Room and Lord Colyton Room ing a fine herm by Stoddart); and the distin- (1993–8), Gonville and Caius College, Cam- guished refurbishment of the Carhart Mansion bridge (which include some marvellous Neo- and new block, East 95th Street, New York Classical furniture, also Simpson’s designs). (early 2000s). For Watkin, the author of this Recently (2014), Simpson won the competition beautifully produced book, embellished with to design the new Walsh Family Hall, School of superb photographs and other illustrations, Architecture, University of Notre Dame, South Simpson designed a library at St Margaret’s Bend, Indiana (the only School that teaches Place, King’s Lynn, Norfolk, in which the spirit students the practice, as opposed to only the of the great Soane presides. history, of traditional and Classical archi- As a miniaturist too, Simpson’s work is out- tecture), which promises to be another fine standingly sensitive. Apart from his furniture, exemplar of his work. architectural details such as railings and Downloaded from https://www.cambridge.org/core. University of Athens, on 25 Sep 2021 at 09:23:02, subject to the Cambridge Core terms of use, available at https://www.cambridge.org/core/terms. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0003581517000191 328 THE ANTIQUARIES JOURNAL balustrades are handled as deftly as they once architectural practice, ADAM Architecture were by a Karl Friedrich Schinkel (1781–1841)or (with his five partners), based in Winchester, a Leo von Klenze (1784–1864). In his later with a London office in Queen Square. designs, he has had occasion to work in Gothic: Adam’s themes are many, but he is con- the Perpendicular chapel in the crypt at Crosby cerned with the practice of real architecture, Hall, Cheyne Walk, Chelsea, London, is a case rather than problematical bling, ludicrously in point. HRH The Prince of Wales, in his sen- labelled ‘iconic’ by those who ought to know sitive foreword, states correctly that Simpson has better. His practice has been responsible for been one of the leading figures in bringing about numerous private houses, commercial buildings, a modern renaissance of the grammar of urban extensions and new settlements (with the Classical architecture, and Simpson himself design of a great many new dwellings), and its sets out his philosophy in his short essay, work has drawn upon a huge reservoir of ‘Building to Last’. knowledge that has been deliberately submerged I salute this wonderful record of the crea- by the cult of Modernism. That cult demanded a tions of a distinguished designer. tabula rasa and the jettisoning of all historical references, even an entire architectural language, Pevsner, N 1973. London: Volume 1: the City of in favour of something so poverty-stricken in London (3rd edn), Penguin Books, London terms of resonance, symbol and meaning that the only people interested in promoting it were Modernist architects themselves. The public Pevsner, N 1974. The Buildings of England: was excluded because the terms used and the Oxfordshire (revised edn), Yale University language spoken in any discussion of it were Press, London incomprehensible to those outside the tiny compound. Modernist architecture evolved 2013 ‘ ’ Simpson, J . Building to Last , in Phillip attitudes that were self-referential, claiming to James Dodd (ed), The Art of Classical Details: possess special knowledge and even a superior 75–8 theory, design and craftsmanship, , Victoria morality. Yet the public, surrounded by archi- Images Publishing, Mulgrave tecture and the work of architects, should not be excluded from debate or judgement, and indeed JAMES STEVENS CURL has far more right, perhaps the only right, to criticise what architects produce. Architecture is far too important to be discussed in arcane debates among architects. It affects everyone who perambulates in any town or city, ventures doi:10.1017⁄s0003581517000208 into a public building, visits a place of worship (out of curiosity, or in order to take part, or to Classic Columns: 40 years of writing on architecture. pray, or just to sit and absorb the atmosphere), By ROBERT ADAM, edited by CLIVE ASLET with travels via an airport or a railway station, or a Foreword by SIR ROGER SCRUTON. 295mm. attends a place of learning. Adam puts human Pp 256, many ills, mostly col. Cumulus beings first, rather than style or mere archi- Books, London, 2017. ISBN 9780956414632. tectural fads that quickly date. £38.50 (hbk). Adam considers tradition, Classicism, the creation of space and place, housing, heritage, Robert Adam (b 1948) is one of a rare breed of planning, problems of the environment and architects who actually thinks and writes about globalisation. His love for his subject glows his work and its context. He leaves a legacy that through the pages of this handsome publication. tells us about the ideas underpinning his He makes a very strong case that tradition and designed and realised buildings. Here, he pre- modernity can co-exist – and, indeed, why sents a selection of his writings, taken from an should they be regarded as separate creatures? output of some forty years, encapsulating He has, after all, embraced up-to-date technol- thoughts, researches and cogently expressed ogy in many of his buildings, combining this with observations concerning how people live with, an architecture that draws on a huge reservoir and use, the built environment. He founded and of themes and motifs. It is those who have is actively involved in TAG (Traditional denounced Adam for fighting wars that are over Architecture Group), INTBAU (International who are the ones who are out-of-date, bogged Network for Traditional Building, Architecture down in their ancient slogans and manifest and Urbanism) and Europe’s largest traditional failures of a non-architecture, exemplars of Downloaded from https://www.cambridge.org/core. University of Athens, on 25 Sep 2021 at 09:23:02, subject to the Cambridge Core terms of use, available at https://www.cambridge.org/core/terms. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0003581517000191.
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