University of Warwick institutional repository: http://go.warwick.ac.uk/wrap A Thesis Submitted for the Degree of PhD at the University of Warwick http://go.warwick.ac.uk/wrap/3216 This thesis is made available online and is protected by original copyright. Please scroll down to view the document itself. Please refer to the repository record for this item for information to help you to cite it. Our policy information is available from the repository home page. ARCHITECTURE IN TENSION: An Examination of the Position of the Architect in the Private and Public Sectors, Focusing on the Training and Careers of Sir Basil Spence (1907-1976) and Sir Donald Gibson (1908-1991). Volume One of Two Volumes Sarah Helen Walford M.A.(Dist.) Thesis submitted for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy Department of History of Art University of Warwick May 2009 CONTENTS Volume One Acknowledgements……....................……………………………………..........……i Abstract................................................................................................................ii Abbreviations Used………………………………………………….........................iii List of illustrations……………………………………………………........................v Introduction ………………………………………………………………...............1 1. A Profession Divided: The origins and growth of the schism between the sectors, and the role of the Association of Architects Surveyors and Technical Assistants……………..…...........8 1.1. A Union Forms: The Architects’ and Surveyors’ Assistants’ Professional Union, and the Association of Architects Surveyors and Technical Assistants………............….10 1.2. AASTA’s Relationship with the Royal Institute of British Architects……………………..........……………............................16 2. Spence and Gibson: Their early years and the beginnings of divergence……………………………………………………………..…….33 2.1. Basil Urwin Spence: Formative years, training and early Career………………………………………..………………............36 2.1a. Bombay, 1907-1919………………………………………....36 2.1b. Edinburgh, 1919-1931……………………………………....42 2.1c. Early career, 1931-1939……………………………….……61 2.2 Donald Evelyn Edward Gibson: Formative years, training and early career………….………………..............73 2.2a. Scotland and Manchester, 1908-1932…………………….73 2.2b. Early career, 1931-1939…………………………………….89 3. Gibson and Spence: Two early projects……………………………….97 3.1. ‘A Precursor of things to come’: The Hilary Haworth Nursery School, Lache, Chester, 1935……….......………..........97 3.1a. The Changing Face of Education………………………………….98 3.1b. The Hilary Haworth Nursery………….........................……….…103 3.1c. Design Development……………………………………………….105 3.1d The Realised Design..................................................................108 3.1e. The Significance of the Building…………………………………..111 3.2. Spence and The Empire Exhibition, Bellahouston Park, Glasgow, 1938 ……………………………………………….........116 4. The Role and Status of the Architect: War years…………………...127 4.1. The AASTA and ‘Group Working’……………………........……..129 4.2. Coventry City Architect’s Department, 1939…………….......….133 4.3. AASTA: Political Engagement and Policy on Reconstruction…142 4.4 ‘Propaganda Exhibition for a Civic Survey, and Town Plan for Coventry’: The ‘Coventry of Tomorrow’ Exhibition, May 1940…….........................................................150 4.5. City and Cathedral: Planning and Reconstruction……………...164 5. The Growing Strength of the Post-War Public Sector……………..186 5.1. A Change in the Public/Private Relationship……………......…..188 6. Housing………………………………………………………………….....206 6.1. Spence: Sunbury-on-Thames Schemes, 1945-1952………......210 6.2. Gibson: Stonebridge Highway Scheme, Coventry, 1946….…..219 7. The Post-War School Building Programme……………………….…228 7.1. Prelude to the Building Programme…………………….........…..231 7.2. A New School Architecture………………….………...........…….234 7.3. Spence: Sydenham Girls’ Comprehensive School, Dartmouth Road, Sydenham, London, 1956………......…….....247 7.3a. Development of the Design…………………………….………….248 7.3b. Project Completion……………………………………………...….254 7.4. Gibson: From Coventry to CLASP: The development of a building system……………………………......................…..261 8. Presidency of the RIBA……………………………………………....….281 8.1. Basil Spence PRIBA........................…………………………...…284 8.1a. The Gathering Crisis: Prelude to Spence’s Presidency………..284 8.1b. Spence's Presidency, 1958-1960…………………………………294 8.1c. An Assessment of Spence’s Presidency……………………...…330 8.2. Donald Gibson PRIBA………………………………....................334 8.2a From Local Government to Central Government 1958-1964..................................................................................335 8.2b Gibson's Presidency 1964-1965................................................339 8.3. Post-presidency.........................................................................353 9. The RIBA and the Salaried Sector in the 1970s...............................356 10. Conclusion..........................................................................................359 Volume Two CONTENTS Bibliography.........................................................................................................1 Illustrations........................................................................................................34 Acknowledgements A great many people have given valuable assistance in the course of my research for this thesis. Heartfelt thanks are due to my supervisor Dr Louise Campbell for her unfailing patience, enthusiasm and wise guidance. Members of the Spence Project team have given invaluable assistance, particularly Dr David Walker, Dr Clive Fenton, Jane Thomas, Dr Miles Glendinning, and Neil Gregory, as have the Spence and Gibson families, Professor David Walker and Professor John Hume. Special thanks to Douglas Chalk, David Rock, Hugh McIlveen, Dr Chris Wakeling, Alf Cleugh, Joy Gardner, Mrs Gregory, Mark Singlehurst, Professor Bill Lancaster, Andrew Saint, Daphne Courtois, Alan van Wijgerden, Brian Redknapp, Alastair Reid, James Thomas, Anne Mitchell, Ian Charlton, Ray Wilson, Andy White, Gordon Payne, Lois Thorpe, James Ingles, Ian Smith, Rob Talbot, Hazel and Bill Price. Many thanks are due to the staff of: Coventry History Centre, particularly Michael Hinman; the Modern Records Centre, University of Warwick; Cheshire County Archives; Nottinghamshire County Archive; RCAHMS Search Room; James Peters of the University of Manchester Archives; Edinburgh University Library Special Collections; the RIBA Library; Shirley Willis of Coventry Cathedral Archive; Birmingham Central Library; V&A RIBA Collections and Coventry City Council for allowing access to volumes of news cuttings relating to the Architect's and Planning Departments. I further wish to acknowledge the support of the AHRC without whose funding this research would not have been possible. Finally, thank you to my family; to Ursula and David Shaw, for their unfailing support over many miles. To Richmal and Alice for understanding my absences and for their total confidence in me, and to my husband Brian without whose unconditional support, calm pragmatism, perspicacity and humour this could not have been achieved. i ABSTRACT In the early 1900s tensions began to appear within the architectural profession, as private practitioners struggled to deal with the implications of professional colleagues moving into public sector employment. Sir Basil Spence and Sir Donald Gibson began their architectural training in the mid-1920s and, as tensions between the sectors intensified, Spence entered private practice and Gibson chose to enter the public sector. Each became an exemplar of his chosen sector of the profession and yet both have, until recently, escaped critical attention. The tensions between the public and private sectors of the profession have been acknowledged within the historiography, but not received detailed analysis. This thesis advances the current historiography by presenting an examination of the division between the sectors, focusing on the relationship between the RIBA and the public sector union AASTA and assessing the influence of AASTA on Gibson's Coventry City Architect's Department. Through an examination of archival material, contemporary published material, and buildings, this thesis builds on the work of the Sir Basil Spence Archive Project, adding detailed accounts of his early life, architectural training, and RIBA presidency, presenting new information and correcting certain aspects of the accepted historiography. It likewise presents new information on Gibson's early life and training and his central role in achieving improved status and representation for the public sector. An analysis of selected projects provides a comparative study of their contrasting approaches to architecture: the technically informed, collaborative team-work of Gibson and the individual artistry of Spence. Both men played pivotal roles in reforming the RIBA and in changing public and professional perceptions of the architect, nevertheless, the long lineage and complex nature of tensions within the profession meant that the public/private division was never be bridged and issues of status and representation remained essentially immutable. ii ABBREVIATIONS USED AA Architectural Association AASTA Association of Architects Surveyors and Technical Assistants A&BN Architect and Building News ABT Associated Building Technicians AD Architectural Design AHRC Arts and Humanities Research Council AJ Architects’ Journal AR Architectural Review ASAPU Architects Surveyors ATO