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Extract from "More Rough Travel Notes with an Architectural Eye - 2012":
Next day, Ruislip and Amersham, or a north-west tube trip. Come on, onto that mulberry-red Metropolitan line which branches like feeders far out. Why? Well back in the ’20s two young New Zealand architects had come to England with their knowledge of the European Modern Movement. They stirred controversy in conservative suburbia, yet in retrospect their work has become clear and prophetic — they became enfants terribles of pre-War modern architecture in England. We’ll look at a few of their houses, now highly regarded, but actually in reverse chronological order. And in Ruislip, by contrast, we’ll also briefly visit historic Manor Farm with its Grade II Farmhouse and 13th C Great Barn. Plenty to see despite the drizzle.

Modern Movement? By the end of the 19th C, architecture had become stuck in decoration from the past, and late-Victorian nostalgia meaningless for the changing times. Industrial development and entirely new social needs required a fresh response, a forward-looking relevance. Technology meant novel materials were becoming available, such as steel frame and high-rise reinforced concrete. There was the spread of railway networks, and by early 20th C aircraft were flying. A new spirit, a fresh expression was overdue, yet early architectural efforts needed to be bold against apparent incongruity alongside ingrown tradition. In Vienna, for example, Loos was one producing a stark original approach including a house (Steiner) of about 1910 (that I saw in 1968). (I once worked for a while with Fritz Farrar who had worked with Loos.) In Germany reinforced-concrete housing blocks of wholly modern approach were built in a new style for the age, such as the Weisenhofsiedlung (which I also saw) by Mies, Oud, etc. And thence the Bauhaus.

Others on the Continent are now well known.

And in France, Le Corbusier was particularly interested in new-age expression with sculptured space-qualities of modern reinforced-concrete. He’d been impressed by the “newness” of whitewash in the Greek Islands and saw this combined frankly in the new forms. Ah ha. Didn’t we visit crisp white E.1027 (Eileen Gray) of the 1920s at Roquebrunne. (Alpes-Maritimes Set.)

By 1932 Alvar Aalto had produced the wholly-modern but humanely sympathetic Paimio sanitorium (also seen 1968).

However, change in England was initially slow. One example would be High Cross house (1932) at Dartington, by Swiss-American William Lescaze. Beautiful modern, but away from public development.
My photo:
peteshep/1164026448/

The English scene remained largely conservative, even moribund, into the ’30s, though we’ll come to Maxwell Fry and Wells Coates in Hampstead late in these notes. (As well as Connell Ward Lucas.)

So what about those architectural upstarts from the colony then? Amyas Connell came from Taranaki and initially worked in Wellington. Basil Ward originated in Napier where he joined Louis Hay’s office. Their background made them familiar with concrete farm structures as well as new architecture. They joined up, furthering their education, and sailed to England in 1924. Setting up in London, they extended their study travels and in due course became the firm Connell and Ward, (later to be joined by Englishman Colin Lucas). .....

P :-)

Tags:   PS peteshep Ruislip and Amersham - 2012 Set Connell and Ward architecture North-west tube trip copyright photo Park Ave Ruislip Ward Early Modern

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Copyright photo.

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Enlarge
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This photo is part of the Ruislip and amersham - 2012 Set:
peteshep/sets/72157631987670910/wit...

Extract from "More Rough Travel Notes with an Architectural Eye - 2012":
.........The English architectural scene remained largely conservative, even moribund, into the ’30s, though we’ll come to Maxwell Fry and Wells Coates in Hampstead late in these notes. (As well as Connell Ward Lucas.)

So what about those architectural upstarts from the colony then? Amyas Connell came from Taranaki and initially worked in Wellington. Basil Ward originated in Napier where he joined Louis Hay’s office. Their background made them familiar with concrete farm structures as well as new architecture. They joined up, furthering their education, and sailed to England in 1924. Setting up in London, they extended their study travels and in due course became the firm Connell and Ward, (later to be joined by Englishman Colin Lucas).

They had more than mere RIBA acceptance in mind. Ward later said “Architecture for us was a whole subject, not just a Modern movement.” A way of life. They aimed for and won the coveted Rome Scholarship in 1926, and it was in Rome that they met Bernard Ashmole, noted archaeology scholar and head of the School there. Yes, you’ve got it, Prof Bernard Ashmole was descendent of Elias Ashmole after whom the Ashmolean Museum we visited in Oxford is named. During their course they studied the geometry of historic Roman architecture — said to have influenced their planning ideas even in the Modern Movement. And they travelled widely in Europe researching the cultures and built development. Ashmole was admiring of their architectural talents, and in due time Connell was asked to design the Ashmoles’ new house in Amersham. That house, now well-noted for its significant contribution to modern beginnings, will be climax of our Amersham excursion. While the Modern expression was fresh, of its time, it wasn’t a simplistic polarity, but also learnt from historic skills.......

P :-)

Tags:   PS peteshep Ruislip and Amersham - 2012 Set Connell and Ward architecture North-west tube trip copyright photo Park Ave Ruislip Ward Early Modern

© All Rights Reserved

Copyright photo.

wikimapia

This photo is part of the Ruislip and Amersham - 2012 Set:
peteshep/sets/72157631987670910/wit...

Extract from "More Rough Travel Notes with an Architectural Eye - 2012":
.....Ward later said “Architecture for us was a whole subject, not just a Modern movement.” A way of life. They aimed for and won the coveted Rome Scholarship in 1926, and it was in Rome that they met Bernard Ashmole, noted archaeology scholar and head of the School there. Yes, you’ve got it, Prof Bernard Ashmole was descendent of Elias Ashmole after whom the Ashmolean Museum we visited in Oxford is named. During their course they studied the geometry of historic Roman architecture — said to have influenced their planning ideas even in the Modern Movement. And they travelled widely in Europe researching the cultures and built development. Ashmole was admiring of their architectural talents, and in due time Connell was asked to design the Ashmoles’ new house in Amersham. That house, now well-noted for its significant contribution to modern beginnings, will be climax of our Amersham excursion. While the Modern expression was fresh, of its time, it wasn’t a simplistic polarity, but also learnt from historic skills.

So here we are now, walking up streets of suburban Ruislip. Mature, it looks pleasant-enough in a conservative way though doesn’t appear to have changed greatly since the 1930s except for car garages and cluttering television aerials. Houses are traditional, brick or pebble-dashed with pitched-tiled roofs, early 20th C, and subdued darker colouring. Natural, but weak, a bit sentimental phoney. Even touches of mock-Tudor here and there.

We stroll along Park Ave. But what’s this? Brand-spanking new white, sharp rectangular modern. Crisp. Here are Ward’s three adjoined units, (called semi-detached in estate-agent propaganda) — nos 97 - 101. Intended as part of a Parkwood Estate. At their mid-’30s construction time they were aesthetically controversial for such a locality — too startling, too Continental. They’re Modern Movement family homes of concrete walls, flat but occupied roofs, expanses of glass, all in stark contrast in appearance, and to a more-compact-future social agenda. Something of a response to Corbusier’s urban-modern villas of Paris. They have Bauhaus-like balconies relieving, or rather emphasizing, the flat snow-white frontage.....

P :-)


Enlarge
Click diagonal arrows upper-right; then press F11 Fullscreen.

Tags:   PS peteshep Ruislip and Amersham - 2012 Set Connell and Ward architecture North-west tube trip copyright photo Park Ave Ruislip Ward Early Modern

© All Rights Reserved

Copyright photo.

wikimapia

Extract from "More Rough Travel Notes with an Architectural Eye - 2012":
....They’re Modern Movement family homes of concrete walls, flat but occupied roofs, expanses of glass, all in stark contrast in appearance, and to a more-compact-future social agenda. Something of a response to Corbusier’s urban-modern villas of Paris. They have Bauhaus-like balconies relieving, or rather emphasizing, the flat snow-white frontage.

All is built in thin concrete panel. The staircases protrude as rectilinear glass boxes, and garages are part of the structure projecting forward as side wings. Design was initially rejected by the conservative Council, but eventually the scheme was agreed to with addition of modesty panels to the full-glass stair boxes. Horizontal band windows are of minimal Critall’s galv-steel, dark finished. And as was the thinking, the concrete flat roofs have open pergola-like canopy structure as they provide for outdoor living, and visually net building to sky.

Numbers 97 and 99 were built in 1936, and 97 (Casablanca) in particular is proudly original-intact, including even the balcony railings. Number 101 has been altered somewhat with unfortunate filling-in (1950s?) of the roof space as additional accommodation, with horizontal eaves emphasis....

P :-)

Tags:   PS peteshep Ruislip and Amersham - 2012 Set Connell and Ward architecture North-west tube trip copyright photo Park Ave Ward Ruislip Early Modern

© All Rights Reserved

Copyright photo.

wikimapia


Enlarge
Click diagonal arrows upper-right; then press F11 Fullscreen.


Extract from "More rough Travel Notes with an Architectural Eye - 2012":
Next day, Ruislip and Amersham, or a north-west tube trip. Come on, onto that mulberry-red Metropolitan line which branches like feeders far out. Why? Well back in the ’20s two young New Zealand architects had come to England with their knowledge of the European Modern Movement. They stirred controversy in conservative suburbia, yet in retrospect their work has become clear and prophetic — they became enfants terribles of pre-War modern architecture in England. We’ll look at a few of their houses, now highly regarded, but actually in reverse chronological order.

......what about those architectural upstarts from the colony then? Amyas Connell came from Taranaki and initially worked in Wellington. Basil Ward originated in Napier where he joined Louis Hay’s office. Their background made them familiar with concrete farm structures as well as new architecture. They joined up, furthering their education, and sailed to England in 1924. Setting up in London, they extended their study travels and in due course became the firm Connell and Ward, (later to be joined by Englishman Colin Lucas).

In Ruislip, we stroll along Park Ave. But what’s this? Brand-spanking new white, sharp rectangular modern. Crisp. Here are Ward’s three adjoined units, (called semi-detached in estate-agent propaganda) — nos 97 - 101. Intended as part of a Parkwood Estate. At their mid-’30s construction time they were aesthetically controversial for such a locality — too startling, too Continental. They’re Modern Movement family homes of concrete walls, flat but occupied roofs, expanses of glass, all in stark contrast in appearance, and to a more-compact-future social agenda. Something of a response to Corbusier’s urban-modern villas of Paris. They have Bauhaus-like balconies relieving, or rather emphasizing, the flat snow-white frontage.

All is built in thin concrete panel. The staircases protrude as rectilinear glass boxes, and garages are part of the structure projecting forward as side wings. Design was initially rejected by the conservative Council, but eventually the scheme was agreed to with addition of modesty panels to the full-glass stair boxes. Horizontal band windows are of minimal Critall’s galv-steel, dark finished. And as was the thinking, the concrete flat roofs have open pergola-like canopy structure as they provide for outdoor living, and visually net building to sky.

Numbers 97 and 99 were built in 1935/6, and 97 (Casablanca) in particular is proudly original-intact, including even the balcony railings. Number 101 has been altered somewhat with unfortunate filling-in (1950s?) of the roof space as additional accommodation, with horizontal eaves emphasis.

It’s hard today to realise this group was built mid ’30s, looking much more recent, now accepted, indeed rightly Classified. A car in front in the 1930s would look comically outdated now. But not the architecture.

It was not fashion-following, but prescient.

[And it's nice to notice the New Zealand flax (phormium tenax) in centre of this shot :-) ]

P :-)

Tags:   PS peteshep architecture copyright photo Ruislip Ward Park Ave Pre-War modern concrete phormium tenax 1935 prescient

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