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National Event Reviews updated 09.08.2004 FIFE & KINROSS Kinross is one of those gems of Scottish Architecture that most architectural historians know all about, so it was a delight to visit again in distinguished company. The remarkable formal gardens were laid out first, with Sir William Bruce starting his own house in 1685 (architect's houses being a loose theme). The house has adapted well to the changing requirements of a family home and amongst its many qualities has a formal room that serves perfectly as a modern family kitchen. From Bruce to William Burn and Tyndall Bruce at House of Falkland, where we learnt all about the courtship of Margaret and Onesipherus Tyndall Bruce. But what Falkland is perhaps most remarkable for are the interiors carried out for the Third Marquess of Bute during his ownership from 1887-1900 by Robert Weir Schultz. After a stroll around the very fine policies we enjoyed our picnics in the stables newly converted to a visitors' facility, and heard about proposals for the future, courtesy of Ninian Crichton Stuart and the House of Falkland Trust. Cardy House at Lower Largo is known for its association with the descendants of Alexander Selkirk, a smart three-bay 1873 villa near the shore with a viewing platform on the roof. David Selkirk Gillies had built the house immediately above a net factory which he had built in 1867 but only operated until 1886. Both house and factory have been beautifully restored by Liz and Mike Rolland (hence architects' houses), with the factory converted into a huge contemporary house with six bedrooms, five bathrooms and an enormous open plan living space with a glazed wall and balcony almost on the beach. The Nethouse is available for holiday lets: liz@cardy-nethouse.co.uk. Tea at Cardy was followed by a visit to Earlshall, near St Andrews, a 1546 tower, restored from 1891 by the young Robert Lorimer, for WRM Mackenzie, a friend of his parents. Notes on a Tour of Northern Italy Northern Italy has always been a centre of European civilization: first, of the Etruscans; then, as heartland of the Roman Empire, which bound the continent together politically for centuries, in religion for a millennium after its dissolution, and as a cultural phenomenon in architecture, law, even language, almost to the present time. But Charlemagne's Holy Roman Empire, Christian ghost of pagan splendour, could not last: spiritual power remained in Rome. French kings assumed military and political dominance, with the Emperor a counter to each in Germany. Northern Italy fragmented into rival city-states of some military and political import, wealthy through Mediterranean trade, prosperous in agriculture, with more modest towns under their sway; but geography contributed not only to local enmities but to threat of international conflict from across the Alps - here, generals were as common as saints. Even today, Northern Italy is a distinctive social culture of small traders and major industrial concerns, still church-going, the people themselves stylish and beautiful. Between 7 and 15 September Professor Alistair Rowan, eight years our President, led a group of some thirty strong on a tour of Pisa and its environs. The cities, towns and villages we visited with him are witness to a tradition of urban architecture in which the oldest buildings, even if remodelled, date back to the early mediaeval period, and almost all subsequent buildings - Romanesque, Gothic, Renaissance, Mannerist, Baroque and Neoclassical, of different times and tenors - contribute to a richly varied but harmonious whole, expressive of unfolding history. The streets, often quite narrow, with three to four storey buildings providing shelter from the sun, and usually crooked for reasons long forgotten, reflect this ancient heritage, but defensive walls have also affected development, while forum and amphitheatre sites may still serve as important open spaces. Many of the renaissance buildings are distinguished by their simple but beautifully proportioned character, not unlike Scottish Georgian architecture but with windows wider spaced, their interiors similarly light, cool and airy, and the decoration or detail often in trompe l'oeil fresco. The tendency to remodel older structures and the frequency of awkward sites seem, however, to have imbued Italian builders with a wonderfully idiosyncratic - sometimes almost anarchic - sense of composition, which results in visually and structurally exciting effects, side-by-side with their architecture of order and repose. Frequently the structural ingenuity is more subtle: as Alistair explained to us, where wet sites could not support a masonry wall, frontages would be constructed as a series of superimposed arcades, packed with a light infilling. Generally, buildings may be built in stone, but more commonly in brick, faced with stucco in earthy colours - cream, yellow, red, white or grey - some of the grandest being distinguished by decorative sgraffito work, as at the palace in San Miniato and the Scuola Normale in Pisa. They are almost always strong designs, elegant in composition and detail: door and window openings are often set in rusticated stone surrounds, the ground floor windows of some palazzi having bowed iron grilles which were essential protection in troubled times. Almost all buildings have slatted timber shutters, protection against the sun, which can be angled out at the bottom to allow for greater ventilation. And in this climate water is of paramount importance, as is evident from the fountains, the aqueducts, the great neoclassical water-works and reservoirs, and in the way that rivers pass through many towns: from the Arno itself, which flows through Pisa under several fine bridges - around which the young congregate in the evenings - to the narrow waterway in the Via del Fosso in Lucca. In Italy the Church remains as powerful, cohesive and distinct a force in society as its buildings do in their surroundings, both trying to preserve their spirit through changing fashions, reconstruction, and war. The church buildings range from those of the Romanesque and Gothic periods, intricately balanced between original design intention and the involvement of many hands throughout the construction process, and the exactly calculated perfection of Renaissance and post-Reformation Baroque and Neoclassicism. Whatever their size, whether plain or spectacular, they are always blessed with an individual presence and drama. The polygonal concepts of the 12th century foundling architect Diotisalvi, such as the Pisa Baptistery, are uniquely personal, but the Romanesque style of the Cathedral itself and many other churches represents a vibrant tradition in which entrance level arcades - either open, or blind with doorways - rise to substantial heights before supporting tiers of smaller, tighter-spaced arcades which mask the upper frontage, roof-pitches and clerestorey. The arcades may be distinguished by alternating roundels and lozenges, mosaics, or even ceramic plates following Arabic tradition. The bell-towers are often spectacular vertical accents (although the Cathedral's 'leaning tower' has always threatened to fall victim to its marshy ground), and we saw for ourselves the direct influence of the great friar churches on those of the Rowand Anderson school. Among the later churches, the grand ducal palace of the Certosa at Calci was perhaps the biggest surprise of the tour. How many of us knew that there was an equivalent to the Escorial and Mafra in the Pisan countryside, even if achieved piecemeal? We marvelled at the grandeur of the interiors and the amazing medicinal dispensary, untouched since the day the monks departed. The country villas we saw ranged from simple, well-proportioned cubic designs, often with grand approach stairs, bold treatment of door and window surrounds, and shallow-pitched roofs, to much more complicated and richly detailed designs which often inspired British architects. Our journey to the Villa di Bella Vista, a long three-storey house with an arcaded entrance level portico, curvaceous central pediment above the wallhead, and canted out tower-bays at each end, reminded us of the Burlington-Kent school in England, even if its details were different; and the Villa Torrigiani, a three-bay, three-storey house, with ground floor and central first floor bays rusticated and arcaded, and a low attic crowning the whole, of Mar's 'royal palace invented by a gentleman of quality.' Whether in formal grounds or natural landscape, these villas sit perfectly within their environment, as close to Arcadia as we are ever likely to be. It was in such idyllic surroundings that Alistair brought his tour to a remarkable close - in the mid-evening, Martini Astis in the frescoed splendour of the Villa di Corliano; then, as dusk fell rapidly, we arrived at the Villa Moline, were surprised to be led past so beautiful a house so quickly, but were soon enchanted as we wandered through its rustic gardens - flood-lit in the dark - under a waterfall, over a bridge, and back to an enormous supper. What was obvious from our tour was how much Italian people appreciate their historic buildings as an inalienable heritage forming the backdrop to their society and culture (and their tourist industry). Never has that been so threatened as during the Second World War, when the opposing forces between them left towns such as Livorno almost completely destroyed. Yet they retain true character to far greater extent than most British towns. When the hostilities were over, the Italians began to rebuild as much of their familiar environment as authentically as they could, and now - astonishingly - that process seems to be nearing completion. Pisa's Torre Guelfa, destroyed after 500 years in 1944, was reconstructed in 1956, a new building, but one that preserves a history which would otherwise be lost. Municipally-promoted restoration continues throughout the central area, one of the lost palaces on the Lungarno Galileo Galilei rising again even when we visited, and it may well be hoped that Shelley's house will follow soon. It remains for me to thank Alistair, on behalf of the group, for somehow finding time to organise his tour, despite his extremely busy schedule: to plan the visits - making arrangements with our many hosts, who received us with unstinting warmth and generosity - to prepare the comprehensive study guide with which we were all issued, and to ensure (with the help of Janet Clark) that the tour passed trouble-free. And surely I am not alone in wishing to thank him for many individual kindnesses: his impromptu one-on-one tutorials were an education, and a privilege. David W Walker 20th Century Scotland: Architecture and Planning
- Towards a Sustainable Modernity In early October 2002, the Architectural Heritage Society of Scotland in partnership with the Scottish Civic Trust presented their annual conference at the John McIntyre Centre - a new facility set amidst the sprawling Edinburgh University campus to the west of Arthur's Seat. Other sponsors were Historic Scotland, Historic Buildings Council, the Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Scotland (RCAHMS), and the newly formed Built Environment Forum Scotland. A broad range of issues related to 20th century architecture in Scotland was on the agenda including theoretical perspectives on architectural training, planning, design, listing, and conservation. Specific practical examples of these wider topics were also explored and presentations were given on social housing, Scottish New Towns, commercial architecture, 20th century defences, university architecture, transport, and environmental impact. The subtitle of the conference 'towards a sustainable modernity' suggested the underlying theme which aimed to assess the recent past in order to inform good practice for the future. Sustainability, a buzz word which is now firmly entrenched in our architectural vocabulary, seemed to replace the word 'heritage' which was not mentioned as much as one possibly might have expected. It is perhaps because the concept of modernity is too fluid to be pinned down and, while still set within living memory, is too close to current political and social experience. It has been 10 years since 'Visions Revisited', the first conference to look seriously at post-war architecture in Scotland. Through the important papers given here, it was indeed a relief to see how ten years on we are no longer criticising the lack of attention given to our 20th century heritage or even questioning its inherent value, but rather presenting positive ideas on how to sustain it. Thus the official launch of the newly formed Built Environment Forum at the conference was seen as a timely and much needed step in the right direction to ensure strong and unified commitment to the improvement of the Scottish architecture past, present and future. A number of distinguished speakers, including architects, historians and planners, from both professional and academic spheres contributed papers to this year's conference. It was also refreshing to hear the comments of those whose daily experience relates directly to 20th century social housing with residents of two housing associations on hand to share their opinions. Although political policy did not feature prominently on the programme, support was most welcome from the Deputy Minister for Tourism, Culture and Sport, Dr Elaine Murray, whose opening address expressed her desire to stimulate debate which would link historic buildings to modern design. Nothing could be a more palpable concept for politicians presently as the new Scottish Parliament set at the edge of the Old Town at Holyrood is near completion. John Lowrey, the final speaker at the conference, was able to substantiate Dr Murray's aspirations when he explained how history and modernity met when Queensberry House was finally, after much wrangling, anchored to the Parliament site. As in the previous years, the conference attempted to address the practical interests of professionals on its first day and focus on academic concerns on day two. However, this year the contrast between theory and practice was not as sharp with the titles of the conference sessions - Defining Values, Practical Ends and Big Ideas, Histories and Contexts, Architects' Training Places - providing only a loose guide to the proceedings. The ever confusing definition of 'modernism' and 'modernity' probably contributed to the fluidity between sessions but nonetheless made for stimulating presentations. Architectural historian and critic, Charles Jencks addressed this conflict directly in his paper which questioned precisely how to preserve the opposing values of modernism. While dispelling the assumption that history is coherent or sequential, Jencks examined the multiple definitions and histories of the modern movement. The inherent irony of the concept was clearly understood by the likes of Baudelaire who equated the modern with the transitory and Marx who stated famously that 'all that is solid melts.' A natural tendency has been the neat categorisation of the previous century's period of artistic development, but in fact a multiplicity of realities or histories have created what we now understand as the modern movement. Jencks reminded us that even from within the heart of modernist Mecca, The Bauhaus, conflicting ideologies were rife, particularly exemplified by the disparate leaderships of the spiritual Johannes Ittens and the rational Walter Gropius. Jencks's thoroughly thought-provoking paper was a perfect introduction to the conference subject, but perhaps these philosophical questions would have been best placed at the very beginning of the first day's session instead of at the end. Miles Glendinning, of the RCAHMS, also helped identify the conflicting ideals of modernism, but with specific reference to architecture and planning, and demonstrated how the values of modernism have changed over time. Modernity, in the physical form of post-war architecture, he opined, had been 're-branded'. More precisely, the socialist solutions created by public sector planning departments to meet a population's housing needs in the post-war period had dissolved into a market driven system which latterly focuses on individual monuments of high design. Interesting, and probably quite valid, was Glendinning's belief that post-war modernism is still sneered at today not because it is ugly, but because it was based in socialist policy. A final plea was launched for a general thematic study of early large-scale housing developments which would encourage the preservation of such architecture and perhaps distil its best features for future development. Deborah Mays, Head of Listing at Historic Scotland, agreed that need for thematic study and assessment of 20th century architecture was vitally important to make informed decisions when selecting individual or groups of buildings for protection. Conservation area assessments could be used as a tool to rate larger groups of buildings, but Mays explained that when local councils are seriously contemplating the removal of such areas, these issues become complicated and the buildings remain at risk. Not simply an academic issue, a good gauge for the interest in post-war architecture comes directly from the public who, as Mays pointed out, are increasingly proposing such buildings for listing. In the meantime, while we wait for a more comprehensive assessment of 20th century building stock, the listing of individual buildings is recognised as a necessary response to save them from their impending loss. The housing scheme at Craigmillar, Edinburgh, built for the Thistle Foundation (a groundbreaking post-war development designed by Stuart Matthew in 1946 for disabled servicemen and their families) was a recent case in point where the existing community had successfully lobbied for listing status. Nevertheless, while pressures from developers still exist, the community continues to resist the intrusive and un-necessary proposals for redevelopment of areas of the estate not protected by listing. Archie Ramsay, a spokesperson for the community group gave a compelling speech in which he pleaded for more community involvement in deciding the future of the housing scheme - a place he himself also calls home. He made it quite clear that the majority of residents were satisfied with the existing accommodation and were astounded that new characterless buildings were set to replace those which already suited their purpose perfectly. (See AHSS Magazine 15 for a full transcription of Ramsay's paper, pp 14-15). The importance of community ownership was agreed by Graham Bell, Director of the North East Civic Trust, who described his contribution to an innovative conservation plan for the well-known Byker Estate in Newcastle Upon Tyne (designed by Ralph Erskine, 1973-1978), where community consultation was highest on their agenda. Colin Dilks, a resident of Byker, was on hand to testify to the great improvements made to this scheme. However, in contrast to the situation at the Thistle Foundation, he felt burdened by what he termed 'consultation overload' thus pointing to the need to strike a proper balance between the needs of the community and the guiding role of the state. A common thread started to emerge from the papers and specific ideas were reiterated, in particular the generally held conviction that there is no necessity to reinvent the wheel when considering the present housing needs of a nation. Alan Prior, director of the School of the Built Environment, Heriot Watt University, in his examination of housing also recognised the effect of 're-branding' social housing estates after stock transfer had begun in the 1980s and 90s. A more polite term was sought for such housing for which the emphasis had changed through radical political upheaval, and thus the word 'social' was soon replaced with 'affordable'. This new arrangement, which saw planning agreements made with house developers, was destined to fail as too many private economic interests were at stake. The large scale redistribution of the population, in particular the Glasgow over-spill, implemented from the recommendations of the 1946 Clyde Valley Regional Development Plan, was previously recognised as a problem in the mid 1960s. Efforts to rationalise this situation came soon after in the 70s when regeneration of urban sites was already recognised as essential. Diane Watters, an architectural historian based at the RCAHMS who specialises in the history of social housing, was able to illustrate an early example of urban regeneration already occurring within historic burghs throughout Fife Council in the 1950s and 60s. Watters focused on the groundbreaking work of Wheeler & Sprossan architects who were the first to reuse historic buildings and adapt new buildings to the often complex setting of an historic burgh. This approach focused on a consistent, long term plan for regenerating small towns such as Burntisland and Dysart, thus refuting the over simplistic view that social housing of the post-war period was not appropriate for Scotland's environmental and social context. Just as Wheeler & Sprossan reacted to identifiable needs within smaller urban contexts (most likely in specific contrast to the urban sprawl of Glenrothes), architect Jim Johnson demonstrated how the planning of Scottish New Towns improved practically as they were successively established throughout Central Scotland. Johnson looked more closely at the history and development of the five Scottish 'New Towns' - East Kilbride, Glenrothes, Cumbernauld, Livingston and Irvine - and helpfully identified the differences in their design and function, and importantly, how each new New Town learned from its predecessor. For example, Cumbernauld - the star of Scottish New Towns, recognised throughout the world as a successful model for urban design - was a reaction to both Glenrothes and East Kilbride's low-density neighbourhood model. Within the time span of a generation though, Cumbernauld Town Centre was castigated as social failure; but ironically, the compact, economically planned hilltop town, with no separate neighbourhoods, was already solving density problems so crucial to today's concept of sustainable urban development. Permeating the 20th century Scotland conference was a tension between what has passed and what presently exists in terms of architecture and planning. Specific topics such as environmental impact and transportation policy were also addressed here demonstrating how important these present day issues were in the conservation of 20th century architecture. Austin Smith, Professor of Transport Economics at Napier University, confirmed once again that today's planners are referring to ideas that emerged in the mid 20th century, for example in promoting brownfield sites to help conserve existing spaces and using these areas as appropriate venues for future development. This is not revolutionary town planning, but it becomes difficult to implement when society is increasingly measuring its wealth in terms of the amount of actual space it chooses to occupy. Courtney Hyde Peyton, director of the environmental consultancy Thirdwave, provided sobering data explaining how extreme the effects of new buildings which use non-renewable resources are, and that this continues to deplete our environment. There was no question that the conservation of existing buildings helped to reduce the damaging effects of the onslaught of unsustainable development. This year's conference did not provide specific information for the conservation of 20th century architecture, but Ranald MacInnes's (Historic Scotland) rather philosophical presentation on the conservation and reuse of these buildings did raise important theoretical questions on how to create new, pragmatic concepts from old. In addition to the more familiar topics related to 20th century architecture such as social housing and planning, specific categories of building were also examined by architectural historians who in turn highlighted watersheds of design and structure while identifying some of Scotland's 20th century landmark buildings. Simon Green of the RCAHMS provided significant examples of commercial and civic architecture during the last century. Not only were we shown how this architecture was important to Scotland, but we were also reminded of its international standing. Indeed, D G Bannerman's Lanark County Buildings, Hamilton (1959-1964) would not seem out of place as a stand-in for the United Nations building in New York City. Clive Fenton, curator of the Percy Johnson-Marshall Collection at the University of Edinburgh, discussed university and school building, focusing on the innovative work of Sir Basil Spence, Sir Robert Matthew and Johnson-Marshall. A lunchtime walking tour of Edinburgh University's George Square led by Fenton was the perfect complement to his talk and a good number of delegates opted to attend. As well, Doreen Grove of Historic Scotland spoke about the important Defence of Britain Project, research specifically related to 20th century defences, structures which astonishingly occupied approximately 20% of the United Kingdom's land mass at it most crucial period during the Wars. In the last session of the conference we were treated to personal and at times humorous and heart-warming accounts of architects who had made an impact on 20th century architecture in Scotland. James Simpson described his early days in the office of Ian G Lindsay, sketching an intimate portrait of the man. Charles Strang looked fondly on his summer training in the office of Peter Womersley and Paul Stallon of RMJM described how Robert Matthew's practice is still thriving because it relies on the great architect's multidisciplinary approach to architecture. We were most privileged however to hear James Morris of Morris and Steedman - Scotland's own Mies van der Rohe - who delighted us with a comprehensive account of his life's work, featuring an incredible repertoire of 20th design icons, in particular his superior open-plan designs for private houses in and around Edinburgh. There is no doubt that the value placed on our architectural environment is high. The challenge now given to planners and architects is to create a new modernity that is sustainable in practical terms but will also capture our collective imagination. The fire that recently tore through Edinburgh's Old Town was regrettable, but it does now set the stage for the implementation of our most inventive and most creative ideas for the regeneration of an historic site in modern times. Although we are constantly evolving the definition and boundaries of modernity, upholding the value of our built environment does indeed define the true meaning of sustainability. Dawn McDowell |
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