Students and Mentors Gathering at St Mary Woolnoth

St Mary Woolnoth - Nicholas Hawksmoor's City masterpiece - the setting for the Students and Mentors Reception - May 2011. Built between 1716 and 1727 the church is a magnificent example of English Baroque.

Following the recent meeting of the Court those of the Company's students and thier mentors joined members of the Court for the chance to have a detailed inspection of this building including trips to the top of the tower courtesy of Alex Scott-Whitby who has, by dint of a piece of work he was doing as a university project been given use of the space in the belfrey as a studio.

There was also the chance for both some social interaction over a glass or two of wine and to hear talks from both Alex and Past Master Roger France. The first provided some background on the church (it boasts a memorial to John Newton whose preaching on the evils of slavery had a major influence on William Wilberforce and the anti-slavery legislation and who wrote that block gbuster entry in Hymns Ancient and Modern - Amazing Grace.  There are other memorials to the founders of both the Leadenhall Market and Lloyds Coffee House.

Roger France gave an impromptu talk of the work and influence of Hawksmoor. Those in need of CPD certificates may apply to the Clerk who will, if bribed by a suitable fee, be prepared to oblige.

Photographs of the event appear below.

 

Valencia Visit, Friday 13th-Caltrava's 'Ciutat des artes y las Ciencas'

13th May 2011

The afternoon was planned for a personalised tour of Santiago Calatrava's new (opened 2006) Opera House and some of his other buildings in the City of Arts and Sciences.

The 'sommelier' (a.k.a. husband) and I decided to walk along the 'linear park' created in the riverbed of the former river Turis. Variable, from un-

reconstructed to plenty of football pitches and lawn tennis courts (not red clay, sadly!) to lush gardens with mature trees of many species. This time of year, plenty of colour including late spring flowers, too. The cypresses, not yet mature are just a little odd, though.

The Opera House is impressive. The geometrics, including interlocking hyperbolic paraboloids, express Calatrava's engineering background and are evocative of Nervi's earlier work in Italy, but even more daring. The front is pure Calatrava, looks like the prow of a ship! Not totally like the images of Ysios in Rioja, but the structural design here is far more exciting. A couple of pin-pointed joints!

Raw concrete, blasted and then bleached to a bright white-fitting in this Mediterranean climate-suggests a huge seagull landing on the ground. We only saw a few of those around, though, despite being fewer than 3 km from the sea.

The water features are also Calatrava-designed and very good, although the lines of trees are almost French rather than Valencian?

Onwards and upwards...since our intimate tour with excellent guides Elena and Frederique started at top entry level to the main opera theatre. Fantastically romantic, actually, with its lovely palms and flowering plants and imaginative glass-encased elevator. ('Lift' seems a minor word for Calatrava's beautiful box!)

What else? Calatrava considers himself a sculptor, as well as engineer and architect, so every detail had to pass his judgement. A few of the clever, but not necessarily savoury, details include the door handles (female and male visages and male and female torsos, although the latter seem more androgynous than obvious.) Does this seem just a little weird to anyone apart from me?

That aside, the bright cobalt blue colour is evocative of the Mediterranean and of Calatrava's well-known love of sailing.

Calatrava extensively uses 'trencadis', a mosiac technique using broken ceramic tile shards grouted together, perhaps as a tribute to his favourite Spanish architect, Gaudi. Mostly bright white, but cobalt blue also features as an accent. Note the roof garden wall below with its reflections of sunlight off the trencadis.

Calatrava is obviously a bit of a control-freak, which sometimes works. The internal stair handrails are pretty slick, if a tad complicated.

Ultimately, it's the external formality and geometry of not just the Opera Palace of the Arts , but also those of the Hemisheric (IMAX Theatre), the Umbracle (botanical garden overlooking the complex), the Agora (in the shape of a winged helmet, used for amoung other activities the Tennis Open 500) and the Aquarium that are the most impressive. Plenty of complex interplay with views of the linear park, the sky and the land/water features.

Below: clockwise from top left: the Hemisphere, a view from the Opera towards the linear park, the Umbacle, the Science Museum and Calatravs's geometry at play (or opera!) with the unattached movement joint!

Enough, already! We're off to the fantastic Tapeteria de Borja, just off the Carrer de Caballeros, for jamon serrano con almendras (roasted almonds sprinkled across the top), pimientos de padron, alcachofas (artichokes with garlic), calamares a la plancha (grilled squid), pan (bread) and a delicious bottle of 2009 Ribero del Duero. Clearly a local-ish haunt, because we were the only English-speakers in the place! Then a walk up to see the Torres Quart (the other of the two surviving Old City gates) with a section of the old Roman wall attached. Beautifully lit at night.

Tomorrow, beyond the Ciutat Vella and the Ciudad de las Artes y las Cienas, followed by the Seafront...

copyright Patricia Stefanowicz BArch MArch RIBA AIA PE MW 2011

Valencia - the impressions of Patricia Stephanowicz - 1

valencia12011

Pictures from yesterday's banquet at Merchant Taylors' Hall, 30 Threadneedle Street, EC2.

 

Presentation by the Company's Travel Award Winner

The winner of the Company's 2010 Stuart Murphy Travel Award - Linda Hagberg - gave a presentation based on her travels to an audience of students and members of the Company at Westminster University recently. A written report has been promised by the Master of Students.

In the meantime, the Master is seen here posing what was described as an awkward question following the presentation

while Linda is thinking before making her response.

How very English

It was pancake day (and a nice bright, blue skied one at that) so what else was one supposed to do other than toss pancakes?

What has now become a regular feature in the civic calender - the annual Inter Livery Pancake Race Festival was held in Guildhall Yard on Shrove Tuesday - 8th March.Such has been the success of the event over the years Companies no longer have to prove that they have a connection to the making of pancakes (however tenuous) to make the starting grid - there is a ballot for places. 

This is serious business - A former Lord Mayor is on hand to set off the events, the races are started by a representative of the Gunmakers' Company using a splendid miniature cannon and timings are recorded by the Clockmakers' Company, Cooks are on hand etc. Serious City officers keep a beady eye on infringements and one contestant suffered serious penalties for contravening the Health and safety Regulations by not wearing the requisite gloves.

Sadly, the Chartered Architects failed in its bid to be allowed to field a team and found themselves relegated to the second division as starters in the Wooden Spoon Race.

The Master, cheered on by Team Captain - Mrs Valerie King and the Clerk - having drawn the favoured inside lane, ran a valiant race and was demonstrably ahead at the half way mark having not put a foot wrong or missed a pancake toss up to that point. Sadly, he had peaked too early and failed to get to the line at the front of his other contestants. It was, it must be said, a valiant effort.

There is a point to all this - the proceeds from the entry fees go to support the Lord Mayor's Charity. In addition to a Master race, there is a Liverymans' race, a Ladies race and a novelty race - competitors for the last of these had to costume themselves in sympathy with Lord Mayor Michael Bear and his Charity. There were several ursine costumes and even one giraffe. The photo below should give a flavour of the carnival atmosphere.

Newsletter Issue 23 - Feb 2011

February 11 News Let

City Architecture Forum

The Master, in his Newsletter for February 2011, mentions the City Architecture Forum and its 20th Anniversary publication 'City Architecture: redesigning the City of London 1991-2011'.

As Chairman of the Forum, I welcome any members of the Company to join the Forum and increase their awareness of the City’s prodigious investment in architecture. Our website: www.cityarchitectureforum.org tells you about us and our meetings, and connects you to our Hon. Secretary, Chris Howell, either for information or to join the forum. Typically, we meet four or five times a year to discuss new projects, and then to visit them on their completion. Our next meeting is on March 14th at Ropemaker Place, British Land’s 'low-carbon' development. We will be discussing low-carbon design with its client and designers. Come and join us.

You can see the book, 'City Architecture', bound into the AJ issue of January 20th 2011. You can also obtain a copy from the WCCA Clerk, the Museum of London bookshop or the RIBA bookshop. It contains essays and commentary on 60 notable buildings from the last twenty years, with walking guide maps to the new buildings and open spaces.

Richard Saxon: Chairman, City Architecture Forum and Past Master of the Company.

Photos from the award assessment walk - 9 February 2011

St. Lawrence Jewry drinking fountain - relocated

New Court, St. Swithin's Lane and 'The Walbrook'

'The Walbrook' roofscape

Riverbank House, 2 Swan Lane

Cullum Street & 155 Fenchurch Street

The St. Botolph Building

The St. Botolph Building

Broadgate Tower, 201 Bishopsgate

Broadgate Tower, 201 Bishopsgate

Broadgate Tower, 201 Bishopsgate

Broadgate Tower, 201 Bishopsgate

***

New City Architecture Awards for 2010

The weather being half way decent, those selected by the Court of the Company will tomorrow set out for their annual look at the entries for the New City Architecture Awards for the year 2010. Buildings and public works projects qualifying for consideration are those completed free of planing conditions in the qualifying year (the 12 month period up to the end of September 2010). Entries are judged for their contribution to the streetscape and skyscape of the City.

In no particular order those being considered this year are as follows (where available, images are included):

 The relocation and restoration of the St Lawrence Jewry Drinking Fountain at the eastern end of Carter Lane Gardens by The Street Scene Team at the City of London Corporation with Architects: Freeland Rees Roberts.

 Street Scene Enhancements at St Mary-le-Bow Churchyard by The Street Scene Team at the City of London Corporation

 29-33 King Street- new offices behind a listed facade by EPR Architects

 Broadgate Tower, 201 Bishopsgate office development by SOM Architects

 The Writers, Spitalfields (120 Middlesex Street and 12-18 Artillery Lane) - a residential and reatil development by ORMS Architecture Design.

The St Botolph Building at the junction of Aldgate, St Botolph Street and Houndsditch - new offices by Grimshaw Architects LLP

155 Fenchurch Street - new office development by Darling Associates

 

New Court, an office development in St Swithins Lane by OMA

 The Walbrook - new office and retail development at Walbrook and Cannon Street by Foster and Partners

(below) Drapers Gardens - Throgmorton Avenue - new office development by Foggo Associates                               

Riverbank House, 2 Swan Lane - new office building by David Walker Architects

 Also under consideration - Princes House, 94-95 Gresham Street and Bartlett House, 9-12 Basinghall Street - redevelopment behind listed facade to provide retailand office accommodation.

Please feel free to post any comments you may have on the merits or otherwise of the buildings being considered. No guarantees are given that the assessors will take the slightest notice but you never know.