The Master's Reception - Lambeth Palace

Mediaeval vaulting in the crypt of the chapel

The WCCA webmaster (and amateur snapper) was formally allowed to take a few discrete pictures of the Master's Reception held at Lambeth Palace in early afternoon of 27 November - Thanksgiving Day for our ancient colonists of the New World.  A large group of architects and chums were shown around in parties of 25 by three of the Palace's guides. The tour was prefaced by a light luncheon in the Guard's Room, the main entertaining hall today.  It is unusual for the palace to host such a visit, although the buildings may otherwise be visited on summer Thursdays and Fridays.

We would recommend a visit to the annual garden Fête held in midsummer.  

The palace's garden is the second largest in central London after that of Buckingham Palace itself.

Many thanks to the Master, Geoffrey Purves, for arranging a memorable event.

The entry gate tower

The Guards Room's 14th century roof

A light lunch is followed by Master Purves' introduction

A portrait gallery of Archbishops of Canterbury

The great hall under repair

A 1950s floor is being replaced 

Drawings of the works….

The Bath stone facade of the 1830s range

The oldest part of Lambeth Palace - the 12C crypt of the chapel

The learnéd Clerk ponders the chapel roof

The Guards Room at twilight

Our host - Master Geoffrey Purves

***

A visit to the Middle Temple

The guide was excellent and the sheltered environment in some of the court yard spaces allow lush and tender vegetation to flourish.  The garden of the Master’s Lodge was particularly attractive.  At the end of the tour a short but interesting discussion took place in the Minstrel’s Gallery of the Middle Temple Hall – the training of barristers is highly competitive but relatively short; the training of architects takes much longer.  The guide struggled to find diplomatic responses to the relative differences, strengths and weaknesses between two great professions – the law and architecture!

Tom-the-Almoner's endorsements of the master-elects visit to Leeds

From our Almoner:

The WCCA's Yorkshire Visit to Leeds and Wakefield

As a Yorkshireman I would like to encourage others to make the commitment to this visit - you will not be disappointed.

I know Wakefield as a school resident for 10 years and at a time when Barbara Hepworth was a local star and Henry Moore was not an unknown visitor. The local countryside is as good as any to say the least, and abounds with country mansions; Nostell Priory (Mansion) close to Wakefield, has the finest collection of Chippendale Furniture, all with their original receipts, anywhere in the country. Leeds City Hall is the venue for the internationally renowned annual pianist competition; and of course The Huddersfield Choral Society has a wonderful history, and only one of the many choirs around the County producing The Messiah  every Christmas time. Opera North and Yorkshire Ballet are of a very high standard too - then there are the shopping arcades ......

I attach a cutting from the Times which tells more about the Sculpture .

Best wishes

Tom B

CLICK HERE FOR VISIT DETAILS

The Master's report of 1 June 2013

As April dawned, I reflected on the fact that I was beyond the half-way tenure of the Master’s post.  However there was still a lot to come, and some weeks would be crammed with must-do’s.  Concurrently I pondered that work seemed to be easing off, only to have a shedload of new projects confirmed a few days later.  The only constant was the eternal background of unseasonally foul weather.  On WED 3 April it was déjà vu for the Carpenters' Lecture, given at Carpenters’ Hall. This was given by Dan Kelley of the Carpenters’ Company of Philadelphia (We visited them in 2010).  The lecture was not a technical exposition, but a pageant of American history related to Federal Courthouses; an unusual perspective but a reminder that in 1968-70 I was resident in the Midwest during a key period – Civil Rights, Vietnam and draft dodging.  Nothing until TUE 9, the pre-Accounts Court WCCA Committees, which revealed the difficulties of budgeting: doing more with less is ever-pressing.  On the positive side Richard Brindley’s WCCA-RIBA promotion of London as a World Architecture Hub through the Lord Mayor’ Office was evolving well, and Tom Ball had made a creative link with the Royal Academy’s ‘Attract’ project for young people.

On THU 11 Hawksmoor’s sublime Christ Church Spitalfields appropriately hosted a Service of Thanksgiving to commemorate the local Huguenot community, part of the tragic diaspora that followed the revocation of the Edict of Nantes by Louis XIV.  The service included readings and a fine address by Dr. Richard Chartres, Bishop of London, himself of Huguenot descent from a community in Dublin.  We stuttered the Lord’s Prayer in fractured French.

MON 22: Jury on student entries, lunch and pm at 77 Portland Place.  This is now a collaborative effort with the London Region of RIBA, and we had seven shortlisted entries from which to choose: the winner will investigate the cultural obsession of the Japanese with reproducing historic buildings and monuments in cultural theme parks.  

TUE 23 saw the Court and Lunch aboard HQS Wellington, the unique floating Livery Hall of The Mariners’ Company.  Built in 1934 for patrolling in the Pacific ocean, she had undertaken arduous and dangerous convoy duty during the Battle of the Atlantic during the Second World War.  For once the weather was kind as Ann and I sipped our pre-lunch drinks gazing towards the Shard. At the Court, Michael Bayley had been released from the shackles of his indenture, and I installed him as one of our brightest young Freemen – would that we had many more but the student cell at MAKE, fostered by Jaki, is one of our most hopeful portents for the future. At Lunch I referred to ‘The Cruel Sea’ and ‘The Navy Lark’, quite appropriate as we are now consolidating relations with our new ‘regiment’, the Orpington Sea Cadets. The Guest Masters were Master Mason David Blake, Master Tin Plate Worker Andrew Balcombe and Master Environmental Cleaner Peter Robb (my first event two days after installation had been his Company’s Charity Walk around the Halls, which had included the Wellington).  Altogether a convivial and memorable event. 

TUE 23: Engineers’ Installation Court Dinner, Skinners, 7 for 7:30 pm.  It’s always difficult to know how to fill in between lunchtime and evening events.  This time I left my DJ at Painter-Stainers’ Hall, then took a bus to Tottenham and back, noting retro-clothing and charity shops for future exploration.  The Engineers’ Dinner was crowded, up to the usual standard, but without a memorable occurrence. 

THU 2 May: Ian, Jaki and I were among the Liverymen who met David Parrott at St Lawrence Jewry, to hear of his future projects and finance.  As with most City churches, there is no large congregation, so approaches to the Livery (and the Friends) are vital to secure the future, although the City of London Corporation has agreed to take responsibility for the fabric of the church. Unsurprisingly, David had an ambitious shopping list, with projects to suit all budgets from alms bags to restoration of the piano (essential for the well-established lunch-time concerts.  Surprisingly, the long history of the church has never yet been comprehensively researched and published.  Next week on WED 8 St Bartholomew’s View Day had a service in the noble austerity of St Bartholomew the Great, followed by a reception in the Great Hall of the Hospital and tour of the state-of-the-art cancer facilities.  As a personal dimension to this, my godmother was a patient there in 1972, under Hamilton Fairlie (who was killed by a terrorist bomb).  Sadly her acute leukaemia was inoperable.  I was under high pressure that day, with three site meetings, and fell flat on my face while hurrying through Smithfield.  I was lucky to incur only minor cuts and bruises, but the incident shook me up as a wake-up call.   

On MON 13 the STEWART DIAMOND WEDDING LUNCHEON at Ironmongers’ Hall was a cause for happy festivity, with two of the most generous benefactors of the Company.  Two of their daughters, Catherine and Judith attended.  The Company presented Alastair and Patricia with a turned ash wood charger, purchased from Wizardry in Wood at Carpenters’ Hall last Autumn.  That night there was no peace for the wicked as Ann and I were guests of my cousin, Sir Gary Hickinbottom at the ARBITRATORS’ CHARTER BANQUET, held at Mansion House. This was spectacular, particularly when the trumpeters of the Militaire Orchestra sounded off with the Huntsmen’s Gallop across the Gallery of the Egyptian Hall.  This was a particularly busy week, with the FESTIVAL OF THE SONS OF THE CLERGY on TUE 14 involving processing to the rotunda, and a choral spectacular with three cathedral choirs, and an address by the Bishop of Norwich. On WED 15 the Constructors Lecture at the City University was a well-structured exposition of the case for HS2 delivered by Professor Andrew McNaughton. Return to MANSION HOUSE on THU 16 for David Cole-Adams’ TYLERS & BRICKLAYERS’ BANQUET where Ann and I were official guests.  Another great occasion, with the Pikemen providing a guard of honour.  Brickbats, Flashers and Bonding were in evidence in David’s witty booklet on the historic craft and trade of the Company.  The musical interlude on the Organ to be presented to the Queen utilised the avian attachment for ‘A nightingale sang in Berkeley Square’, quality nostalgia from the time of my birth. Then a respite until WCCA Past-Master Peter Luscombe’s Past Masters’ Association’s 20th Anniversary Luncheon at Vintners’ Hall on TUE 21.  It was Peter who decided that I was a fit enough person to join the Company! The it was time to pack for the Master’s Study Tour to Finland 23-30 May
… so that’s all for now folks.

Master Mervyn Miller - 1 June 2013 - Derby Day

Mervyn's Finland trip - a report

A Study Tour to Helsinki

Worshipful Company of Chartered Architects - May 2013

The Master had organised an architectural study tour to Helsinki with assistance from Karen Bergenthal of East Town Travel, Milwaukie, who had previously organised three visits to the US for the Company.  The local tour guide Mia was excellent.  A small group (Nick and Diana Rowe, Geoffrey and Ann Purves, and the Master and his Consort – Mervyn and Ann) enjoyed a fantastic weekend – extended by the Master and Consort to a week – and it was refreshing to see a small country (population 5 million) functioning efficiently within the European Union.  As a student I had first visited the city in 1964 when I met Alvar Aalto (he died in 1976) and it was interesting to see how his legacy lives on. The Aalto University has a very high quality design and technology faculty and his influence on the visual arts remains very powerful.  The country has successfully developed a strong knowledge-based economy.

The architecture of the city remains firmly rooted in the highly developed forms of the modern movement with Alvar Aalto being an important link in the architectural lineage in the western world following on from Frank Lloyd Wright, Gaudi, Mackintosh, the Arts and Crafts Movement and the Bauhaus. Aalto was followed in this tradition by Ralph Erskine and, of course, we have his Scandinavian influenced Byker Wall with its characteristic forms and use of wood, here in Newcastle.

We visited a number of modern churches – all of them I thought were very fine buildings but they reflect the tradition of the modern movement and showed little evolution towards the fractured geometry which is increasingly influencing UK architecture as computing technology enables designers to be ever more adventurous in creating non-rectilinear buildings.

In addition we also visited many of the landmark Aalto buildings including the Pensions Institute, his own house, Finlandia Hall, the Academic Bookstore and the Helsinki University of Technology.  We also saw the railway station by Saarinen, Senate Square with Engel’s Cathedral, an impressive new Campus Library by AOA Anttinen Oiva Architects … and on and on we went for three very full and tiring days, refreshed in the evening by aperitifs and excellent local food including Arctic char and reindeer.

There is a strong tradition of the competition system in Finland and many buildings are chosen as a result of an architectural competition.

Culturally, I was reminded again on this visit of the strong cross connection in the Finnish culture between music and poetry and the visual arts. The Kalevala, with its tales of magic adventure and folklore, is a bedrock of the mysteries of Finnish culture which has captured the imagination of composers and visual artists for over 100 years. You are aware of the powerful interaction between the music of Sibelius, the natural elements of the landscape, and the architectural forms which provide a spiritual framework for the 5 million people who populate Finland. You sensed the strength of this resilience which has developed as a result of Finland being politically squeezed between Sweden and Russia with power and control changing sides in its recent history.

Having enjoyed the visit so much, with a warm and convivial atmosphere it is a great pity that more members of the WCCA were unable to enjoy the excellent preparation done by the Master – it was an heroic and memorable event in Mervyn’s busy calendar as Master.

A summer sunset beyond the smoke-sauna jetty, LakePäijänne
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lake_Päijänne 

inside the smoke-sauna (savusauna)

report by Dr.Geoffrey Purves

Visit to Foster and Partners

The Company was delighted to have the opportunity to pay a visit to the office of one of the newest Freemen of the Company - Grant Broker.The Master, accompanied by six other Mentors, nine students and four prospective student members (pictured below) enjoyed an enlightening visit to Foster and Partners. Andy Bow, Senior Partner, described the work of the 1300 strong office and how they engage with all levels of design from international airports to the most intricate detail. It was a privilege to hear such wise words in such stimulating surroundings. The students were surprised and encouraged by down-to-earth rather than airy-fairy academic advice:

• Draw something every day
• The most basic things in the design of public space are loos and coffee
• Where's the front door?
• Doing all-nighters is counter-productive

It is hoped that Andy Bow will be persuaded to join the Company.