Patchwork 2 - Newton Building

In this essay we are going to be looking into the history, architectural style and context of the Newton building in Nottingham. The building itself is the heart of Nottingham Trent University, with thousands of students passing through it daily. The Newton building was constructed almost 80 years after its Revival Gothic styled neighbouring building Arkwright.

The Newton building was designed by Thomas Cecil Howitt in 1952, a famous Nottingham architect of the mid-20^th century, with construction beginning four years later in 1956. After two years of construction, the building was formally opened by HRH Princess Alexandra of Kent in June 1958. (NTU, 2013) The Newton building is one of the tallest buildings in Nottingham at 45.7M; it dominates the skyline and can be seen from all directions (Emporis, 2013). In 1998, the building finally became Grade II listed (English Heritage, 2013). The building was untouched until 2010 when it underwent a £70million refurbishment project which resulted in the creation of a unique landmark in Nottingham (bdOnline, 2011). Since the redevelopment, Newton has gone on to win the RIBA award in 2011, and become one of the best city campus’ in the country (RIBA, 2013).

Before its redevelopment, the Newton building was purely of an Art Deco style. At the time of construction (1958), Nottingham had already seen an Art Deco revolution, with buildings such as the YMCA hostel (built 1937,  also designed by Thomas Cecil Howitt) and also the General Store building on Lister Gate (No. 22, 24 and 26) (English Heritage, 2013). Therefore because of this the Newton building was tailored to the previous aesthetics of the city. The building itself contains many of the characteristics of an Art Deco style building, this includes the flat roofs, features in sets of threes (i.e. the windows) and also the use of building ‘eyebrows’ which was a structural element added to keep the interior cool.  (Sharon Koskoff, 2013).

Since the multi-million pound redevelopment of Newton, the whole dynamic of this iconic, towering building has changed. The once pure Art Deco building has now emerged from construction as a fusion of Art Deco and a combination of modern architecture. (ClareNNC, 2011) The monolithic tower of Newton still clutches its Art Deco exterior; however the combination of both brutalism and structural expressionism has impressively transformed Newton’s main entrance and interior, bringing about a resurgence of life. The style of brutalism can be seen through the use of raw concrete on the exterior and interior such as upper floor support columns and exterior cladding (Saylor, 2013) whereas the use of structural expressionism is voiced in the design of the roof, with glulam beams spanning the roof space supporting the glass roof, providing masses of natural light into the main atrium (can be argued the use of natural light is something of sustainable architecture).

The Newton building itself is one which grasps two ages of architecture, art deco and the modern brutalism and structural expressionism, integrating them into a very distinctive combination. Both the interior and exterior style of Newton building makes it an extraordinary landmark within Nottingham.

Bibliography

bdOnline, 2011. Hopkins’ Restoration of Nottingham Trent University. bdOnline. Available at http://www.bdonline.co.uk/hopkins%E2%80%99-restoration-at-nottingham-trent-university/5010922.article [Accessed 20th November 2013]

ClareNNC, 2011. The History of the Nottingham Conference Centre. Nottingham Conference Centre. Available at http://nottinghamconferencecentre.wordpress.com/2011/07/18/the-history-of-nottingham-conference-centre/ [Accessed 20^th November 2011]

Emporis, 2013. Newton Building, Nottingham Trent University. EMPORIS GMBH. Available at http://www.emporis.com/building/newton-building-nottingham-trent-university-nottingham-united-kingdom [Accessed 20th November 2013]

English Heritage, 2013. British Listed Buildings. Crown. Available at http://www.britishlistedbuildings.co.uk/en-469229-newton-building-at-nottingham-trent-univ [Accessed 20th November 2013]

English Heritage, 2013. British Listed Buildings. Crown. Available at http://www.britishlistedbuildings.co.uk/en-457439-22-24-and-26-lister-gate- [Accessed 20th November 2013]

NTU, 2013. About NTU– History. Nottingham Trent University. Available at http://www.ntu.ac.uk/about_ntu/facilities/newton_and_arkwright/history_of_the_buildings/index.html  [Accessed 20^th November 2013]

RIBA, 2013. Newton and Arkwright Buildings. Architecture.com. Available at http://www.architecture.com/Awards/RIBAAwards/Winners2011/EastMidlands/NewtonandArkwrightBuilding/NewtonandArkwrightBuildingsNottinghamTrentUniversitystreetview.aspx#.UpOV6sQvUhM [Accessed 20th November 2013]

Saylor, 2013. Brutalist Architecture. Saylor. Available at  http://www.saylor.org/site/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/Brutalist-architecture.pdf [Accessed 20^th November 2011]

Sharon Koskoff, 2013. Art Deco Elements. Art Deco Society of Palm Beaches. Available at http://www.artdecopb.org/whatis2.html [Accessed 20^th November 2013]

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London Trip – British Museum

This weekend just gone, me and my girlfriend went and spent a long weekend in Cambridge. While there,  we decided last minute to get the train down to London (it being a 40 minute journey). Our capital city is somewhere where I have only been once before, and that was with the university last year where we had to gather project specific information, meaning there was no time for sightseeing. I have always wanted to go to London when I was younger; however being a boy up North (From the Wirral) this was never an option, although now I had the chance to go and finally be a tourist in our capital.

When we arrived in King Cross Station, we had our plan of action to walk from there in Hyde Park and then work our way back. With Google Maps in hand we set off down side streets to avoid the pedestrian rush, however on our way, by chance we ended up walking past one of the most iconic building in London; The British Museum.

Panoramic of British History Museum (Bagnall, 2014)

Designed by Sir Robert Smirke in 1823, the building was built in a Greek Revival style, which was common in the early 19^th century in Western European civilization. It has been built in a quadrangle shape creating 4 spacious wings; north, south, east and west. (TheBritishMuseum, 2013).

This was the first time I had seen the Museum in its full, and the first thought that came to me was how photographs of this magnificent building do not do it justice (which can be said about all building; only until you stand right next to it and see it with you own eyes will you only begin to grasp and understand its design). From first viewing, I could identify the style was Greek, which due to the fact that the building was built in the mid-19^th century meant I could identify it as being more specifically the Greek revival style. The key features which helped me identify this style are the use of ionic columns along the facades and also the addition of a beautiful crafted pediment seen from Great Russell Street.

This museum is a true landmark in the City of London, in an ever evolving city this buildings ancient style emphasises the power that it has in its design and function.

Bibliograpgy

TheBritishMuseum,2013. https://www.britishmuseum.org/about_us/the_museums_story/architecture.aspx

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Patchwork One - Arkwright Building

In this essay we are looking into the history and context of the Arkwright building. The building is part of Nottingham Trent University and is used by the Product Design and Built Environment students. Also we look into the architectural style of Arkwright, relating it to the time it was built and also its surroundings.

The Arkwright building was designed by three architects; Henry Francis Lockwood with Richard and William Mawson. The Mawson brothers in particularly are best known for their design work in Bradford, more specifically Victoria Hall, Saltaire and Salt Mills (Jacqueline Banerjee, 2011). The building took four years to build (1877 -1881) and cost £100,000 to build. Arkwright was originally designed in an ‘E- shape’, which housed three different sections; a public library, natural history museum and the University college. In 1941 a Luftwaffe bomb blew up the west side of the building which resulted in the re-construction of its west side of this now Grade-II listed building (Nottingham Post, 2010).

In the mid-19^th century came about the turn of style from Neo-classism to the Gothic Revival style of architecture. This was the first time that architecture took a step away from the old traditions of Greek and Rome (Commonwealth of Pennisylvania, 2013). There are many reasons for this change in style; this included the Romantic and Picturesque revolution, and the published work of one John Ruskin. His work in the books Seven Lamps of Architecture (1849) and Stones of Venice (1853) stated that the more sophisticated craftsmanship’s work symbolised a more honest way of life (Encyclopaedia Britain, 2013).

“Architects like A.W. Pugin and writers such as John Ruskin believed that the Middle Ages was a watershed in human achievement and that Gothic architecture represented the perfect marriage of spiritual and artistic values.” (Isabelle Goddard, 2012)

The Gothic Revival Style was seen quite commonly in religious, civic and domestic building such as civic centres, railway stations and educational building (David Ross, 2013). Examples of this type of style comprise of St. Pancras Station in London, designed by one of the Gothic revivals biggest architects, George Gilbert Scott, and the Palace of Westminster designed by Charles Barry (V&A, 2013).

During the 19^th century Nottingham saw a drastic increase in population. This increase, highly due to the success of Nottingham Lace Textiles, brought about the construction of building such as the Victoria Centre, built by Gothic Revival architect Watson Fothergill (Professor Josh Beckett, 2008). Gothic revival was very common in late 19^th century which meant when Arkwright was built; it was coordinated with its surrounding. Even though since then modern development has transformed Arkwright’s surroundings (through redevelopment of university campus and public buildings), Arkwright power has been enhanced.

As this was a revival style, the building features are similar to those from the original Gothic style; cross gables, pointed arch-windows  and decorative crowns above opening to list a few (Commonwealth of Pennisylvania, 2013). In relation to Arkwright itself, a collection of these features such as the cross gables and also castle-like towers on the front facade (see sketch) can be seen. Gargoyles hide themselves on the facades of the building, used as rain water drain as well as decoration, and these sculptures where commonly found on Gothic and Gothic Revival buildings (David Ross, 2003).

To concluded, the Gothic Revival style is a very noticeable style in the world today, it can easily be distinguished from original Gothic (David Ross, 2013). When built, Arkwright suited the Victorian style of architecture present in the late 19^th century Nottingham. However today architecture across Nottingham has evolved into very modern and elaborate forms, which this has strengthened the historical context of Arkwright.

Bibliography

Jacqueline Banerjee, 2011. The Victorian Web. Jacqueline Banerjee. Available at: http://www.victorianweb.org/misc/banerjee.html [28th October 2013]

This Is Nottingham, 2010. DH Lawrence Trained To Be A Teacher. Nottingham Post. Available at: http://www.nottinghampost.com/DH-Lawrence-trained-teacher/story-12205188-detail/story.html [28^th October 2013]

Commonwealth of Pennisylvania, 2013. Gothic Revival Style. Commonwealth of Pennisylvania. Available at: http://www.portal.state.pa.us/portal/server.pt/community/mid-19th_century_period/2386/gothic_revival_style/293443 [28^th October 2013]

Encyclopaedia Britain, 2013. Gothic Revival. Encyclopaedia Britain Inc. Available at: http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/239789/Gothic-Revival [28^th October 2013]

Isabelle Goddard, 2012. The Gothic Revival. Bookwebs. Available at: http://www.isabellegoddard.com/the-gothic-revival.html [28^th October 2013]

David Ross, 2013. Gothic Revival Architecture. Britain Express. Available at: http://www.britainexpress.com/architecture/gothic-revival.htm [28^th October 2013]

V&A, 2013. Style Guide, Gothic Revival. V&A. Available at: http://www.vam.ac.uk/content/articles/s/style-guide-gothic-revival/ [28^th October 2013]

Professor Josh Beckett, 2008. Overview: The 19^th Century .The Nottingham Heritage Gateway. Available at http://www.nottsheritagegateway.org.uk/places/nottingham/nottinghamc19.htm [28th October 2013]

David Ross, 2013. Gargoyles In English Architecture. Britain Express. Available at: http://www.britainexpress.com/architecture/gargoyles.htm [28^th October 2013]

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