# / . 4 % 8 4 - ! 2 # ( CLIENTS THAT THIS CATHEDRAL CITY HAD NOT ON THE WHOLE BEEN WELL SERVED BY POST WAR DEVELOPMENT 4HE BRIEF ENCOURAGED THE DESIGNERS TO DEVISE SOMETHING THAT WOULD BE A SUBSTANTIAL PIECE OF ARCHITECTURE IN ITS OWN RIGHT 4HE ARCHITECTS PROPOSED A BUILDING WHICH WAS DISTINCTIVE YET RESPONSIVE CLEARLY OF ITS TIME BUT STILL ROOTED IN THE SPECIFIC PLACE 4HE JOINT #!"% %( PUBLICATION "UILDING IN #ONTEXT WRITTEN BY FORMER 2OYAL &INE !RT #OMMISSION SECRETARY &RANCIS 'OLDING DISCUSSES THESE ISSUES IN GREATER DEPTH THROUGH A NUMBER OF CASE STUDIES )T OFFERS ADVICE ON APPRAISING PROJECTS AND DRAWS CONCLUSIONS /NE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT OF THESE IS BEWARE THE SIMPLE FORMULA FOR EXAMPLE THOSE CONCERNING @FITTING IN OR @CONTRASTING THE NEW WITH THE OLD %NCOURAGINGLY MANY OF THE SUCCESSFUL CASE STUDIES HAVE INVOLVED A GENUINE COLLABORATION AND CREATIVE DIALOGUE BETWEEN DESIGNER AND LOCAL AUTHORITY 4HE NUMBER OF CASES WHICH CAN BE SEEN BY #!"% S DESIGN REVIEW COMMITTEE IS LIMITED BUT ADVICE IS GIVEN ON MANY MORE PROJECTS BY #!"% STAFF AFTER DISCUSSION WITH THE COMMITTEE CHAIRMAN AND COMMITTEE MEMBERS /UR EXPERIENCE OF CASEWORK ALLOWS US TO DRAW A NUMBER OF GENERAL LESSONS 3EEING CASES FROM ACROSS %NGLAND WE THINK WE PROVIDE A USEFUL NATIONAL BENCHMARK AGAINST WHICH LOCAL AUTHORITIES WHO CONSULT US CAN TEST LOCAL VIEWS @-ODERN ARCHITECTURE IS ARGUABLY AFTER NEARLY A HUNDRED YEARS JUST A HISTORICAL STYLE LIKE ANY OTHER )T IS ABOUT AS OLD AS MANNED FLIGHT BUT ALTHOUGH PEOPLE NO LONGER STARE AND POINT WHEN AN AEROPLANE FLIES OVERHEAD MODERN ARCHITECTURE STILL SEEMS TO AROUSE STRONG FEELINGS )T IS SOMETIMES UNPOPULAR OFTEN MISUNDERSTOOD "ELIEVING AS WE DO THAT WHAT MATTERS IS QUALITY NOT STYLE WE CAN FIND OURSELVES SUPPORTING THE VIEWS OF A CONSERVATION DESIGN OFFICER WHO SEEKS OUR HELP TO PERSUADE HIS OR HER COLLEAGUES IN THE PLANNING DEPARTMENT OF THE MERITS OF A SCHEME OR OUR HELP IS SOUGHT TO STRENGTHEN A RECOMMENDATION FOR APPROVAL 0ETER 3TEWART IS DEPUTY CHIEF EXECUTIVE AND DIRECTOR OF DESIGN REVIEW AT #!"% THE #OMMISSION FOR !RCHITECTURE AND THE "UILT %NVIRONMENT 2EFERENCES 1UOTED IN 0ARIS .INETEENTH #ENTURY ARCHITECTURE AND URBANISM & ,OYER 3PIRO +OSTOF 4HE #ITY !SSEMBLED 4HAMES AND (UDSON ,ONDON WHEN OFFICERS KNOW THAT THEIR COMMITTEE WILL BE SCEPTICAL OR WIDENING THE CIRCLE #!"% S ENDORSEMENT MAY BE THOUGHT USEFUL WHEN THE PLANNING COMMITTEE IS PERSUADED OF THE MERITS OF A PROJECT BUT ARE NERVOUS OF THEIR VOTERS 7HEN THE CONSULTATION PROCESS WORKS WELL WE THINK THAT BOTH SIDES n LOCAL AUTHORITY AND #!"% n HAVE SPECIFIC THINGS TO OFFER IN THE COMMON PURSUIT OF THE BEST POSSIBLE OUTCOMES IN THESE OFTEN DIFFICULT CASES 4HE LOCAL AUTHORITY CONSERVATION DESIGN OFFICER HAS THE LOCAL KNOWLEDGE IS TUNED IN TO LOCAL SENSITIVITIES AND IS AWARE OF THE SIGNIFICANCE OF THINGS ON THE GROUND #!"% CAN OFFER A DETACHED VIEW FROM A NATIONAL PERSPECTIVE INFORMED BY ACCESS TO A RANGE OF FREE EXPERT ADVICE 7E KNOW FROM SOME OF THE HEARTFELT COMMENTS SENT BACK IN RESPONSE TO OUR SURVEY OF LOCAL AUTHORITIES THAT SOME CONSERVATION DESIGN OFFICERS CAN FEEL BELEAGUERED HARD PRESSED AND EVEN LONELY AS A SMALL VOICE IN BIG DEPARTMENT 7E ARE ALERT TO THE DANGERS OF @DEATH BY CONSULTATION +EEPING EVERYONE HAPPY ON SENSITIVE SITES CAN HAVE A NORMATIVE DEADENING EFFECT WHICH MILITATES DIRECTLY AGAINST THE PURSUIT OF EXCELLENCE )N MY VIEW THIS PROBLEM IS WORSE IN %NGLAND THAN ELSEWHERE 4HERE IS A TENDENCY EVEN WITHIN THE BROADLY MODERNIST TRADITION TO GO FOR SAFE POLITE NOLI ME TANGERE SOLUTIONS IN WHICH @RESPECT FOR HISTORIC FABRIC IS PARAMOUNT "OLDER MORE ORIGINAL APPROACHES IN THE SPIRIT OF SAY #ARLO 3CARPA S WORK AT THE #ASTELVECCHIO IN 6ERONA OR (ENRI #IRIANI S @(ISTORIAL MUSEUM WHICH EXTENDS THE MEDIEVAL CASTLE AT 0ERONNE IN NORTHERN &RANCE ARE RARE IN %NGLAND AND RARER NOW THAN IN THE DAYS OF 'EORGE 0ACE AND LATER7ILLIAM7HITFIELD 0ROJECTS WHICH PROPOSE SUCH STRONG MEAT MAY WELL NOW FIND IT HARD TO OBTAIN PLANNING PERMISSION IN THIS COUNTRY )F FOR THE SAKE OF AN EASY LIFE WE AVOID ANYTHING THAT LOOKS RISKY WE DENY OURSELVES SOME OF THE LISTED BUILDINGS OF THE FUTURE 4HAT A BUILDING MAY NOT BE LIKED IS NOT A GOOD REASON TO TURN IT DOWN THE QUESTION IS WHETHER IT IS ANY GOOD OR NOT 7HAT COMES OUT OF #!"% S DESIGN REVIEW PROGRAMME IS AN OPTIMISTIC VIEW OF THE WORLD 4HE SIGHT OF NEW ARCHITECTURE NEED NOT FRIGHTEN THE HORSES )T IS PART OF LIFE IN THE CHANGING CITY AND MORE POPULAR THAN IS SOMETIMES HELD #ONSERVATION IS AFTER ALL AS YOU MAY HAVE HEARD BEFORE AN ANAGRAM OF CONVERSATION )T SHOULD BE POSSIBLE FOR ARCHITECTURE TO SPEAK ACROSS THE CENTURIES 1UALITY IS WHAT MATTERS ) CONCLUDE WITH A QUOTATION FROM 3PIRO +OSTOF WHOSE MASTERLY BOOKS 4HE #ITY 3HAPED AND 4HE #ITY !SSEMBLED ASSIMILATE URBAN DESIGN AND ARCHITECTURE THE GENERAL AND THE PARTICULAR AND THE PAST AND THE PRESENT OF CITIES IN A SPIRIT WHICH ) WOULD LIKE TO THINK IS REFLECTED IN #!"% S WORK @#ITIES ARE NEVER STILL THEY RESIST EFFORTS TO MAKE NEAT SENSE OF THEM 7E NEED TO RESPECT THEIR RHYTHMS AND TO RECOGNISE THAT THE LIFE OF A CITY MUST LIE LOOSELY SOMEWHERE BETWEEN TOTAL CONTROL AND TOTAL FREEDOM OF ACTION "ETWEEN CONSERVATION AND PROCESS PROCESS MUST HAVE THE FINAL WORD )N THE END URBAN TRUTH IS IN THE FLOW #!"% S DESIGN REVIEW COMMITTEE AT WORK &URTHER INFORMATION 4HE #!"% PUBLICATION $ESIGN 2EVIEWEXPLAINS THE OPERATION OF #!"% S DESIGN REVIEW PROGRAMME AND SETS OUT HOW PROJECTS ARE ASSESSED )T IS AVAILABLE FREE OF CHARGE FROM #!"% TEL OR EMAIL ENQUIRIES CABE ORG UK "UILDING IN #ONTEXT IS AVAILABLE FREE OF CHARGE FROM %NGLISH (ERITAGE #USTOMER 3ERVICES $EPARTMENT TEL
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