THE INSTITUTE OF HISTORIC BUILDING CONSERVATION http://www.ihbc.org.uk Registered Office: 3 S1:dTordTerrace, Tunbridge Wells, Kent TN2 4QZ Editorial Co-ordinator: Dr Nigel Barker, 119 Stanford Road, London SW16 4PR. Tel: 020 8679 9116, e-mail: editor@ihbc.org.uk IHBC Officers Chairman: Dr Malcolm Airs (Department of Continuing Ecluc:Hion, Oxford University, Tel: 01865 270395), 39 High Street, Dorchester-on-Thames, Oxon OXJO 7HN, Tel: 01865 340075, e-mail: malcolmairs@conrcd.ox.ac.uk Acting Vice Cbair: Sarah Higgins, The Cottage, Church Street, Ledbury HRS 1Dl-1. Tel: 01531 635949. e-mail: vicechair@ihbc.org.uk Secretary: Dr Richard Morrice (English· I leritagc, Tel: 01483 304869), 3 Stafford Terrace, Tunbridge \Velis, Kent TN2 4QZ, e-mail: secretary@ihbc.org.uk Treasw·er: Robert Parkinson (West Oxfordshire District Council, Tel: 01993 770247), The Old Priory, Priory Lane, Bicester, Oxon OX6 7BG, e-mail: treasurer@ihbc.org.uk Membe,ship Secretary: Gus Astley (Bath & North East Somersel Council), Manor House, Wells Road, Hallatrow, Bristol BS39 6EJ, Tel/Answerphone: 01761 453047, Fax: 01761 451153, e-mail: membership@ihbc.org.uk Branches Co-ordinator: Julia Smith (Milton Keynes Council, Tel: 01908 252501), 49 Chaucer Drive, Aylesbury HP2l 7LH, Tel: 01296 435187, e-mail: branches@ihbc.org.uk Consultalions Co-ordinator: Graham Arnold (Wirral Metropolitan Borough Council. Tel: 0151 691 8197), 13 Sefton Drive, Liverpool LS 3SD F,ducation Co-ordinator: John Preston (Cambridge City Council, Tel: 01223 457166), 90 Histon Road, Cambridge CD4 3JP Tel: 01223 562534, e-mail: johnp@cambridge.gov.uk Tee/mica/ Panel Co-ordinator: Jenny Chesher (Mendip Borough Council, Tel: 01749 341320). Cannards Grave Road, Shcpton Mallet, Somerset \3A4 51:lT.e-mail: chesherj@menclip.gov.uk Publicity Officer: David Davidson, 862 Finchley Road, London NW11 6A\3. Tel:020 8731 8238. e-mail: publicity@ihbc.org.uk Branch Officers North. Ian Goodman, Tel: 01670 519391 Nortb West: Sheila Stones, Tel: 0161 793 3770 Yorkshire: Stephen 13ateman, Tel: 01274 754551 West Midlands.· David Baxter, Tel: 01432 261950, East Midlands: Michael Taylor, Tel: 0116 252 7296 South: Martin Andrew, Tel: 01494 421578, e-mail: south@ihbc.org.uk Soutb West: David Stirling, Tel: 01249 760670 East Anglia: Michael Knights, Tel: 01603 611346 South East: Peter Cobley, Tel: 01622 221547 London: Rosemarie MacQueen, Tel: 020 7641 2455 Scotland: Ronnie Robertson, Tel: 01343 563287 \Vales: Neil Sumner, Tel: 01656 643159 Northern Ireland: Laurence Manogue, Tel: 0280 9067 1114 Eire: 13ernard Dee, Tel: (00 353) (0)1743 7721 Registered as a Charity Number 1061593. C:ompany Limited by Guarantee. Regis1ered in England Number 3333780. Context65 March2000 Context News Letters 4 5 CONSERVATION OF TWENTIETH CENTURY BUILDINGS New Millennium, New Architecture? Elain Harwood 7 9 11 14 17 21 24 26 In search of Vitrolite. Michael Taylor Modern Movement houses in Cambridge. John Preston Post-war listed buildings. Pete S1nith The Luma Tower, enlightened once more. Mike Fraser Points (and slabs) of interest. Sarah Buckingham Sir Titus. Conserving 20th century buildings. David Morton Cast in stone? Melanie Clamp Supporting Columns. Deterioration of 20th century concrete buildings. Brian Morton 28 30 31 Conserving a 120th century college. John Preston The 20th century landscape: heritage or horror? Peter Wake/in Taking the long view. Hilary Roome continues her look at practical applications of sustainable development in the historic environment Recent developments in the law. Charles Mynors Conferences 34 37 39 42 44 47 Technical IHBC news Book reviews Editorial WHENCONSERVATIONCAMEOFAGE The 20th century is vanishing behind us. The bomb didn't go off, the nationstate didn't disappear, the great white heat of technology finally arrived in the 1990s. We made the 20th century and now we must remember, interpret and celebrate it. The first Context of the new millennium does just that. In this issue we look at conserving the 20th century, the centwy that saw conservation grow up, come of age and be counted. Good conservation looks forward as well as back and the Twentieth Century Society has been championing the best of modern British art and design for 20 years. As long ago as the 1980s, the government sanctioned the listing first of inter-war buildings, then post-war buildings and finally buildings up to ten years old where outstanding architectural and historic interest could be demonstrated. It was right to do so. The building programmes of 20th century Britain, which incluclecl 19 New Towns, were unprecedented and amidst the acres of outrageous banality there were real jewels. British post-war schools, universities and social housing were amongst the best in the world. There are particular building types, such as power stations and telephone boxes, and man-made landscapes, such airfields, which never existed before the 20th century. The best of them need protecting now, before the new technology anclthe helter-skelter of change make them obsolete. Change is in the air; already the value and fate of the celebratory millennium architecture are being debated. Is it worth keeping 1 Can we use it or conserve it in the future? Shades of the Festival of Britain spring to mind. Context too is changing. We salute Bob Kindred MBE, who took us to the encl of the 20th centu1y and we welcome Rob Cowan, our new Editor, who, supportecl by an Eelitorial Board ofIHBC members, will take us into the new era with the.June issue. The Editorial Board has already been hard at work planning a new look Context, studying the option of producing six instead of four issues a year and producing this special 'Conse1ving the Twentieth Centu1y' issue. It is a paradox of conse,vation that only by shaking off the past do we start to understand it, reassess it, even cherish it. We shall conse1ve the best of the 20th centuty and, hopefully, leamfrom itsmistakes. For we know already that the 21stcentwywill be faster, more challenging, more exciting and more awesome. 3
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