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Longer quotation from Sisson (from Powers book). Substituting book for review
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31 Madingley Road was among the first [[Modern architecture|Modernist]] houses to be completed in Cambridge.<ref name=Pevsner /><ref>Architectural History Practice, p. 11</ref> Brick, as opposed to [[concrete]] rendered to appear white, was an unusual choice for a Modernist building of this date.<ref name=Sturgis /> Twelve Modernist houses in the town dating to the interwar period are listed in a 1996 gazetteer; the earliest – White House in nearby Conduit Head Road, designed by [[George Checkley]] for himself – dates from 1930–31 and is an example of a concrete construction.<ref name=Pevsner /><ref name=Gould />
31 Madingley Road was among the first [[Modern architecture|Modernist]] houses to be completed in Cambridge.<ref name=Pevsner /><ref>Architectural History Practice, p. 11</ref> Brick, as opposed to [[concrete]] rendered to appear white, was an unusual choice for a Modernist building of this date.<ref name=Sturgis /> Twelve Modernist houses in the town dating to the interwar period are listed in a 1996 gazetteer; the earliest – White House in nearby Conduit Head Road, designed by [[George Checkley]] for himself – dates from 1930–31 and is an example of a concrete construction.<ref name=Pevsner /><ref name=Gould />


The architect, [[Marshall Sisson]] (1897–1978), had set up his practice in 1928. In his early career he designed several Modernist buildings; these include two in Cambridge, the second of which – 26 Millington Road, built in 1934–35 for another classical archaeologist, [[Alan Wace|A. J. B. Wace]] – uses concrete. Sisson turned wholly to traditional styles after 1935, including the Neo-Georgian Orchard Building at [[Pembroke College, Cambridge|Pembroke College]] (1954–57).<ref name=Fawcett /><ref>Bradley & Pevsner, pp. 39, 168, 334–35</ref> Sisson characterised 31 Madingley Road as "essentially 'Traditional'".<ref name=Whyte />
The architect, [[Marshall Sisson]] (1897–1978), had set up his practice in 1928. In his early career he designed several Modernist buildings; these include two in Cambridge, the second of which – 26 Millington Road, built in 1934–35 for another classical archaeologist, [[Alan Wace|A. J. B. Wace]] – uses concrete.<ref name=Fawcett /><ref>Bradley & Pevsner, pp. 39, 168, 334–35</ref> Sisson characterised 31 Madingley Road (as well as similar buildings) as "Essentially 'Traditional' in that it ... represents a serious attempt to find a contemporary expression for the directional character of Western culture ... predominantly realistic and factual, expressed in the emphatic horizontality, simplification and rigid systematization".<ref name=Powers>Powers, pp. 214–15</ref> He turned wholly to traditional styles after 1935, including the Neo-Georgian Orchard Building at [[Pembroke College, Cambridge|Pembroke College]] (1954–57).<ref name=Fawcett /><ref>Bradley & Pevsner, pp. 39, 168, 334–35</ref>


31 Madingley Road was commissioned by the classical archaeologist [[A. W. Lawrence]] (1900–91),<ref name=Sturgis /> who had been appointed to a readership in classical archaeology at the [[University of Cambridge]] in 1930.<ref name=Lawrence_obit /> His household then comprised his wife, their young daughter and a female servant. The Madingley Road site belonged to [[St John's College, Cambridge|St John's College]], and the approval of the college's building committee was required for the design. The house cost more than £4,000, which is relatively expensive for a house on Madingley Road at the time.<ref name=Sturgis /> Lawrence considered that the traditional building material and the expense would be factors promoting St John's approval of the design.<ref name=Sturgis /> The house was constructed in 1931–32.<ref name=Pevsner />
31 Madingley Road was commissioned by the classical archaeologist [[A. W. Lawrence]] (1900–91),<ref name=Sturgis /> who had been appointed to a readership in classical archaeology at the [[University of Cambridge]] in 1930.<ref name=Lawrence_obit /> His household then comprised his wife, their young daughter and a female servant. The Madingley Road site belonged to [[St John's College, Cambridge|St John's College]], and the approval of the college's building committee was required for the design. The house cost more than £4,000, which is relatively expensive for a house on Madingley Road at the time.<ref name=Sturgis /> Lawrence considered that the traditional building material and the expense would be factors promoting St John's approval of the design.<ref name=Sturgis /> The house was constructed in 1931–32.<ref name=Pevsner />
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<ref name=Sturgis>[[Matthew Sturgis]] (12 July 2003). 1932: the century makers: 100 years of houses: 31 Madingley Road, Cambridge. ''[[The Daily Telegraph]]'', p. 4</ref>
<ref name=Sturgis>[[Matthew Sturgis]] (12 July 2003). 1932: the century makers: 100 years of houses: 31 Madingley Road, Cambridge. ''[[The Daily Telegraph]]'', p. 4</ref>

<ref name=Whyte>[[William Whyte (historian)|William Whyte]] (2005). Review: ''Modern: The Modern Movement in Britain'' by Alan Powers. ''[[The British Art Journal]]'' 6 (2): 89–90 {{jstor|41614637}}</ref>
}}
}}

'''Sources'''
'''Sources'''
*Simon Bradley, [[Nikolaus Pevsner]]. ''Cambridgeshire'' (''[[The Buildings of England]]'' series) (Yale University Press; 2014) {{isbn|978-0-300-20596-1}}
*Simon Bradley, [[Nikolaus Pevsner]]. ''Cambridgeshire'' (''[[The Buildings of England]]'' series) (Yale University Press; 2014) {{isbn|978-0-300-20596-1}}
*Cambridge City Council (May 2011). [https://www.greatercambridgeplanning.org/media/1637/west-cambridge-conservation-area-appraisal-2011.pdf West Cambridge Conservation Area Appraisal] (accessed 6 October 2022)
*Cambridge City Council (May 2011). [https://www.greatercambridgeplanning.org/media/1637/west-cambridge-conservation-area-appraisal-2011.pdf West Cambridge Conservation Area Appraisal] (accessed 6 October 2022)
*[[Alan Powers]]. ''[https://archive.org/details/modernmodernmove0000powe/ Modern: The Modern Movement in Britain]'' (Merrell; 2005) {{isbn|9781858942551}}
*The Architectural History Practice Ltd for Cambridge City Council (March 2009). [https://www.cambridge.gov.uk/Media/2946/suburbs-and-approaches-madingley-road.pdf Cambridge Suburbs and Approaches: Madingley Road] (accessed 6 October 2022)
*The Architectural History Practice Ltd for Cambridge City Council (March 2009). [https://www.cambridge.gov.uk/Media/2946/suburbs-and-approaches-madingley-road.pdf Cambridge Suburbs and Approaches: Madingley Road] (accessed 6 October 2022)
[[Category:Modernist architecture in England]]
[[Category:Modernist architecture in England]]

Revision as of 02:29, 7 October 2022

31 Madingley Road: front façade

31 Madingley Road is a Modernist red-brick house in Madingley Road, west Cambridge, England, designed by Marshall Sisson for the classical archaeologist A. W. Lawrence in 1931–32.[1][2][3] It is one of the first Modernist-style houses in Cambridge,[3] and is listed at grade II.[1]

Background and history

31 Madingley Road was among the first Modernist houses to be completed in Cambridge.[3][4] Brick, as opposed to concrete rendered to appear white, was an unusual choice for a Modernist building of this date.[2] Twelve Modernist houses in the town dating to the interwar period are listed in a 1996 gazetteer; the earliest – White House in nearby Conduit Head Road, designed by George Checkley for himself – dates from 1930–31 and is an example of a concrete construction.[3][5]

The architect, Marshall Sisson (1897–1978), had set up his practice in 1928. In his early career he designed several Modernist buildings; these include two in Cambridge, the second of which – 26 Millington Road, built in 1934–35 for another classical archaeologist, A. J. B. Wace – uses concrete.[6][7] Sisson characterised 31 Madingley Road (as well as similar buildings) as "Essentially 'Traditional' in that it ... represents a serious attempt to find a contemporary expression for the directional character of Western culture ... predominantly realistic and factual, expressed in the emphatic horizontality, simplification and rigid systematization".[8] He turned wholly to traditional styles after 1935, including the Neo-Georgian Orchard Building at Pembroke College (1954–57).[6][9]

31 Madingley Road was commissioned by the classical archaeologist A. W. Lawrence (1900–91),[2] who had been appointed to a readership in classical archaeology at the University of Cambridge in 1930.[10] His household then comprised his wife, their young daughter and a female servant. The Madingley Road site belonged to St John's College, and the approval of the college's building committee was required for the design. The house cost more than £4,000, which is relatively expensive for a house on Madingley Road at the time.[2] Lawrence considered that the traditional building material and the expense would be factors promoting St John's approval of the design.[2] The house was constructed in 1931–32.[3]

The building was listed at grade II in 1996.[1]

Location

The house is at TL 43676 59080 on the south side of Madingley Road, at the junction with Wilberforce Road, in the western outskirts of Cambridge.[1][3] It lies within the West Cambridge conservation area.[11] No 31 is set back from the road on a medium-sized plot with a line of large trees obscuring it from Wilberforce Road.[12] Its near neighbour 35 Madingley Road, a large red-brick building of around 1750, is one of the oldest buildings in the conservation area and is also listed at grade II.[3][13] No 31 stands opposite some of the original accommodation blocks of Churchill College, which are listed at grade II.[1][3] Behind no 31 is 1 Wilberforce Road, a single-storey house built in 1965.[12][14] The West Cambridge university site now lies a little to the west.[1][3]

Description

31 Madingley Road is in red brick with dressings in cast stone, a form of concrete. There are two or three storeys under a flat roof.[1][3] The style is described as "Early Modern Movement" in the listing.[1] The historian Matthew Sturgis describes the building as a "stylish essay in brick", with a "long, low" profile that he considers relates to Sisson's view that "modern architecture [draws] its energy from the horizontal".[2]

The front (north) façade has an asymmetrically placed inset entrance reached by two shallow brick steps, which is surmounted by a plain horizontal canopy, significantly wider than the doorway.[1][15] Vertically above the entrance, a series of horizontal cast stone bands of the same width as the doorway run up to the base of the second storey.[15] The ground floor has five relatively small two-light wooden windows to the left and one to the right of the entrance. The windows are surmounted by a prominent decorative lintel made of cast stone, with three bands, which is continuous over the series of windows and interrupted on the ground floor at the entrance.[1][2] Sturgis describes these banded lintels as "touches of restrained detail" that draw attention to the building's profile.[2] The first floor has eight similar windows, also surmounted by a three-banded lintel, with a series of seven to the left (offset compared with the ground-floor windows) and one to the right.[1][16] The long series of repeated windows with uniform spacing is typical of Sisson's style in both Modernist and traditional buildings.[6] There is a three-storey section at the west end, above and to the right of the entrance; the second floor has four similar windows, which are topped by a lintel with just two bands.[1][16]

The garden (south) front has an uninterrupted series of ten similar windows at the first-floor level, again surmounted by a long continuous three-banded lintel. At the ground level the seven windows are interspersed with French doors and a doorway; they are surmounted by a three-banded lintel and offset from the first-floor windows.[1][16] The pattern of windows and doors appears to have been altered from the original design.[a]

The original design was for a roof garden with a pergola at the west end (visible in a 1932 photograph[17]) and a partly enclosed area that covered the access stairway; both the pergola and the stairway area were later fully enclosed to form the three-storey section.[2][3] The current flat roof is covered with roofing felt, and has an undecorated parapet; a chimney stack rises at the east end.[1]

On the interior, the ground-floor accommodation includes sitting and dining rooms, a separate sitting room for the maid, and a large kitchen.[2][19] The original built-in cupboards in the kitchen were present at the time of listing. The large hall is internal and receives its illumination from the upper storey; it has an open staircase with chromium banisters.[1][2]

References

  1. ^ Comparison of the 1932[17] and 2003[18] photographs archived at RIBA.
  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o 31 Madingley Road, National Heritage List for England, Historic England (accessed 20 September 2022)
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Matthew Sturgis (12 July 2003). 1932: the century makers: 100 years of houses: 31 Madingley Road, Cambridge. The Daily Telegraph, p. 4
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Bradley & Pevsner, pp. 34–35, 342
  4. ^ Architectural History Practice, p. 11
  5. ^ Jeremy Gould (1996). Gazetteer of Modern Houses in the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland. Twentieth Century Architecture (2): 112–128 JSTOR 41859593
  6. ^ a b c William Fawcett (2013). Post-War Traditionalists in Oxford and Cambridge. Twentieth Century Architecture 11: 82–97 JSTOR 24644441
  7. ^ Bradley & Pevsner, pp. 39, 168, 334–35
  8. ^ Powers, pp. 214–15
  9. ^ Bradley & Pevsner, pp. 39, 168, 334–35
  10. ^ Anon. (6 April 1991). Professor A. W. Lawrence. The Times (63986), p. 10
  11. ^ West Cambridge Conservation Area, Cambridge City Council (21 November 2018) (accessed 6 October 2022)
  12. ^ a b Architectural History Practice, Appendix 1
  13. ^ Cambridge City Council, pp. 7–8
  14. ^ Bradley & Pevsner, p. 341
  15. ^ a b Morley von Sternberg (2003). 31 Madingley Road, Cambridge: the entrance, RIBA (accessed 5 October 2022)
  16. ^ a b c 31 Madingley Road, RIBA (accessed 30 September 2022)
  17. ^ a b Dell & Wainwright (1932). 31 Madingley Road, Cambridge: the garden front, RIBA (accessed 4 October 2022)
  18. ^ Morley von Sternberg (2003). 31 Madingley Road, Cambridge: the garden front, RIBA (accessed 4 October 2022)
  19. ^ Dell & Wainwright (1932). 31 Madingley Road, Cambridge: the sitting room, RIBA (accessed 5 October 2022)

Sources

  • Simon Bradley, Nikolaus Pevsner. Cambridgeshire (The Buildings of England series) (Yale University Press; 2014) ISBN 978-0-300-20596-1
  • Cambridge City Council (May 2011). West Cambridge Conservation Area Appraisal (accessed 6 October 2022)
  • Alan Powers. Modern: The Modern Movement in Britain (Merrell; 2005) ISBN 9781858942551
  • The Architectural History Practice Ltd for Cambridge City Council (March 2009). Cambridge Suburbs and Approaches: Madingley Road (accessed 6 October 2022)
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