The Twentieth Century Society

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Turned Down

Inner Court, 48 Old Church Street, London; Joseph Rykwert & Mark Livingston, 1972, unlisted

Although English Heritage had many good things to say about the building–and indeed struggled to place it context prompting them to promise a ‘resumption of research into this period’, the building was turned down, in the main, because of some later alterations, though EH also noted that an inability to ascribe the building solely to Rykwert counted against it. Alan Powers represented the Society at a Public Inquiry in June, appearing as a witness for the Chelsea Society. News came through in July that the appeal against Kensington & Chelsea’s refusal to grant permission for a development which involved the demolition of Inner Court, had failed. This is heartening, as this interesting and important building now has a future. The case has highlighted the importance of advancing the frontier of listing to up to the limit of the ‘thirty year rule.’

Thorpeness: Barn Hall; devised by Glencairn Stuart Ogilvie with architects Forbes Glennie and W Gilmore Wilson, begun 1909, Barn Hall 1926, unlisted but Conservation Area

The former estate’s office was turned down for listing because English Heritage considered the building to be too substantially altered. The group value argument that we had put forward was not accepted because the building was considered too far away from the other buildings in terms of physical distance.

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