The Twentieth Century Society

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Put Forward

St Nicholas Church, Engleton Road, Radford, Coventry; Lavender, Twentyman and Percy, 1955-7, unlisted

Brick church with a high tower and hangar shaped nave, built to replace the original parish church destroyed in the 1940 raids on Coventry. Built on a gently sloping site, the church is a highly original design. A flat-roofed vestibule, running the length of the nave provides an entrance canopy at one end and also connects the church to the bell tower. Construction of the nave is of rigid, reinforced concrete portal frames with splayed legs. The end wall is made up of diamond shaped slabs of Doulting stone. This is an interesting post-war church which we have put forward at Grade II.

St Philip and St James Church and Youth Centre, Hodge Hill, Birmingham; Martin Purdy, 1967-8, unlisted

Church and youth centre designed for the Anglican Diocese of Birmingham by Purdy who at the time was Research Fellow for Church Building Studies at Birmingham University. The result of wide consultation with the end users of the building—both religious and secular, the building was both pioneering and highly controversial. A single building, made up of a series of related volumes. Some, like the baptistery, had a single religious use but other spaces were intended for various purposes. Brick and concrete construction throughout with an interior of laminated plywood lattice beams over the church area and wood wool roof panels.

St Margaret’s Clitherow, Threshfield, Nr Grassington, N.Yorkshire; Peter Langtry-Langton, 1972-3, unlisted

This unusual Roman Catholic church was designed by a local architect who is still practising in Bradford and who furnished us with a wonderful set of original drawings. Essentially two overlapping squares with approximately 13m sides, one at 45 deg rotation to the other, the building has massive zinc-clad buttresses that extend from the apex to the ground, giving the immediate visual impression of a pyramid. With some fine Dalle de Verre glass by Jane Duff throughout and no obvious alterations, we hope this can be listed at Grade II.

Hallfield Estate, Bishops Bridge Road, Westminster, London; Drake and Lasdun of Tecton, 1947-55, unlisted

The Society put Hallfield Estate forward for listing for the first time about nine years ago, in November 1999. However, that application was turned down in August 2000; its designation as Conservation Area was deemed to provide sufficient protection to the complex. Following the publication of further guidance on the listing of post-war estates and increasing evidence that its Conservation Area status is failing to deter detrimental alterations—at present mainly related to fenestration updates—the Society has now submitted a new application for the listing of Hallfield Estate at Grade II.

22 Weymouth Street, Westminster, London, Sir Giles Gilbert Scott and Adrian Gilbert Scott, 1934, unlisted

We have put this rare mid-1930s example of domestic architecture forward for listing at Grade II. By the Gilbert Scott brothers, Sir Giles and Adrian, this single-family two-storey house was twice threatened over the course of 2008 by planning applications proposing significant alterations; including, in one case, the addition of an extra full floor. An exceptionally elegant design, demonstrating some superb brickwork—as is characteristic of both brothers’ architecture—and surviving virtually intact, the house has been put forward for listing in recognition of its outstanding architectural merits which remain particularly noticeable even within the context of the Harley Street Conservation Area.

Waterloo Station, Lambeth; 1903 onwards, International Terminal, Nicholas Grimshaw and Partners, 1992

C20 has joined SAVE Britain’s Heritage in supporting English Heritage’s recommendations to list Waterloo station in its entirety (at present only the Victory Arch war memorial of 1919-22 is listed at Grade II). The future of the station is currently uncertain after the removal of the Eurostar service to St Pancras, leaving Nicholas Grimshaw’s pioneering International Terminal vulnerable to redevelopment.

Bishopsfield Estate, Harlow, Essex; Michael Neylan and Bill Ungless, 1963-9

The estate is under threat of redevelopment or possible demolition. The Society has put the estate forward for listing at Grade II.

Milton Keynes Central Shopping Building, Midsummer Boulevard, Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire, Derek Walker; 1973, unlisted

The Society has become aware that English Heritage has advised DCMS to list the Shopping Building at II*, something that perhaps should have been done some time ago. Despite its obvious importance, the management of the building still refuses to accept that it could be managed under listing, arguing that they will not be allowed to expand or develop parts of the site. This is of course untrue.
When we put the building forward again last year, we also made specific note of a piece of internal sculpture, Liliane Lijn’s ‘Circle of Light’ designed specifically for the centre. This sculpture has now been dismantled and dumped in a store room, where it has already become damaged. Despite calls from local groups, the Society and Liliane herself—the centre has refused to confirm that the sculpture will be repaired and re-instated. Another indication that DCMS should protect this building and its contents through listing as soon as possible. We hope to have received a decision by the time you read this.

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