Sir Edwin Landseer Lutyens ( ; 29 March 1869 – 1 January 1944) was an English architect known for imaginatively adapting traditional architectural styles to the requirements of his era. He designed many
English country house
An English country house is a large house or mansion in the English countryside. Such houses were often owned by individuals who also owned a town house. This allowed them to spend time in the country and in the city—hence, for these peopl ...
s,
war memorial
A war memorial is a building, monument, statue, or other edifice to celebrate a war or victory, or (predominating in modern times) to commemorate those who died or were injured in a war.
Symbolism
Historical usage
It has ...
s and public buildings. In his biography, the writer
Christopher Hussey wrote, "In his lifetime (Lutyens) was widely held to be our greatest architect since
Wren
Wrens are a family of brown passerine birds in the predominantly New World family Troglodytidae. The family includes 88 species divided into 19 genera. Only the Eurasian wren occurs in the Old World, where, in Anglophone regions, it is commonly ...
if not, as many maintained, his superior". The architectural historian
Gavin Stamp
Gavin Mark Stamp (15 March 194830 December 2017) was a British writer, television presenter and architectural historian.
Education
Stamp was educated at Dulwich College in South London from 1959 to 1967 as part of the "Dulwich Experiment", then a ...
described him as "surely the greatest British architect of the twentieth (or of any other) century".
Lutyens played an instrumental role in designing and building
New Delhi
New Delhi (, , ''Naī Dillī'') is the capital of India and a part of the National Capital Territory of Delhi (NCT). New Delhi is the seat of all three branches of the government of India, hosting the Rashtrapati Bhavan, Parliament House ...
, which would later on serve as the seat of the
Government of India
The Government of India (ISO: ; often abbreviated as GoI), known as the Union Government or Central Government but often simply as the Centre, is the national government of the Republic of India, a federal democracy located in South Asia, c ...
. In recognition of his contribution, New Delhi is also known as "
Lutyens' Delhi
Lutyens' Delhi is an area in New Delhi, India, named after the British architect Sir Edwin Lutyens (1869–1944), who was responsible for much of the architectural design and building during the period of the British Raj, when India was part o ...
". In collaboration with
Sir Herbert Baker
Sir Herbert Baker (9 June 1862 – 4 February 1946) was an English architect remembered as the dominant force in South African architecture for two decades, and a major designer of some of New Delhi's most notable government structures. He wa ...
, he was also the main architect of several monuments in New Delhi such as the
India Gate
The India Gate (formerly known as the All India War Memorial) is a war memorial located near the Rajpath on the eastern edge of the "ceremonial axis" of New Delhi, formerly called duty path. It stands as a memorial to 84,000 soldiers of the Br ...
; he also designed Viceroy's House, which is now known as the
Rashtrapati Bhavan
The Rashtrapati Bhavan (, rāsh-truh-puh-ti bha-vun; ; originally Viceroy's House and later Government House) is the official residence of the President of India at the western end of Rajpath, Raisina Hill, New Delhi, India. Rashtrapati Bh ...
.
Many of his works were inspired by Indian architecture. He was elected Master of the
Art Workers' Guild
The Art Workers' Guild is an organisation established in 1884 by a group of British painters, sculptors, architects, and designers associated with the ideas of William Morris and the Arts and Crafts movement. The guild promoted the 'unity of a ...
in 1933.
Early life
Lutyens was born in
Kensington
Kensington is a district in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea in the West End of London, West of Central London.
The district's commercial heart is Kensington High Street, running on an east–west axis. The north-east is taken up b ...
, London, the tenth of thirteen children of Mary Theresa Gallwey (1832/33–1906) from
Killarney
Killarney ( ; ga, Cill Airne , meaning 'church of sloes') is a town in County Kerry, southwestern Ireland. The town is on the northeastern shore of Lough Leane, part of Killarney National Park, and is home to St Mary's Cathedral, Ross Castl ...
, Ireland, and Captain
Charles Augustus Henry Lutyens
Captain Charles Augustus Henry Lutyens (January 1829 – 19 May 1915) was an English soldier and painter.
Origins
Charles Augustus Henry Lutyens was a member of a well-known military family, being the son of Major Lutyens, of Reading, who had ...
(1829–1915), a soldier and painter. His sister,
Mary Constance Elphinstone Lutyens (1868–1951), wrote novels under her married name of Mrs George Wemyss. He grew up in
Thursley
Thursley is a village and civil parish in southwest Surrey, west of the A3 between Milford and Hindhead. An associated hamlet is Bowlhead Green. To the east is Brook. In the south of the parish rises the Greensand Ridge, in this section reachi ...
, Surrey. He was named after a friend of his father, the painter and sculptor
Edwin Henry Landseer
Sir Edwin Henry Landseer (7 March 1802 – 1 October 1873) was an English painter and sculptor, well known for his paintings of animals – particularly horses, dogs, and stags. However, his best-known works are the lion sculptures at the bas ...
. Lutyens studied architecture at
South Kensington School of Art
The Royal College of Art (RCA) is a public research university in London, United Kingdom, with campuses in South Kensington, Battersea and White City. It is the only entirely postgraduate art and design university in the United Kingdom. It offe ...
, London, from 1885 to 1887. After college he joined the
Ernest George
Sir Ernest George (13 June 1839 – 8 December 1922) was a British architect, landscape and architectural watercolourist, and etcher.
Life and work
Born in London, Ernest George began his architectural training in 1856, under Samuel Hewitt, ...
and
Harold Peto
Harold Ainsworth Peto FRIBA (11 July 1854 – 16 April 1933) was a British architect, landscape architect and garden designer, who worked in Britain and in Provence, France. Among his best-known gardens are Iford Manor, Wiltshire; Buscot P ...
architectural practice. It was here that he first met
Sir Herbert Baker
Sir Herbert Baker (9 June 1862 – 4 February 1946) was an English architect remembered as the dominant force in South African architecture for two decades, and a major designer of some of New Delhi's most notable government structures. He wa ...
. For many years he worked from offices at 29
Bloomsbury Square
Bloomsbury Square is a garden square in Bloomsbury, in the London Borough of Camden, London. Developed in the late 17th century, it was initially known as Southampton Square and was one of the earliest London squares. By the early 19th century, Be ...
, London.
Architectural career
Private practice
![Munstead Wood, floorplan, fig 22 (Modern Homes, 1909)](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/3d/Munstead_Wood%2C_floorplan%2C_fig_22_%28Modern_Homes%2C_1909%29.jpg)
He began his own practice in 1888, his first commission being a private house at Crooksbury,
Farnham
Farnham ( /ˈfɑːnəm/) is a market town and civil parish in Surrey, England, around southwest of London. It is in the Borough of Waverley, close to the county border with Hampshire. The town is on the north branch of the River Wey, a trib ...
, Surrey. During this work, he met the garden designer and horticulturalist
Gertrude Jekyll
Gertrude Jekyll ( ; 29 November 1843 – 8 December 1932) was a British horticulturist, garden designer, craftswoman, photographer, writer and artist. She created over 400 gardens in the United Kingdom, Europe and the United States, and wrote ...
. In 1896 he began work on a house for Jekyll at
Munstead Wood
Munstead Wood is a Grade I listed house and garden in Munstead Heath, Busbridge on the boundary of the town of Godalming in Surrey, England, south-east of the town centre. The garden was created by garden designer Gertrude Jekyll, and became ...
near
Godalming
Godalming is a market town and civil parish in southwest Surrey, England, around southwest of central London. It is in the Borough of Waverley, at the confluence of the Rivers Wey and Ock. The civil parish covers and includes the settleme ...
, Surrey. It was the beginning of a professional partnership that would define the look of many Lutyens country houses.
The "Lutyens-Jekyll" garden had hardy shrubbery and herbaceous plantings within a structural architecture of stairs and balustraded terraces. This combined style, of the formal with the informal, exemplified by brick paths, herbaceous borders, and with plants such as lilies, lupins, delphiniums and lavender, was in contrast to the formal bedding schemes favoured by the previous generation in the 19th century. This "natural" style was to define the "English garden" until modern times.
Lutyens' fame grew largely through the popularity of the new lifestyle magazine ''
Country Life'' created by
Edward Hudson, which featured many of his house designs. Hudson was a great admirer of Lutyens' style and commissioned Lutyens for a number of projects, including
Lindisfarne Castle
Lindisfarne Castle is a 16th-century castle located on Holy Island, near Berwick-upon-Tweed, Northumberland, England, much altered by Sir Edwin Lutyens in 1901. The island is accessible from the mainland at low tide by means of a causeway.
His ...
and the ''Country Life'' headquarters building in London, at 8
Tavistock Street
Tavistock Street is a street in the Covent Garden area of London which runs parallel to the Strand, London, Strand between Drury Lane and Southampton Street just south of the market piazza.
History
Initially, the street was a passageway between ...
. One of his assistants in the 1890s was
Maxwell Ayrton
Ormrod Maxwell Ayrton FRIBA (1874 – 18 February 1960), known as Maxwell Ayrton, was an English architect. He spent most of his adult life working in London and designed houses, public buildings, and bridges.
Early life
Maxwell Ayrton was ...
.
By the turn of the century, Lutyens was recognised as one of architecture's coming men. In his major study of English domestic buildings, ''
Das englische Haus
''The English House'' is a book of design and architectural history written by German architect Hermann Muthesius and first published in German as in 1904. Its three volumes provide a record of the revival of English domestic architecture durin ...
'', published in 1904,
Hermann Muthesius
Adam Gottlieb Hermann Muthesius (20 April 1861 – 29 October 1927), known as Hermann Muthesius, was a German architect, author and diplomat, perhaps best known for promoting many of the ideas of the English Arts and Crafts movement within German ...
wrote of Lutyens, "He is a young man who has come increasingly to the forefront of domestic architects and who may soon become the accepted leader among English builders of houses".
Works
![Lutyens houses and gardens (1921) (14783718963)](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/c5/Lutyens_houses_and_gardens_%281921%29_%2814783718963%29.jpg)
The bulk of Lutyens' early work consisted of private houses in an
Arts and Crafts
A handicraft, sometimes more precisely expressed as artisanal handicraft or handmade, is any of a wide variety of types of work where useful and decorative objects are made completely by one’s hand or by using only simple, non-automated re ...
style, strongly influenced by
Tudor architecture
The Tudor architectural style is the final development of Medieval architecture in England and Wales, during the Tudor period (1485–1603) and even beyond, and also the tentative introduction of Renaissance architecture to Britain. It fo ...
and the
vernacular
A vernacular or vernacular language is in contrast with a "standard language". It refers to the language or dialect that is spoken by people that are inhabiting a particular country or region. The vernacular is typically the native language, n ...
styles of south-east England. This was the most innovative phase of his career. Important works of this period include Munstead Wood,
Tigbourne Court
Tigbourne Court is an Arts and Crafts style country house in Wormley, Surrey, England, south of Witley. It was designed by architect Edwin Lutyens, using a mixture of 17th-century style vernacular architecture and classical elements, and has b ...
,
Orchards
An orchard is an intentional plantation of trees or shrubs that is maintained for food production. Orchards comprise fruit- or nut-producing trees which are generally grown for commercial production. Orchards are also sometimes a feature of larg ...
and
Goddards
Goddards is a large country house in Abinger Common, Surrey, England.
The house was designed by Edwin Lutyens in 1898–1900 and later enlarged. It was built "as a Home of Rest to which ladies of small means might repair for holiday" for sh ...
in
Surrey
Surrey () is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in South East England, bordering Greater London to the south west. Surrey has a large rural area, and several significant urban areas which form part of the Greater London Built-up Area. ...
,
Deanery Garden
Deanery Garden (or The Deanery) is an Arts and Crafts style house and garden in Sonning, Berkshire, England. The house was designed and built by architect Edwin Lutyens between 1899 and 1901. It is a Grade I listed building. The gardens—laid ...
and
Folly Farm in Berkshire,
Overstrand Hall
Overstrand Hall is a country house in Overstrand, Norfolk, England, designed by Edwin Lutyens for Charles William Mills, 2nd Baron Hillingdon, a partner in Glyn, Mills & Co. Bank. It was built between 1899 and 1901 and is Grade II listed as of ...
in
Norfolk
Norfolk () is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in East Anglia in England. It borders Lincolnshire to the north-west, Cambridgeshire to the west and south-west, and Suffolk to the south. Its northern and eastern boundaries are the No ...
and Le
Bois des Moutiers in France.
After about 1900 this style gave way to a more conventional
Classicism
Classicism, in the arts, refers generally to a high regard for a classical period, classical antiquity in the Western tradition, as setting standards for taste which the classicists seek to emulate. In its purest form, classicism is an aestheti ...
, a change of direction which had a profound influence on wider British architectural practice. His commissions were of a varied nature from private houses to two churches for the new
Hampstead Garden Suburb
Hampstead Garden Suburb is an elevated suburb of London, north of Hampstead, west of Highgate and east of Golders Green. It is known for its intellectual, liberal, artistic, musical and literary associations. It is an example of early twentiet ...
in London to
Julius Drewe
Julius Charles Hendicott Drewe (or Julius Drew; 4 April 1856 – 20 November 1931) was an English businessman, retailer and entrepreneur who founded Home and Colonial Stores, and who ordered the building of Castle Drogo in Devon.
Origins
Julius ...
's
Castle Drogo
Castle Drogo is a country house and mixed-revivalist castle near Drewsteignton, Devon, England. Constructed between 1911 and 1930, it was the last castle to be built in England. The client was Julius Drewe, the hugely successful founder of the ...
near
Drewsteignton
Drewsteignton is a village, civil parish and former manor within the administrative area of West Devon, England, also lying within the Dartmoor National Park. It is located in the valley of the River Teign, west of Exeter and south east of Ok ...
in Devon and on to his contributions to
India's new imperial capital, New Delhi (where he worked as chief architect with Herbert Baker and others). Here he added elements of local architectural styles to his classicism, and based his urbanisation scheme on
Mughal water gardens. He also designed the
Hyderabad House
Hyderabad House is an official residence in New Delhi, India. It is the State Guest House of the Prime Minister of India. It is used by the Government of India for banquets, and as a venue for meetings with visiting foreign dignitaries. It was ...
for the last
Nizam
The Nizams were the rulers of Hyderabad from the 18th through the 20th century. Nizam of Hyderabad (Niẓām ul-Mulk, also known as Asaf Jah) was the title of the monarch of the Hyderabad State ( divided between the state of Telangana, Mar ...
of Hyderabad, as his Delhi palace and planned the layout for the Janpath and Rajpath roads.
![Portland](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/45/Portland.stone.cenotaph.london.arp.jpg)
Before the end of the
First World War
World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...
, he was appointed one of three principal architects for the Imperial War Graves Commission (now
Commonwealth War Graves Commission
The Commonwealth War Graves Commission (CWGC) is an intergovernmental organisation of six independent member states whose principal function is to mark, record and maintain the graves and places of commemoration of Commonwealth of Nations mil ...
) and was involved with the creation of
many monuments to commemorate the dead. Larger cemeteries have a
Stone of Remembrance
The Stone of Remembrance is a standardised design for war memorials that was designed in 1917 by the British architect Sir Edwin Lutyens for the Imperial War Graves Commission (IWGC). It was designed to commemorate the dead of World War I, to b ...
, designed by him. The best known of these monuments are the
Cenotaph
A cenotaph is an empty tomb or a monument erected in honour of a person or group of people whose remains are elsewhere. It can also be the initial tomb for a person who has since been reinterred elsewhere. Although the vast majority of cenot ...
in
Whitehall
Whitehall is a road and area in the City of Westminster, Central London. The road forms the first part of the A roads in Zone 3 of the Great Britain numbering scheme, A3212 road from Trafalgar Square to Chelsea, London, Chelsea. It is the main ...
,
Westminster
Westminster is an area of Central London, part of the wider City of Westminster.
The area, which extends from the River Thames to Oxford Street, has many visitor attractions and historic landmarks, including the Palace of Westminster, Bu ...
, and the
Memorial to the Missing of the Somme,
Thiepval
Thiepval (; pcd, Tièbvo) is a commune in the Somme department in Hauts-de-France in northern France.
Thiepval is located north of Albert at the crossroads of the D73 and D151 and approximately northeast of Amiens.
Population
First World ...
. The Cenotaph was originally commissioned by
David Lloyd George
David Lloyd George, 1st Earl Lloyd-George of Dwyfor, (17 January 1863 – 26 March 1945) was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1916 to 1922. He was a Liberal Party politician from Wales, known for leading the United Kingdom during t ...
as a temporary structure to be the centrepiece of the Allied Victory Parade in 1919. Lloyd George proposed a
catafalque
A catafalque is a raised bier, box, or similar platform, often movable, that is used to support the casket, coffin, or body of a dead person during a Christian funeral or memorial service. Following a Roman Catholic Requiem Mass, a catafalque ...
, a low empty platform, but it was Lutyens' idea for the taller monument. The design took less than six hours to complete. Lutyens also designed many other war memorials, and others are based on or inspired by Lutyens' designs. Examples of Lutyens' other war memorials include the
War Memorial Gardens in Dublin, the
Tower Hill memorial
The Tower Hill Memorial is a pair of Commonwealth War Graves Commission memorials in Trinity Square Gardens, on Tower Hill in London, England. The memorials, one for the First World War and one for the Second, commemorate civilian, merchant seaf ...
, the
Manchester Cenotaph
Manchester Cenotaph is a war memorial in St Peter's Square, Manchester, England. Manchester was late in commissioning a First World War memorial compared with most British towns and cities; the city council did not convene a war memorial commit ...
and the
Arch of Remembrance
The Arch of Remembrance is a First World War memorial designed by Sir Edwin Lutyens and located in Victoria Park, Leicester, in the East Midlands of England. Leicester's industry contributed significantly to the British war effort. A temporary ...
memorial in Leicester.
![Cenotaph sketch by Lutyens](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/4b/Cenotaph_sketch_by_Lutyens.jpg)
Lutyens also refurbished
Lindisfarne Castle
Lindisfarne Castle is a 16th-century castle located on Holy Island, near Berwick-upon-Tweed, Northumberland, England, much altered by Sir Edwin Lutyens in 1901. The island is accessible from the mainland at low tide by means of a causeway.
His ...
for its wealthy owner.
One of Lutyens' smaller works, but considered one of his masterpieces, is
The Salutation, a house in Sandwich, Kent, England. Built in 1911–1912 with a garden, it was commissioned by
Henry Farrer
Henry Farrer (March 23, 1844 – February 24, 1903) was an English-born American artist known for his tonalist watercolor landscapes and etchings.
Life
Farrer was born in London, the younger brother of artist Thomas Charles Farrer. Thomas ...
, one of three sons of
Sir William Farrer.
![100 King Street Manchester](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/5a/100_King_Street_Manchester.jpg)
He was
knighted
A knight is a person granted an honorary title of knighthood by a head of state (including the Pope) or representative for service to the monarch, the Christian denomination, church or the country, especially in a military capacity. Knighthood ...
in 1918
and elected a
Royal Academician
The Royal Academy of Arts (RA) is an art institution based in Burlington House on Piccadilly in London. Founded in 1768, it has a unique position as an independent, privately funded institution led by eminent artists and architects. Its pur ...
in March 1920. In 1924, he was appointed a member of the newly created
Royal Fine Art Commission
The Commission for Architecture and the Built Environment (CABE) was an executive non-departmental public body of the UK government, established in 1999. It was funded by both the Department for Culture, Media and Sport and the Department for C ...
, a position he held until his death.
While work continued in New Delhi, Lutyens received other commissions including several commercial buildings in London and the
British Embassy in Washington, DC.
In 1924 he completed the supervision of the construction of what is perhaps his most popular design:
Queen Mary's Dolls' House
Queen Mary's Dolls' House is a dollhouse built in the early 1920s, completed in 1924, for Queen Mary, the wife of King George V. It was designed by architect Sir Edwin Lutyens, with contributions from many notable artists and craftsmen of the ...
. This four-storey
Palladian
Palladian architecture is a European architectural style derived from the work of the Venetian architect Andrea Palladio (1508–1580). What is today recognised as Palladian architecture evolved from his concepts of symmetry, perspective and ...
villa was built in 1/12 scale and is now a permanent exhibit in the public area of
Windsor Castle
Windsor Castle is a royal residence at Windsor in the English county of Berkshire. It is strongly associated with the English and succeeding British royal family, and embodies almost a millennium of architectural history.
The original cast ...
. It was not conceived or built as a plaything for children; its goal was to exhibit the finest British craftsmanship of the period.
Lutyens was commissioned in 1929 to design a new
Roman Catholic
Roman or Romans most often refers to:
*Rome, the capital city of Italy
*Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD
*Roman people, the people of ancient Rome
*'' Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a lette ...
cathedral in
Liverpool
Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough in Merseyside, England. With a population of in 2019, it is the 10th largest English district by population and its metropolitan area is the fifth largest in the United Kingdom, with a popul ...
. He planned a vast building of brick and granite, topped with towers and a dome, with commissioned sculpture work by
Charles Sargeant Jagger
Charles Sargeant Jagger (17 December 1885 – 16 November 1934) was a British sculptor who, following active service in the First World War, sculpted many works on the theme of war. He is best known for his war memorials, especially the Royal A ...
and
W. C. H. King. Work on this building started in 1933, but was halted during
World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
. After the war, the project ended due to a shortage of funding, with only the crypt completed. A model of Lutyens' unrealised building was given to and restored by the
Walker Art Gallery
The Walker Art Gallery is an art gallery in Liverpool, which houses one of the largest art collections in England outside London. It is part of the National Museums Liverpool group.
History of the Gallery
The Walker Art Gallery's collection ...
in 1975 and is now on display in the
Museum of Liverpool
The Museum of Liverpool in Liverpool, England, tells the story of Liverpool and its people, and reflects the city's global significance. It opened 2011 as newest addition to the National Museums Liverpool group replacing the former Museum of L ...
.
[Conserving the Lutyens cathedral model, Liverpool museums]
. Liverpoolmuseums.org.uk. Retrieved on 29 July 2013. The architect of the present
Liverpool Metropolitan Cathedral
Liverpool Metropolitan Cathedral, officially known as the Metropolitan Cathedral of Christ the King and locally nicknamed "Paddy's Wigwam", is the seat of the Archbishop of Liverpool and the mother church of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of L ...
, which was built over part of the crypt and consecrated in 1967, was
Sir Frederick Gibberd
Sir Frederick Ernest Gibberd (7 January 1908 – 9 January 1984) was an English architect, town planner and landscape designer. He is particularly known for his work in Harlow, Essex, and for the BISF house, a design for a prefabricated counc ...
.
In 1945, a year after his death, ''A Plan for the City & County of
Kingston upon Hull
Kingston upon Hull, usually abbreviated to Hull, is a port city and unitary authority in the East Riding of Yorkshire, England.
It lies upon the River Hull at its confluence with the Humber Estuary, inland from the North Sea and south-east ...
'' was published. Lutyens worked on the plan with
Sir Patrick Abercrombie
Sir Leslie Patrick Abercrombie (; 6 June 1879 – 23 March 1957) was an English regional and town planner. Abercrombie was an academic during most of his career, and prepared one city plan and several regional studies prior to the Second World ...
and they are credited as its co-authors. Abercrombie's introduction in the plan makes special reference to Lutyens' contribution. The plan was, however, rejected by the City Council of Hull. He was also involved in the Royal Academy's planning for post-war London, an endeavour dismissed by
Osbert Lancaster
Sir Osbert Lancaster, CBE (4 August 1908 – 27 July 1986) was an English cartoonist, architectural historian, stage designer and author. He was known for his cartoons in the British press, and for his lifelong work to inform the general p ...
as "... not unlike what the new
Nuremberg
Nuremberg ( ; german: link=no, Nürnberg ; in the local East Franconian dialect: ''Nämberch'' ) is the second-largest city of the German state of Bavaria after its capital Munich, and its 518,370 (2019) inhabitants make it the 14th-largest ...
might have been had
the Fuhrer enjoyed the inestimable advantage of the advice and guidance of the late
Sir Aston Webb
Sir Aston Webb (22 May 1849 – 21 August 1930) was a British architect who designed the principal facade of Buckingham Palace and the main building of the Victoria and Albert Museum, among other major works around England, many of them in par ...
".
Overseas commissions
Ireland (1906–1918)
Works in
Ireland
Ireland ( ; ga, Éire ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe, north-western Europe. It is separated from Great Britain to its east by the North Channel (Grea ...
include the
Irish National War Memorial Gardens
The Irish National War Memorial Gardens ( ga, Gairdíní Náisiúnta Cuimhneacháin Cogaidh na hÉireann) is an Irish war memorial in Islandbridge, Dublin, dedicated "to the memory of the 49,400 Irish soldiers who gave their lives in the Great ...
in
Islandbridge
Island Bridge (), formerly Sarah or Sarah's Bridge, is a road bridge spanning the River Liffey, in Dublin, Ireland which joins the South Circular Road to Conyngham Road at the Phoenix Park.
Island Bridge and the surrounding area (often known ...
in
Dublin
Dublin (; , or ) is the capital and largest city of Republic of Ireland, Ireland. On a bay at the mouth of the River Liffey, it is in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Leinster, bordered on the south by the Dublin Mountains, a part of th ...
, which consists of a bridge over the railway and a bridge over the
River Liffey
The River Liffey (Irish: ''An Life'', historically ''An Ruirthe(a)ch'') is a river in eastern Ireland that ultimately flows through the centre of Dublin to its mouth within Dublin Bay. Its major tributaries include the River Dodder, the River ...
(unbuilt) and two tiered sunken gardens;
Heywood House Gardens
Heywood House Gardens, generally Heywood Gardens, form the grounds of a now-vanished house in County Laois, Ireland. The estate was developed in the late 18th century by Michael Frederick Trench, a politician, landowner and architect. He built a ...
,
County Laois
County Laois ( ; gle, Contae Laoise) is a county in Ireland. It is part of the Eastern and Midland Region and in the province of Leinster. It was known as Queen's County from 1556 to 1922. The modern county takes its name from Loígis, a medie ...
(open to the public), consisting of a hedge garden, lawns, tiered sunken garden and a belvedere; extensive changes and extensions to Lambay Castle,
Lambay Island
Lambay Island ( ga, Reachrainn), often simply Lambay, is an island in the Irish Sea off the coast of north County Dublin, Ireland. The largest island off the east coast of Ireland, it is offshore from the headland at Portrane, and is the eas ...
, near Dublin, consisting of a circular battlement enclosing the restored and extended castle and farm building complex, upgraded cottages and stores near the harbour, a real tennis court, a large guest house (The White House), a boathouse and a chapel; alterations and extensions to
Howth Castle
Howth Castle ( ) and estate lie just outside the village of Howth, County Dublin in Ireland, in the administration of Fingal County Council. The castle was the ancestral home of the line of the St Lawrence family (see: Earl of Howth) that had h ...
,
County Dublin
"Action to match our speech"
, image_map = Island_of_Ireland_location_map_Dublin.svg
, map_alt = map showing County Dublin as a small area of darker green on the east coast within the lighter green background of ...
; the unbuilt
Hugh Lane
Sir Hugh Percy Lane (9 November 1875 – 7 May 1915) was an Irish art dealer, collector and gallery director. He is best known for establishing Dublin's Municipal Gallery of Modern Art (the first known public gallery of modern art in the w ...
gallery straddling the
River Liffey
The River Liffey (Irish: ''An Life'', historically ''An Ruirthe(a)ch'') is a river in eastern Ireland that ultimately flows through the centre of Dublin to its mouth within Dublin Bay. Its major tributaries include the River Dodder, the River ...
on the site of the
Ha'penny Bridge
The Ha'penny Bridge ( ; , or ''Droichead na Life''), known later for a time as the ''Penny Ha'penny Bridge'', and officially the Liffey Bridge, is a pedestrian bridge built in May 1816 over the River Liffey in Dublin, Ireland. Made of cast i ...
and the unbuilt
Hugh Lane Gallery
The Hugh Lane Gallery, officially Dublin City Gallery The Hugh Lane and originally the Municipal Gallery of Modern Art, is an art museum operated by Dublin City Council and its subsidiary, the Hugh Lane Gallery Trust. It is in Charlemont House ( ...
on the west side of
St Stephen's Green
St Stephen's Green () is a garden square and public park located in the city centre of Dublin, Ireland. The current landscape of the park was designed by William Sheppard. It was officially re-opened to the public on Tuesday, 27 July 1880 by L ...
; and
Costelloe Lodge at
Casla
Casla (Costello or Costelloe) is a Gaeltacht village between Indreabhán (Inverin) and An Cheathrú Rua (Carraroe) in western County Galway, Ireland. The headquarters of RTÉ Raidió na Gaeltachta is located there. The village lies on the R3 ...
(also known as Costelloe),
County Galway
"Righteousness and Justice"
, anthem = ()
, image_map = Island of Ireland location map Galway.svg
, map_caption = Location in Ireland
, area_footnotes =
, area_total_km2 = ...
(that was used for refuge by
J. Bruce Ismay
Joseph Bruce Ismay (; 12 December 1862 – 17 October 1937) was an English businessman who served as chairman and managing director of the White Star Line. In 1912, he came to international attention as the highest-ranking White Star official t ...
, the Chairman of the
White Star Line
The White Star Line was a British shipping company. Founded out of the remains of a defunct packet company, it gradually rose up to become one of the most prominent shipping lines in the world, providing passenger and cargo services between t ...
, following the sinking of the
R.M.S. ''Titanic''). In 1907, Lutyens designed
Tranarossan House, located just north of
Downings
Downings or Downies () is a ''Gaeltacht'' village and townland on the Rosguill peninsula in County Donegal, Ireland. The village is on the shores of Sheephaven Bay on the north coast of Ireland.
Name
As the village is in a ''Gaeltacht'' district ...
on the
Rosguill
Rosguill (Irish language and official name: Ros Goill)County Donegal
County Donegal ( ; ga, Contae Dhún na nGall) is a county of Ireland in the province of Ulster and in the Northern and Western Region. It is named after the town of Donegal in the south of the county. It has also been known as County Tyrconne ...
. The house was built of local granite for Mr and Mrs Phillimore, from London, as a holiday home. In 1937, Mrs Phillimore donated it to ''
An Óige
An Óige (; meaning "Youth"), or the Irish Youth Hostel Association (IYHA), is a non-profit organisation providing youth hostel accommodation across the Republic of Ireland. An Óige is a member of Hostelling International.
Background
An Óige ...
'' (Irish Youth Hostels Association) for the "youth of Ireland", and it has been a hostel ever since.
India (1912–1930)
![Rashtrapati Bhavan Wide New Delhi India](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/24/Rashtrapati_Bhavan_Wide_New_Delhi_India.jpg)
Largely designed by Lutyens over 20 or so years (1912 to 1930), New Delhi, situated within the metropolis of
Delhi
Delhi, officially the National Capital Territory (NCT) of Delhi, is a city and a union territory of India containing New Delhi, the capital of India. Straddling the Yamuna river, primarily its western or right bank, Delhi shares borders w ...
, popularly known as '
Lutyens' Delhi
Lutyens' Delhi is an area in New Delhi, India, named after the British architect Sir Edwin Lutyens (1869–1944), who was responsible for much of the architectural design and building during the period of the British Raj, when India was part o ...
', was chosen to replace
Calcutta
Kolkata (, or , ; also known as Calcutta , List of renamed places in India#West Bengal, the official name until 2001) is the Capital city, capital of the Indian States and union territories of India, state of West Bengal, on the eastern ba ...
as the seat of the British Indian government in 1912; the project was completed in 1929 and officially inaugurated in 1931. In undertaking this project, Lutyens invented his own new order of classical architecture, which has become known as the
Delhi Order
An order in architecture is a certain assemblage of parts subject to uniform established proportions, regulated by the office that each part has to perform.
Coming down to the present from Ancient Greek and Ancient Roman civilization, the arch ...
and was used by him for several designs in England, such as
Campion Hall, Oxford
Campion Hall is one of the five permanent private halls of the University of Oxford in England. It is run by the Society of Jesus and named after Edmund Campion, a martyr and fellow of St John's College, Oxford. The hall is located on Brewer St ...
. Unlike the more traditional British architects who came before him, he was both inspired by and incorporated various features from the local and traditional Indian architecture—something most clearly seen in the great drum-mounted Buddhist dome of
Viceroy's House
The Rashtrapati Bhavan (, rāsh-truh-puh-ti bha-vun; ; originally Viceroy's House and later Government House) is the official residence of the President of India at the western end of Rajpath, Raisina Hill, New Delhi, India. Rashtrapati Bh ...
, now
Rashtrapati Bhavan
The Rashtrapati Bhavan (, rāsh-truh-puh-ti bha-vun; ; originally Viceroy's House and later Government House) is the official residence of the President of India at the western end of Rajpath, Raisina Hill, New Delhi, India. Rashtrapati Bh ...
. This palatial building, containing 340 rooms, is built on an area of some and incorporates a private garden also designed by Lutyens. The building was designed as the official residence of the
Viceroy of India
The Governor-General of India (1773–1950, from 1858 to 1947 the Viceroy and Governor-General of India, commonly shortened to Viceroy of India) was the representative of the monarch of the United Kingdom and after Indian independence in 19 ...
and is now the official residence of the
President of India
The president of India ( IAST: ) is the head of state of the Republic of India. The president is the nominal head of the executive, the first citizen of the country, as well as the commander-in-chief of the Indian Armed Forces. Droupadi Murmu ...
.
The Delhi Order columns at the front entrance of the palace have bells carved into them, which, it has been suggested, Lutyens had designed with the idea that as the bells were silent the British rule would never come to an end. At one time, more than 2,000 people were required to care for the building and serve the Viceroy's household.
The new city contains both the Parliament buildings and government offices (many designed by Herbert Baker) and was built distinctively of the local red sandstone using the traditional
Mughal style.
When composing the plans for New Delhi, Lutyens planned for the new city to lie southwest of the walled city of
Shahjahanbad
Old Delhi or Purani Dilli is an area in the Central Delhi district of Delhi, India. It was founded as a walled city named Shahjahanabad in 1648, when Shah Jahan (the Mughal Empire, Mughal Mughal emperors, emperor at the time) decided to shift t ...
. His plans for the city also laid out the street plan for New Delhi consisting of wide tree-lined avenues.
Built in the spirit of British colonial rule, the place where the new imperial city and the older native settlement met was intended to be a market. It was there that Lutyens imagined the Indian traders would participate in "the grand shopping centre for the residents of Shahjahanabad and New Delhi", thus giving rise to the D-shaped market seen today.
Many of the garden-ringed villas in the
Lutyens' Bungalow Zone (LBZ)—also known as
Lutyens' Delhi
Lutyens' Delhi is an area in New Delhi, India, named after the British architect Sir Edwin Lutyens (1869–1944), who was responsible for much of the architectural design and building during the period of the British Raj, when India was part o ...
—that were part of Lutyens' original scheme for New Delhi are under threat due to the constant pressure for development in Delhi. The LBZ was placed on the 2002
World Monuments Fund
World Monuments Fund (WMF) is a private, international, non-profit organization dedicated to the preservation of historic architecture and cultural heritage sites around the world through fieldwork, advocacy, grantmaking, education, and trainin ...
Watch List of 100 Most Endangered Sites. None of the bungalows in the LBZ were designed by Lutyens—he only designed the four bungalows in the Presidential Estate surrounding Rashtrapati Bhavan at Willingdon Crescent, now known as Mother Teresa Crescent. Other buildings in Delhi that Lutyens designed include
Baroda House
Baroda House was the residence of the Maharaja of Baroda in Delhi. It is located on Kasturba Gandhi Marg, next to Faridkot House.
History
It was designed by the architect of New Delhi, Sir Edwin Lutyens. He designed the house on a train a ...
,
Bikaner House
Bikaner House is the former residence of the Maharajah of Bikaner State in New Delhi. It is located close to India Gate.
History
After the British Raj set up the Chamber of Princes, the rulers needed a residence in the capital city. A number ...
,
Hyderabad House
Hyderabad House is an official residence in New Delhi, India. It is the State Guest House of the Prime Minister of India. It is used by the Government of India for banquets, and as a venue for meetings with visiting foreign dignitaries. It was ...
, and
Patiala House
The Patiala House is the former residence of the Maharaja of Patiala in Delhi. It is situated near India Gate in central Delhi, India.
History
It was designed by Sir Edwin Lutyens. The building has a central dome with a "butterfly" layout, sim ...
.
In recognition of his architectural accomplishments for the British Raj, Lutyens was made a
Knight Commander of the Order of the Indian Empire
The Most Eminent Order of the Indian Empire is an order of chivalry founded by Queen Victoria on 1 January 1878. The Order includes members of three classes:
#Knight Grand Commander (GCIE)
#Knight Commander ( KCIE)
#Companion ( CIE)
No appoi ...
(KCIE) on 1 January 1930.
As a chivalric order, the KCIE knighthood held precedence over his earlier
bachelor knighthood.
A bust of Lutyens in the former Viceroy's House is the only statue of a Westerner left in its original position in New Delhi. Lutyens' work in New Delhi is the focus of
Robert Grant Irving's book ''Indian Summer''. In spite of his monumental work in India, Lutyens views on the peoples of the Indian sub-continent, although not uncommon for people of his time, would now be considered racist.
Spain (1915–1928)
In
Madrid
Madrid ( , ) is the capital and most populous city of Spain. The city has almost 3.4 million inhabitants and a metropolitan area population of approximately 6.7 million. It is the second-largest city in the European Union (EU), and ...
, Lutyens' work can be seen in the interiors of the
Liria Palace
The Liria Palace (Spanish: ''Palacio de Liria'') is a neoclassical palace in Madrid, Spain. It is the Madrid residence of the Dukes of Alba.
History
Built around 1770 to a design by the architect Ventura Rodríguez, it was commissioned by Jam ...
, a neoclassical building which was severely damaged during the
Spanish Civil War
The Spanish Civil War ( es, Guerra Civil Española)) or The Revolution ( es, La Revolución, link=no) among Nationalists, the Fourth Carlist War ( es, Cuarta Guerra Carlista, link=no) among Carlists, and The Rebellion ( es, La Rebelión, lin ...
. The palace was originally built in the 18th century for
James FitzJames, 1st Duke of Berwick
James FitzJames, 1st Duke of Berwick, 1st Duke of Liria and Jérica, 1st Duke of Fitz-James (21 August 1670 – 12 June 1734) was an Anglo-French military leader, illegitimate son of King James II of England by Arabella Churchill, sister o ...
, and still belongs to his descendants. Lutyens' reconstruction was commissioned by
Jacobo Fitz-James Stuart, 17th Duke of Alba
Jacobo Fitz-James Stuart y Falcó, 17th Duke of Alba, 10th Duke of Berwick, GE (17 October 1878 – 24 September 1953) was a Spanish peer, diplomat, politician, art collector and Olympic medalist. A Jacobite, he was the most senior survivin ...
. The Duke had been in contact with Lutyens while serving as the Spanish ambassador to the
Court of St. James's
The Court of St James's is the royal court for the Sovereign of the United Kingdom. All ambassadors to the United Kingdom are formally received by the court. All ambassadors from the United Kingdom are formally accredited from the court – & ...
.
Between 1915 and 1928, Lutyens also produced designs for a new palace for the Duke of Alba's younger brother,
Hernando Fitz-James Stuart, 18th Duke of Peñaranda
Hernando Carlos María Teresa Fitz-James Stuart y Falcó, 18th Duke of Peñaranda de Duero, GE (3 November 1882 – 7 November 1936), was a Spanish nobleman.
Biography
He was born in Madrid, the younger son of the 16th Duke of Alba and his ...
. The palace of El Guadalperal, as it was to be called, would have been, if built, Edwin Lutyens's largest country house.
Personal life
Lutyens married Lady
Emily Bulwer-Lytton
Lady Emily Lutyens (née Bulwer-Lytton; 1874–1964) was an English theosophist and writer.
Life
Emily Lytton was born on 26 December 1874 in Paris,[Knebworth
Knebworth is a village and civil parishes in England, civil parish in the north of Hertfordshire, England, immediately south of Stevenage. The civil parish covers an area between the villages of Datchworth, Woolmer Green, Codicote, Kimpton, Hert ...]
, Hertfordshire. She was third daughter of
Edith
Edith is a feminine given name derived from the Old English words ēad, meaning 'riches or blessed', and is in common usage in this form in English, German, many Scandinavian languages and Dutch. Its French form is Édith. Contractions and vari ...
(née Villiers) and the
1st Earl of Lytton, a former
Viceroy of India
The Governor-General of India (1773–1950, from 1858 to 1947 the Viceroy and Governor-General of India, commonly shortened to Viceroy of India) was the representative of the monarch of the United Kingdom and after Indian independence in 19 ...
. Lady Emily had proposed to Lutyens two years before the wedding, and her parents disapproved of the marriage. Their marriage was largely unsatisfactory, practically from the start, with Lady Emily developing interests in
theosophy
Theosophy is a religion established in the United States during the late 19th century. It was founded primarily by the Russian Helena Blavatsky and draws its teachings predominantly from Blavatsky's writings. Categorized by scholars of religion a ...
, Eastern religions, and being drawn both emotionally and philosophically to
Jiddu Krishnamurti
Jiddu Krishnamurti (; 11 May 1895 – 17 February 1986) was a philosopher, speaker and writer. In his early life, he was groomed to be the new World Teacher, an advanced spiritual position in the theosophical tradition, but later rejected thi ...
. They had five children:
* Barbara Lutyens (1898–1981), second wife of
Euan Wallace
David Euan Wallace, MC PC (20 April 1892 – 9 February 1941) was a British Conservative politician who was an ally of Neville Chamberlain and briefly served as Minister of Transport during World War II.
Early life
Wallace was born on 20 Apr ...
(1892–1941), Minister of Transport.
*
Robert Lutyens (1901–1971), interior designer. Designed the façade used for over 40
Marks & Spencer
Marks and Spencer Group plc (commonly abbreviated to M&S and colloquially known as Marks's or Marks & Sparks) is a major British multinational retailer with headquarters in Paddington, London that specialises in selling clothing, beauty, home ...
stores.
* Ursula Lutyens (1904–1967), wife of the
3rd Viscount Ridley. They were the parents of the
4th Viscount Ridley (1925–2012), and of the Cabinet Minister
Nicholas Ridley (1929–1993). Nicholas Ridley was the father of Edwin Lutyens' biographer,
Jane Ridley
Jane Ridley (born 15 May 1953) is an English historian, biographer, author and broadcaster, and Professor of Modern History at the University of Buckingham.
Ridley won the Duff Cooper Prize in 2002 for ''The Architect and his Wife'', a biography ...
.
*
(Agnes) Elisabeth Lutyens (1906–1983), a well-known composer. Second marriage to the conductor
Edward Clark.
*
(Edith Penelope) Mary Lutyens (1908–1999), a writer known for her books about the philosopher Jiddu Krishnamurti.
During the later years of his life, Lutyens suffered with several bouts of pneumonia.
Death
In the early 1940s he was diagnosed with
cancer
Cancer is a group of diseases involving abnormal cell growth with the potential to invade or spread to other parts of the body. These contrast with benign tumors, which do not spread. Possible signs and symptoms include a lump, abnormal b ...
. He died on 1 January 1944 and was
cremated
Cremation is a method of final disposition of a dead body through burning.
Cremation may serve as a funeral or post-funeral rite and as an alternative to burial. In some countries, including India and Nepal, cremation on an open-air pyre i ...
at
Golders Green Crematorium
Golders Green Crematorium and Mausoleum was the first crematorium to be opened in London, and one of the oldest crematoria in Britain. The land for the crematorium was purchased in 1900, costing £6,000 (the equivalent of £135,987 in 2021), ...
in north London where he had designed the Philipson
Mausoleum
A mausoleum is an external free-standing building constructed as a monument enclosing the interment space or burial chamber of a deceased person or people. A mausoleum without the person's remains is called a cenotaph. A mausoleum may be consid ...
in 1914–1916. His ashes were buried in the crypt of
St. Paul's Cathedral, beneath a memorial designed by his friend and fellow architect
William Curtis Green
William Curtis Green (16 July 1875 – 26 March 1960) was an English architect, designer and barrister"Quite ceremony in Archbishop's Palace", ''The Nottingham Evening Post'', 3 August 1935, p. 8. who was based in London for much of his career. ...
.
Major buildings and projects
* 1897:
Munstead Wood
Munstead Wood is a Grade I listed house and garden in Munstead Heath, Busbridge on the boundary of the town of Godalming in Surrey, England, south-east of the town centre. The garden was created by garden designer Gertrude Jekyll, and became ...
, Surrey
* 1899:
Orchards
An orchard is an intentional plantation of trees or shrubs that is maintained for food production. Orchards comprise fruit- or nut-producing trees which are generally grown for commercial production. Orchards are also sometimes a feature of larg ...
, Surrey
* 1900:
Goddards
Goddards is a large country house in Abinger Common, Surrey, England.
The house was designed by Edwin Lutyens in 1898–1900 and later enlarged. It was built "as a Home of Rest to which ladies of small means might repair for holiday" for sh ...
, Surrey
* 1901:
Tigbourne Court
Tigbourne Court is an Arts and Crafts style country house in Wormley, Surrey, England, south of Witley. It was designed by architect Edwin Lutyens, using a mixture of 17th-century style vernacular architecture and classical elements, and has b ...
, Surrey
* 1901:
Deanery Garden
Deanery Garden (or The Deanery) is an Arts and Crafts style house and garden in Sonning, Berkshire, England. The house was designed and built by architect Edwin Lutyens between 1899 and 1901. It is a Grade I listed building. The gardens—laid ...
, Sonning, Berkshire
* 1903:
Papillon Hall, Lubenham, Leicestershire
* 1911:
British Medical Association
The British Medical Association (BMA) is a registered trade union for doctors in the United Kingdom. The association does not regulate or certify doctors, a responsibility which lies with the General Medical Council. The association's headquar ...
in
Tavistock Square
Tavistock Square is a public square in Bloomsbury, in the London Borough of Camden.
History
Tavistock Square was built shortly after 1806 by the property developer James Burton and the master builder Thomas Cubitt for Francis Russell, 5th Duke ...
, London
* 1912:
Great Dixter
Great Dixter is a house in Northiam, East Sussex, England. It was built in 1910–12 by architect Edwin Lutyens, who combined an existing mid-15th century house on the site with a similar structure brought from Benenden, Kent, together with his o ...
, Northiam, East Sussex
* 1928:
Hyderabad House
Hyderabad House is an official residence in New Delhi, India. It is the State Guest House of the Prime Minister of India. It is used by the Government of India for banquets, and as a venue for meetings with visiting foreign dignitaries. It was ...
, New Delhi
* 1929:
Rashtrapathi Bhavan
The Rashtrapati Bhavan (, rāsh-truh-puh-ti bha-vun; ; originally Viceroy's House and later Government House) is the official residence of the President of India at the western end of Rajpath, Raisina Hill, New Delhi, India. Rashtrapati Bh ...
, New Delhi
* 1930:
Castle Drogo
Castle Drogo is a country house and mixed-revivalist castle near Drewsteignton, Devon, England. Constructed between 1911 and 1930, it was the last castle to be built in England. The client was Julius Drewe, the hugely successful founder of the ...
,
Drewsteignton
Drewsteignton is a village, civil parish and former manor within the administrative area of West Devon, England, also lying within the Dartmoor National Park. It is located in the valley of the River Teign, west of Exeter and south east of Ok ...
, Devon
* 1935:
The Midland Bank, Manchester
* 1936:
Baroda House
Baroda House was the residence of the Maharaja of Baroda in Delhi. It is located on Kasturba Gandhi Marg, next to Faridkot House.
History
It was designed by the architect of New Delhi, Sir Edwin Lutyens. He designed the house on a train a ...
, New Delhi
* 1936—1938:
Villers–Bretonneux Australian National Memorial
The Australian National Memorial, Villers-Bretonneux is the main memorial to Australian military personnel killed on the Western Front during World War I. It is located on the Route Villiers-Bretonneux (D 23), between the towns of Fouillo ...
, Somme, France
Recognition and legacy
![Edwin Lutyens memorial](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/75/Edwin_Lutyens_memorial.jpg)
Lutyens received the
RIBA Royal Gold Medal in 1921, and the
American Institute of Architects Gold Medal in 1925. In November 2015 the British government announced that all 44 of Lutyens' First World War memorials in Britain had now been listed on the advice of
Historic England
Historic England (officially the Historic Buildings and Monuments Commission for England) is an executive non-departmental public body of the British Government sponsored by the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport. It is tasked wit ...
, and were therefore all protected by law. This involved the one remaining memorial—the
Gerrards Cross Memorial Building in
Buckinghamshire
Buckinghamshire (), abbreviated Bucks, is a ceremonial county in South East England that borders Greater London to the south-east, Berkshire to the south, Oxfordshire to the west, Northamptonshire to the north, Bedfordshire to the north-ea ...
—being added to the list, plus a further fourteen having their statuses upgraded.
The architectural critic
Ian Nairn
Ian Douglas Nairn (24 August 1930 – 14 August 1983) was a British architectural critic who coined the word "Subtopia" to indicate drab suburbs that look identical through unimaginative town-planning. He published two strongly personalised criti ...
wrote of Lutyen's Surrey "masterpieces" in the 1971 ''Surrey'' volume of the
''Buildings of England'' series, while noting that; "the genius and the charlatan were very close together in Lutyens". In the introduction to the catalogue for the 1981 Lutyens exhibition at the
Hayward Gallery
The Hayward Gallery is an art gallery within the Southbank Centre in central London, England and part of an area of major arts venues on the South Bank of the River Thames. It is sited adjacent to the other Southbank Centre buildings (the Roy ...
, the architectural writer Colin Amery described Lutyens as "the builder of some of our finest country houses and gardens".
In 2015 a memorial to Lutyens by the sculptor
Stephen Cox was erected in Apple Tree Yard, Mayfair, London, adjacent to the studio where Lutyens prepared the designs for New Delhi.
Gallery
File:Goddards, Abinger Common, Surrey-1093965338.jpg, Goddards
Goddards is a large country house in Abinger Common, Surrey, England.
The house was designed by Edwin Lutyens in 1898–1900 and later enlarged. It was built "as a Home of Rest to which ladies of small means might repair for holiday" for sh ...
, Surrey (1898–1900)
File:Tigbourne Court DSC 1744.jpg, Tigbourne Court
Tigbourne Court is an Arts and Crafts style country house in Wormley, Surrey, England, south of Witley. It was designed by architect Edwin Lutyens, using a mixture of 17th-century style vernacular architecture and classical elements, and has b ...
, Surrey (1899–1901)
File:Greywalls1.jpg, Greywalls house, Lothian, Scotland (1901)
File:Lutyens houses and gardens (1921) page 72.jpg, Little Thakeham
Little Thakeham is an Arts and Crafts style, Grade I listed private house in the parish of Thakeham, near the village of Storrington, in the Horsham district of West Sussex, England. Designed by architect Edwin Lutyens in 1902, the house was ...
, West Sussex (1902)
File:Lutoffice8Jl6-3786.jpg, Daneshill Brick and Tile Company offices, near Old Basing
Old Basing is a village in Hampshire, England, just east of Basingstoke. It was called ''Basengum'' in the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle and ''Basinges'' in the Domesday Book.
Etymology
The root ''Bas'' derives from the Latin word '' basilīa'' - the no ...
, Hampshire (1903)
File:Country Life Offices London.jpg, Country Life Offices, Tavistock Street
Tavistock Street is a street in the Covent Garden area of London which runs parallel to the Strand, London, Strand between Drury Lane and Southampton Street just south of the market piazza.
History
Initially, the street was a passageway between ...
, London (1905)
File:Hestercombe, Great Plat.jpg, Hestercombe Gardens, Somerset, with Gertrude Jekyll
Gertrude Jekyll ( ; 29 November 1843 – 8 December 1932) was a British horticulturist, garden designer, craftswoman, photographer, writer and artist. She created over 400 gardens in the United Kingdom, Europe and the United States, and wrote ...
(1904–1906)
File:Heathcote - geograph.org.uk - 378865.jpg, Heathcote, Ilkley
Heathcote is a Neoclassical-style villa in Ilkley, West Yorkshire, England. Designed by architect Edwin Lutyens, it was his first comprehensive use of that style, making it the precursor of his later public buildings in Edwardian Baroque style ...
, Yorkshire (1906–1908)
File:Free Church, Hamsptead Garden Suburb.jpg, Free Church, Hampstead Garden Suburb
The Free Church is a building located in Hampstead Garden Suburb, Barnet, London. It was built to a design by Sir Edwin Lutyens starting in 1911, and, like St Jude's Church at the opposite side of Central Square, is a Grade I listed
In t ...
, London (1908–1910)
File:South Africa - Anglo-Boer War Memorial-001.jpg, Anglo-Boer War Memorial, Johannesburg (1910)
File:NashdomMist.jpg, Nashdom
Nashdom, also known as Nashdom Abbey, is a former country house and former Anglican Benedictine abbey in Burnham, Buckinghamshire, England. Designed in Neo-Georgian style by architect Edwin Lutyens, it is a Grade II* listed building. It was con ...
, Taplow
Taplow is a village and civil parish in the Unitary Authority of Buckinghamshire, England. It sits on the left bank of the River Thames, facing Maidenhead in the neighbouring county of Berkshire, with Cippenham and Burnham to the east. It is th ...
, Buckinghamshire (1908–1911)
File:BMA House.JPG, British Medical Association
The British Medical Association (BMA) is a registered trade union for doctors in the United Kingdom. The association does not regulate or certify doctors, a responsibility which lies with the General Medical Council. The association's headquar ...
, Tavistock Square
Tavistock Square is a public square in Bloomsbury, in the London Borough of Camden.
History
Tavistock Square was built shortly after 1806 by the property developer James Burton and the master builder Thomas Cubitt for Francis Russell, 5th Duke ...
, London (1911)
File:Henrietta Barnett School, London NW11.jpg, Henrietta Barnett School
The Henrietta Barnett School is a grammar school with academy status primarily for girls in Hampstead Garden Suburb in London. The ''Good Schools Guide'' called the school 'One of the best academic state schools in the country, providing a gent ...
, Hampstead, London (1911)
File:9 2 228 0069-Art Gallery2-Johannesburg-s.jpg, Johannesburg Art Gallery
The Johannesburg Art Gallery is an art gallery in Joubert Park in the city centre of Johannesburg, South Africa. It is the largest gallery on the continent with a collection that is larger than that of the Iziko South African National Gallery i ...
, Klein Street (1910–1915)
File:Abbey House Hotel south elevation.JPG, Abbey House, Barrow-in-Furness
Abbey House on Abbey Road, Barrow-in-Furness, Abbey Road, Barrow-in-Furness, Cumbria, England is a Neo-Elizabethan H-plan mansion designed by Sir Edwin Lutyens and completed in 1914 as a guest house for Vickers Ltd and a flat for the Managing Di ...
, Cumbria (1914)
File:British School at Rome by Edwin Luytens.jpg, Portico of the British School at Rome
The British School at Rome (BSR) is an interdisciplinary research centre supporting the arts, humanities and architecture.
History
The British School at Rome (BSR) was established in 1901 and granted a UK Royal Charter in 1912. Its mission is " ...
(1916)
File:Midland Railway War Memorial, Derby 10 (cropped).jpg, Midland Railway War Memorial, Derby (1920)
File:Mells Somerset2.JPG, Mells War Memorial, Somerset (1921)
File:India Gate in New Delhi 03-2016.jpg, The India Gate
The India Gate (formerly known as the All India War Memorial) is a war memorial located near the Rajpath on the eastern edge of the "ceremonial axis" of New Delhi, formerly called duty path. It stands as a memorial to 84,000 soldiers of the Br ...
, New Delhi (1921)
File:Hauser and Wirth 196 Piccadilly.jpg, Midland Bank, Piccadilly, London (1922-1923)
File:Lutyens Midland Bank.JPG, Midland Bank Headquarters, Poultry, London
Poultry (formerly also Poultrey) is a short street in the City of London, which is the historic nucleus and modern financial centre of London. It is an eastern continuation of Cheapside, between Old Jewry and Mansion House Street, towards Bank ...
(1924)
File:VictorySquare 1932.jpg, Victory Square Cenotaph, Vancouver (1924)
File:Lutyens Britannic House.JPG, Britannic House, Finsbury Circus
Finsbury Circus is a park in the Coleman Street Ward of the City of London, England. The 2 acre park is the largest public open space within the City's boundaries.
It is not to be confused with Finsbury Square, just north of the City, or Finsb ...
, London (1921–1925)
File:War Memorial Leicester, Summer 2009.jpg, Arch of Remembrance
The Arch of Remembrance is a First World War memorial designed by Sir Edwin Lutyens and located in Victoria Park, Leicester, in the East Midlands of England. Leicester's industry contributed significantly to the British war effort. A temporary ...
, Leicester (1925)
File:Victoria park cenotaph.jpg, Cenotaph, Regina, Saskatchewan (1926)
File:British Ambassador's Residence, Washington, D.C.jpg, British Ambassador's residence, Washington, D.C. (1928)
File:Hallway in the Chancery and residence of the Ambassador of the United Kingdom, Washington, D.C LCCN2011631264.tif, Hallway in British Ambassador's residence Washington, D.C. (1928)
File:EH1031597 Merchant Seamens Memorial 02.JPG, Tower Hill Memorial
The Tower Hill Memorial is a pair of Commonwealth War Graves Commission memorials in Trinity Square Gardens, on Tower Hill in London, England. The memorials, one for the First World War and one for the Second, commemorate civilian, merchant seaf ...
, Trinity Square, London (1928)
File:67-68 Pall Mall.jpg, 67–68 Pall Mall, London
Pall Mall is a street in the St James's area of the City of Westminster, Central London. It connects St James's Street to Trafalgar Square and is a section of the regional A4 road. The street's name is derived from pall-mall, a ...
(1928)
File:Park Lane view.jpg, Grosvenor House Hotel
]
JW Marriott Grosvenor House London, originally named the Grosvenor House Hotel, is a luxury hotel that opened in 1929 in the Mayfair area of London, England. The hotel is managed by JW Marriott Hotels, which is a brand of Marriott Internationa ...
, Mayfair, London (1929)
File:Rashtrapati Bhavan-2.jpg, Rashtrapati Bhavan
The Rashtrapati Bhavan (, rāsh-truh-puh-ti bha-vun; ; originally Viceroy's House and later Government House) is the official residence of the President of India at the western end of Rajpath, Raisina Hill, New Delhi, India. Rashtrapati Bh ...
, New Delhi (1912–1929)
File:Drogo-wyrd-01.jpg, Castle Drogo
Castle Drogo is a country house and mixed-revivalist castle near Drewsteignton, Devon, England. Constructed between 1911 and 1930, it was the last castle to be built in England. The client was Julius Drewe, the hugely successful founder of the ...
, Devon
Devon ( , historically known as Devonshire , ) is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in South West England. The most populous settlement in Devon is the city of Plymouth, followed by Devon's county town, the city of Exeter. Devon is ...
(1911–1930)
File:Page Street (188242395).jpg, alt=Grosvenor estate, Page Street, London (1928-1930). Photo description: The buildings with their chess board facades and the courtyards seen from the street., Social housing for Grosvenor Estate and Westminster Council, Page Street
Page Street is a street in Pimlico, in the City of Westminster, that runs from Regency Street in the west to the junction of John Islip Street and Dean Ryle Street in the east, parallel with Horseferry Road. It is crossed midway by Marsham Stree ...
, London (1928-1930)
File:Hampton Court Bridge 1.jpg, Hampton Court Bridge
Hampton Court Bridge is a Grade II listed bridge that crosses the River Thames in England approximately north–south between Hampton, London and East Molesey, Surrey, carrying the A309. It is the upper of two road bridges on the reach ab ...
, London (1933)
File:LPoolLutyens-wyrdlight-802726.jpg, Architectural model of unrealised design for Liverpool Metropolitan Cathedral
Liverpool Metropolitan Cathedral, officially known as the Metropolitan Cathedral of Christ the King and locally nicknamed "Paddy's Wigwam", is the seat of the Archbishop of Liverpool and the mother church of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of L ...
(1933)
File:Steps to Liverpool met crypt chapel.jpg, Crypt of Liverpool Metropolitan Cathedral 1933–1941, the only part of Lutyens's design built
File:Thiepval Anglo-French Cemetery -13.jpg, Thiepval Memorial to the Missing of the Somme
The Thiepval Memorial to the Missing of the Somme is a war memorial to 72,337 missing British and South African servicemen who died in the Battles of the Somme of the First World War between 1915 and 1918, with no known grave. It is near the ...
, France (1928–1932)
File:LodgeRunnymede.jpg, Broughton memorial lodge, Runnymede
Runnymede is a water-meadow alongside the River Thames in the English county of Surrey, and just over west of central London. It is notable for its association with the sealing of Magna Carta, and as a consequence is, with its adjoining hi ...
, Surrey (1930–1932)
File:St Jude's, Hampstead Garden Suburb.jpg, St Jude's Church, Hampstead Garden Suburb
The Parish Church of St Jude-on-the-Hill (usually known simply as St Jude's), is the parish church of Hampstead Garden Suburb in north London. The suburb was founded in 1907 by Henrietta Barnett to be a model community where all classes of peopl ...
, London (1909–1935)
File:Reuters Building, Fleet Street-378846213.jpg, Reuters & Press Association Building, 85 Fleet Street, London (1934–1938)
File:CampionHall.jpg, Campion Hall, Oxford
Campion Hall is one of the five permanent private halls of the University of Oxford in England. It is run by the Society of Jesus and named after Edmund Campion, a martyr and fellow of St John's College, Oxford. The hall is located on Brewer St ...
(1936)
File:Circular Rose Garden pond in winter.jpg, Irish National War Memorial Gardens
The Irish National War Memorial Gardens ( ga, Gairdíní Náisiúnta Cuimhneacháin Cogaidh na hÉireann) is an Irish war memorial in Islandbridge, Dublin, dedicated "to the memory of the 49,400 Irish soldiers who gave their lives in the Great ...
, Dublin (1932-1940)
File:Runnymede Bridge (upstream).JPG, Runnymede Bridge
Runnymede Bridge is a motorway, A-road, pedestrian, and cycle bridge, built in the 1960s and 1980s and expanded in the 2000s, carrying the M25 and A30 across the River Thames near the uppermost end of the Staines upon Thames and Egham reach of ...
, Surrey (opened 1961)
File:Tra Na Rosann Hostel.jpg, Tranarossan House, Downings
Downings or Downies () is a ''Gaeltacht'' village and townland on the Rosguill peninsula in County Donegal, Ireland. The village is on the shores of Sheephaven Bay on the north coast of Ireland.
Name
As the village is in a ''Gaeltacht'' district ...
, County Donegal, Ireland
Publications
* Edwin Lutyens & Charles Bressey, ''The Highway Development Survey'', Ministry of Transport, 1937
* Edwin Lutyens & Patrick Abercrombie, ''A Plan for the City & County of Kingston upon Hull'', Brown (London & Hull), 1945.
See also
*
Herbert Tudor Buckland
Herbert Tudor Buckland (20 November 1869 – 1951) was a British architect, best known for his seminal Arts and Crafts houses (several of which, including his own at Edgbaston, Birmingham, are Grade I listed), the Elan Valley model village, e ...
, a contemporary Arts & Crafts architect
*
Butterfly plan
A Butterfly plan, also known as a Double Suntrap plan, is a type of architectural plan in which two or more wings of a house are constructed at an angle to the core, usually at approximately 45 degrees to the wall of the core building. It was used ...
*
History of gardening
The early history of gardening is largely entangled with the history of agriculture, with gardens that were mainly ornamental generally the preserve of the elite until quite recent times. Smaller gardens generally had being a kitchen garden as th ...
*
Landscape design history
A landscape is the visible features of an area of land, its landforms, and how they integrate with natural or man-made features, often considered in terms of their aesthetic appeal.''New Oxford American Dictionary''. A landscape includes the p ...
(category)
Footnotes
References
Sources
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Further reading
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External links
The Lutyens Trust*
ttp://www.wardsbookofdays.com/29march.htm The creations of Sir Edwin Lutyens @ ''Ward's Book of Days''The cathedral that never was– exhibition of Lutyens' cathedral model at the Walker Art Gallery
* – An 1898 house in France designed by Lutyens and its garden designed by Lutyens and Gertrude Jekyll.
Collection of over 2000 photos of Lutyens' work on Flickr
{{DEFAULTSORT:Lutyens, Edwin
1869 births
1944 deaths
Artists from London
People of the Victorian era
Architects from London
British neoclassical architects
Arts and Crafts movement artists
Arts and Crafts architects
Fellows of the Royal Institute of British Architects
19th-century English architects
20th-century English architects
Royal Academicians
Members of the Order of Merit
Knights Commander of the Order of the Indian Empire
Knights Bachelor
Alumni of the Royal College of Art
Recipients of the Royal Gold Medal
Commonwealth War Graves Commission
Golders Green Crematorium
Burials at St Paul's Cathedral
Lutyens family
Masters of the Art Worker's Guild
Recipients of the AIA Gold Medal