Charles Holloway James, , (1893–1953), architect, specialised in designs for homes and housing projects, but also completed large public works, particularly in collaboration with Stephen Rowland Pierce.

Early life

James was born in 1893 at Gloucester. Articled to Walter Bryan Wood, he later assisted

Sir Edwin Lutyens 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 houses, war memoria ...

and then Barry Parker and

Raymond Unwin Sir Raymond Unwin (2 November 1863 – 29 June 1940) was a prominent and influential English engineer, architect and town planner, with an emphasis on improvements in working class housing. Early years Raymond Unwin was born in Rotherham, York ...

, consulting architects to the First Garden City,

Letchworth Letchworth Garden City, commonly known as Letchworth, is a town in the North Hertfordshire district of Hertfordshire, England. It is noted for being the first garden city. The population at the time of the 2011 census was 33,249. Letchworth ...

, arousing his interest in housing questions.

Career

Returning from the war of 1914-18, where he lost a leg, James went into partnership with Charles Murray Hennell in 1919, full of enthusiasm for the ideals of a new social order. He lectured on “Housing and Site Planning,” at the

Architectural Association The Architectural Association School of Architecture in London, commonly referred to as the AA, is the oldest independent school of architecture in the UK and one of the most prestigious and competitive in the world. Its wide-ranging programme ...

in 1921-22, and published a book ''Small Houses for the Community'' with photographs by F. R. Yerbury, in 1924. Both Hennell and James had worked at Letchworth, and much of their early work together was at

Welwyn Garden City Welwyn Garden City ( ) is a town in Hertfordshire, England, north of London. It was the second garden city in England (founded 1920) and one of the first new towns (designated 1948). It is unique in being both a garden city and a new town and ...

. They were also responsible for

Swanpool Garden Suburb Swanpool is a suburb of Lincoln, England. It was built in the interwar period In the history of the 20th century, the interwar period lasted from 11 November 1918 to 1 September 1939 (20 years, 9 months, 21 days), the end of the First Wo ...

, Lincoln; government subsidy houses in Thorpe Bay, Essex; and the layout and design of housing schemes in other parts of the country. After Hennell's death much of James's work was done at

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 twentie ...

, including his own house and several on a larger scale. In partnership with Stephen Rowland Pierce, F.R.I.B.A., James won competitions for three public buildings. Of these the most important was the

City Hall, Norwich Norwich City Hall is an Art Deco building completed in 1938 which houses the city hall for the city of Norwich, East Anglia, in Eastern England. It is one of the Norwich 12, a collection of twelve heritage buildings in Norwich deemed of parti ...

, on an elevated site between the ancient Guildhall and the Church of St. Peter Mancroft above the market place. A building on a grand scale, it combines James's neo-Georgian architecture with a reference to the then fashionable Swedish movement and the tower of

Stockholm City Hall Stockholm City Hall ( sv, Stockholms stadshus, ''Stadshuset'' locally) is the seat of Stockholm Municipality in Stockholm, Sweden. It stands on the eastern tip of Kungsholmen island, next to Riddarfjärden's northern shore and facing the islands ...

at Ostberg. Norwich City Hall is the most important of the public buildings by James, but other projects in which James was involved included

County Hall, Hertford The County Hall is a municipal building complex in Pegs Lane, Hertford, Hertfordshire. The building, which is the headquarters of Hertfordshire County Council, is a Grade II* listed building. History The original Shire Hall for Hertfordshire w ...

(1939) and Slough Town Hall (1937). James, active despite his war injury, was described as a tall man with soft, flexible, and rather boyish features, giving the impression of great sensibility. He had a good deal of quiet humour, affecting a robust attitude to life that contrasted with his appearance. He became A.R.I.B.A. in 1918 and F.R.I.B.A. in 1926, and served as R.I.B.A. vice president 1947-8. He was elected A.R.A. in 1937 and R.A. in 1946, and won the London Architecture bronze medal in 1949. He married the designer

Margaret Calkin James Margaret Calkin James (June 1895 - 1985), was a calligrapher, graphic designer, textile printer, watercolour painter and printmaker, and is best known for her posters designed for the London Underground and London Transport between 1928 and 19 ...

in 1922.

References

External links

Profile on Royal Academy of Arts Collections
{{DEFAULTSORT:James, Charles Holloway Architects from Gloucestershire 1893 births 1953 deaths Fellows of the Royal Institute of British Architects Royal Academicians Artists' Rifles soldiers People from Gloucester