Space and Place Before and After 1945
The two places that Michael Taylor chose to illustrate how towns developed before and after the Second World War couldn’t have been better. As Historic Areas Advisor at English Heritage our guest speaker was well qualified to talk through the features of his home town Harlow and also illustrate the way Exeter developed in the aftermath of war-time bombing. They provided interesting and useful comparisons with Coventry in his talk entitled ‘Space and Place before and after 1945’.
Harlow was built at the same time as Coventry. In many ways its architecture and planning is similar to Coventry’s but the similarity ends there as it was a new expansion of London into the countryside. Sir Frederick Gibbard was the chief architect, one of five sons of a Coventry taylor. Working with him on landscaping and housing was landscape planner Dame Silvia Crowe, both of them working on the integration of the town into the rolling woodlands and countryside.
Harlow Town centre was started in 1957 and took many Coventry influences, even having the same sculpture of Elisabeth Frink by F.E. McWilliam and surprisingly other sculptural work by William Mitchell, an artist known in Coventry for the Three Tons Pub mural in concrete. The Town centre was made into a pedestrian shopping area just like Coventry but outdoor and temporary market stalls were a feature giving life to its precincts.
Harlow was designed with a major water feature with pools, sculptures and quiet seating areas built right next to the Council's main buildings. A lovely area to walk or sit around especially suitable for courting couples like Michael. But over the years this area became a bit like Coventry's Broadgate, unloved and run down. The water feature was moved to build a new shopping complex that in fact paid for the area to be improved with investment to follow.
Exeter was quite different being a historic city with a major part of the centre near to the Cathedral badly affected by the wartime bombing. It resulted in a new access being made from the city centre directly to the Cathedral. Now the typical 1950’s design has more recently been redeveloped into a successful shopping area. Michael considered the new shopping development to be higher than needs be, spoiling the setting for Exeter’s historic Cathedral.
Michael went on to talk about the work of English Heritage and its listing of post war building. He said that the government are somewhat scared of post war listing. When Margaret Hodges was Listings Minister she came to Birmingham to announce that the Birmingham Library will not be listed but pulled down. In contrast John Penrose when listing the Leeds University Chamberlin Powell and Bon designed building he said "I listed a building today and didn't even leave my office".
English Heritage has a good dialogue with Coventry City Officers and the Coventry Society and are working on various projects in Coventry. As it happens English Heritage was less than happy over the 2009 Jerde Plan because the Gibson 1950's design was not given proper consideration. He referred to a report by Jerry and Caroline Gould Consultancy on post war Coventry that will hopefully turned into a book sometime next year.
English Heritage has listed many post war building in Coventry, the rail station, the retail market, the swimming baths, the round cafe, and most recently Broadgate House with its bridge and clock. A piece of interesting trivia referred to its opening by Lord Lewis Silken (who had previously been Planning Minister). Apparently it took place the very the same afternoon as the Sir Stanley Mathews Cup Final!
Photo - courtesy of mira66 - from Flickr