As part of the Modernist Society’s regular mooches led by photographer Steve Marland, this walking tour took place on Saturday 22 February 2020. Here’s Steve’s documentation of the mooch, which he has kindly shared with us from his website Modern Mooch.
Moving down the road a ways in search of an education, we encounter the UMIST Campus 1962-68 Cruikshank and Seward.
But first we hit a concrete, not brick, a concrete wall, a barrier with a barrier, encased in green metal mesh, shrouded in leafy trees.
Renold Building designed by W. Arthur Gibbon of Cruickshank and Seward. It was one of a suite of white concrete structures on the UMIST campus in Manchester. It was the first of its type in the UK – an entire building to house lecture theatres and seminar rooms.
And a foyer Victor Pasmore Mural
This is a maquette for the unlisted mural in the lobby of the Renold Building.
Turn around and there’s the Pariser Building.
Gone is the low lying Chemistry Building – it’s mosaics now almost hidden in intemperate storage at the base of the Faraday Building.
Works continue with the preparation for the construction of the new £60 million Graphene Engineering Innovation Centre GEIC and the demolition of the Faraday Undergraduate Building and link bridge on the North Campus.
The mosaic, `The Alchemist’s Elements’, in the entrance colonnade, has now been safely removed from the building and are being stored securely on campus until the building works are complete.
On completion of the GEIC in late 2017, the 4.5m x 3m artworks will be permanently reinstated within the site for visitors to enjoy for years to come.
The mosaics were created by Hans Tisdall a German-born artist, illustrator and designer with a distinguished career in 20th century Britain. Following the Second World War, Tisdall became involved in the revival of public artworks within many educational and industrial buildings – one of which included the Faraday Building at UMIST.
As of last week this was not the case.
Faraday Tower was designed by H. M. Fairhurst and built in 1967. A bridge connected it to the Faraday Building. Originally a library occupied the bridge.
The cladding is also by Tony Holloway
Onward and upward and slightly backwards into the world of modern information technology the National Computing Centre 1974 Cruickshank and Seward.
Another great sadness is the closure of St Augustine Church 1967-8 by Desmond Williams & Associates at All Saints, without a priest for well over a year.
Though there are rumours of a change of use and this wall relief by John Brumby is still visible.
Twixt the old and not so old this zigzag connecting corridor.
Off now to the RNCM 1968 Bickerdicke Allen Rich and Partners.
In the past fifteen years it has been slowly extended and modified by MBLA Architects, late MBLC. This has included a new library and teaching facility to the west and new practice suites to the eastern elevation as well as internal modifications to the kitchens, café and foyer spaces.
Across the way and somewhat set back Lynn Chadwick’s Sun
Further art in the environment almost in the environment Hans Tisdall’s Four Seasons – half in half out of the café.
Opposite we find the Schuster Building contains a mysterious mosaic.
The Schuster Building houses the Department of Physics and Astronomy and is named after Sir Franz Arthur Friedrich Schuster. The building was designed by Harry S. Fairhurst & Sons and was completed in 1967. The roof of the largest Lecture Theatre in the building has an abstract sculpture by Michael Piper on it.
A Sixties photographer called John D Green was chosen by the architect – however it’s a mystery why he was commissioned.
It would seem John D Green was a man of many talents – he was also a regular racing driver at Brands Hatch, and author of the legendary book Birds of Britain, recently the subject of an exhibition at Snap Galleries in London.
Returning again to Oxford Road – we encounter the classical mass of the Students Union J.W. Beaumont 1956
Cutting into the campus towards the Ellen Wilkinson aka Humanities Building – BDP 1964
The sculpted and moulded panels on the two-storey block and on the gable ends of the larger blocks were designed in collaboration with William Mitchell.
AQA HQ – Playne and Lacey 1962.
Around the corner the student homes of Whitworth Park
The Whitworth Park Residence has earned the obvious nickname of The Toblerones. It offers accommodation to 1085 undergraduate and 153 postgraduate students. The complex was designed by the Building Design Partnership and built in 1973-74.
