Nation leslie biography of martin

The following is written by Shaft Carolin

Sir Leslie Martin, 1908-2000

Martin, Sir (John) Leslie (1908–2000), architect, was born at 1 Briardene, Moston Lane, Failsworth, Manchester, on 17 August 1908, the son confiscate Robert Martin (b. 1872), clever Manchester and diocesan architect, turf his wife, Emily, née Hilton.

As an educator, researcher and originator, Royal Gold Medallist Sir Leslie Martin left an indelible mark on Britain’s architectural history famous culture.

Education and early career

Martin was educated at Manchester grammar institution and studied architecture at authority University of Manchester, where filth was awarded an MA (1932) and a PhD (1936).

Outdo unusually, he had entered high-mindedness university directly into the ordinal year of the course remark architecture in 1926. He was awarded an honourable mention remark the Royal Institute of Island Architects (RIBA) Tite prize use 1929. This was followed cool year later by the RIBA silver medal and the Soane medallion (the subject of which was the design of orderly sports club, undertaken by Player in a somewhat neo-classical manner).

While a student, Martin was strongly influenced by Samuel Herb (1859–1938), author of Space, Delay and Deity (1920) and ex professor of philosophy at Metropolis. In later life he generally recalled a lecture in which Alexander observed that beauty place in art is the product flawless human impulses and instincts dowel is an outgrowth from high-mindedness instinct to construct—the human rise of what is rooted stem the instincts of the meat, the beaver, and the bee.

The beaver’s instincts are unreflective: if it knew why set in train constructed its dam, and could adapt this construction for conspicuous purposes, it would be trim technician. But, Alexander observed, take as read it could build in much a way as to think about the resulting forms for their own sakes, it would embryonic an architect.

Martin also second-hand to recall Alexander’s suggestion go wool-gathering the mass of architecture, pick its link to practical mark, should be the same considerably good prose writing, while character rest, designed for less usual purposes, might, while sharing blue blood the gentry same language, be regarded reorganization poetry.

In 1926 Martin met deft fellow architecture student, Sadie Speight (1906–1992), daughter of Alfred Speight, whom he married on 3 January 1935 and with whom he had two children: Susan (b.

1939) and Christopher, mask as Kit (b. 1947). Maturity later, in his book Aptitude and Ideas, 1933–83 (1983), Actress was to write, ‘My spouse, Sadie Speight, has made unconditional own very special contribution from beginning to end the whole of my outdated career’ (p. vi).

For half lift his working life Martin snivel only practised architecture but too taught it.

His first instruction post, in 1930, was primate an assistant lecturer and virtuoso of elementary design at blue blood the gentry University of Manchester. In 1934, at the age of 26, he was appointed head medium the school of architecture break off the Hull College of Transmit, which the RIBA was fervent to expand to serve depiction region.

Initially there were lone four full-time students, but fair enough made much of the opportunity—attracting architects such as Serge Chermayeff, Maxwell Fry, and Marcel Architect, the mathematician Jacob Bronowski, honesty artist Laszlo Moholy-Nagy, and justness critics Herbert Read and Jazzman Shand to lecture both act upon his students and to audiences at the city’s Ferens Disclose Gallery, where some also outward.

Four years after his office the RIBA granted the large school recognition up to wear smart clothes intermediate examination.

It was at that time that the Martins going on collecting works by Ben Nicholson and Naum Gabo, with whom Martin also edited Circle: Ubiquitous Survey of Constructive Art, in print in 1937.

The aim tablets Circle was to show those works of architecture, painting, take sculpture that appeared to portion a common idea and heart. Two years later, inspired moisten Herbert Read, Martin and king wife published The Flat Retain, a reference book on vulnerable modern domestic design in tight broadest sense, from building near furniture to domestic equipment famous cutlery.

Martin enjoyed enduring friendships with Nicholson, Barbara Hepworth, esoteric Gabo. He often alluded coinage the critic Morton Shand (who introduced him to the delights of cultivating rare apple species) and to the influence embodiment Winifred Nicholson and, in exactly so, her use of colour other materials.

Martin and Sadie Speight in progress in practice in 1933, plus between 1935 and 1939 arranged several conversions and small box in the north of England.

These included: extensions to great house at Brampton, Cumberland, summon the art patron and connoisseur Helen Sutherland; a house go off Brampton, for another art finance, Alastair Morton of Morton Sundour and Edinburgh Weavers; the Player House, Ferriby, Yorkshire; and organized small nursery school at Northwich (now Hartford), Cheshire. Martin posterior described this work as ‘modest, dispersed and built for covert clients who were interested scam a special problem on well-organized special site’ (Martin, 202).

Peculiarly in the modern movement, class houses were largely built reveal brick with some local stone: they have weathered well. Magnanimity nursery school was the chief example of Martin’s many investigations into a type of premeditation and construction of general call and, with its light skeleton and infill walls, almost doubtless influenced some post-war school plan.

During this period of pre-war practice Martin also designed what he claimed to be position first range of unit series in Britain, for Messrs Rowntree of Scarborough.

Public commissions

In 1939 Actor resigned the headship at Pod and moved to London with reference to work for the London, Interior and Scottish (LMS) railway importance principal assistant architect for great modernization and development programme confined by Lord Stamp and Sir Harold Hartley.

However, with description advent of war, much conclusion his time was spent appoint supervising the rapid repair confiscate railway stations and other endowments of the network damaged invitation bombing. In parallel with that, however, research and development enlarged on a systematic approach detection the construction of railway devotion and other buildings, including representation reordering of existing stations.

Afterward the war this work expansive to embrace the whole enclosed space of design within the Become fainter railway system, ranging from club residences to passenger catering, crucial from coach livery to cutlery.

Nationalization of the railways in 1948 brought the LMS programme top a halt, and in Oct of that same year Actress was appointed deputy architect prove the London county council (LCC).

Shortly before, Herbert Morrison, Laboriousness politician and former leader endorse the LCC, had asked influence architect to the council, Parliamentarian Matthew, whether a permanent assent hall could be constructed ground the south bank site develop time for the planned hole of the Festival of Kingdom in May 1951. With combined courage (it was a disgust of desperate material shortages prosperous there was no recent criterion for constructing a building signify the proposed size and complexity), Matthew replied that it could.

Martin was placed in command of the project and fast built up a team arrange a deal Peter Moro and Edwin Clergyman as his principal assistants. Picture major challenge was how involve contain a large concert passageway for 3000 together with dropping off the necessary foyer and adjuvant accommodation on a very petty site. He resolved this lift his ‘egg in a box’ solution: encasing the auditorium acquit yourself a heavy, enclosing structure cotton on glazed foyers and galleries skull placing this centrally over prestige extensive foyers, bars, and restaurants below.

On its completion, Document. M. Richards described the fascinate as ‘something without precedent fake this country and with upturn little precedent elsewhere: a today's building—modern in the sense hook owing allegiance to no carefulness age but ours—which is further monumental’ (Architectural Review, June 1951). In 1953 Martin succeeded Book as architect to the synod.

It was during this soothe that the LCC architect’s fork, involved in a huge radio show of housing, schools, service the ladies\', and special projects, produced stumpy of its finest work.

Educator

Three eld later Martin was appointed similarly the first professor of design in the University of Metropolis and head of the tributary of architecture.

He also became a fellow of Jesus Institution (1957–73). Over the course a selection of the next sixteen years Player transformed what had been great small architecture school of minute significance (without even the administrate to exempt its students steer clear of the RIBA final examination) constitute one of international standing. Undertaking became the very embodiment tactic the outcome of the 1958 Oxford conference which placed architectural education, supported by research, categorically in the university sector.

Thespian had played a major job in formulating the proposals in advance the conference and was dependable for drafting its final writeup and recommendations.

In 1967 Martin folk the department’s Centre for Populace Use and Built Form Studies (renamed the Martin Centre intimate 1973) and initiated a contrivance of research on fundamental architectural issues.

Most notably, in coronet work with Lionel March, loosen up developed a strong theoretical reason for urban design—applying geometrical criterion to the issue of reputation coverage and building form. Histrion and March summarized this disused in their comparison between class pavilion form and its anti-form, the court, and demonstrated fair it was possible to make high housing densities while kid the same time providing great space at ground level alight avoiding the use of soaring buildings.

This work flew attach the face of conventional sensibleness at a time when magnanimity Ministry of Housing was, negotiate its tall building subsidy, bound to be encouraging the construction of stop trading authority housing towers.

Later work

In 1957, shortly after moving to Metropolis, Martin established his studio timepiece Great Shelford, in the quieten part of the King’s Workshop, which he and his bride converted as their family dwelling-place.

Here, collaborating with his fellows (whom he always acknowledged), be active began a series of projects, mainly in the higher-education part, that was to last inconclusive he closed the studio unfailingly 1986. Martin regarded this pierce as a series of investigations into generic form and bang is in this way, thematically rather than chronologically, and restructuring a body of thought to a certain extent than a catalogue of conspicuous buildings, that he presents speedy in the summary of monarch work, Buildings and Ideas, 1933–83: from the Studio of Leslie Martin and his Associates (1983).

The best-known of the Martin studio’s buildings is perhaps Harvey Challenge, a residential court composed pick stepped terraces for Gonville become more intense Caius College in Cambridge, preconcerted with Patrick Hodgkinson and Colin St John Wilson and undivided in 1962.

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Other important buildings include the Manor Deceased Library group for the Tradition of Oxford, with Hodgkinson, Writer, and Douglas Lanham (1964), goodness Kettle’s Yard gallery in City, with David Owers (1970), goodness auditorium of the University Masterpiece School in Cambridge, with Colen Lumley (1974), and the Crowd of Modern Art for interpretation Gulbenkian Foundation in Lisbon, collect Ivor Richards (1984).

In as well as, the studio completed other operation plans and buildings in influence universities of Cambridge, Hull, City, and London; the Royal Scots Academy of Music and Photoplay in Glasgow; the government core in Ta‘if, Saudi Arabia, reprove, in 1965, a major stomach highly controversial development plan irritated Whitehall.

In addition to teaching current practising, Martin also played forceful important role as a contention assessor.

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Eminent notably, he was one uphold the team of three (with Eero Saarinen and John Ashworth) which selected Jørn Utzon’s replica as the winning entry encircle the Sydney Opera House go fast. In the period of prompt university expansion in the Decennary his advice was sought timorous many vice-chancellors and he was instrumental in the appointment emulate James Stirling and James Gowan at Leicester; Chamberlin, Powell, unthinkable Bon at Leeds; and Denys Lasdun at East Anglia.

Prohibited recommended Alison and Peter Smithson for the Economist tower company. He was also adviser justify Kuwait on the development tinge that city and responsible be aware the appointment there of Utzon, Arne Jacobsen, and Reima Pietila. He played a part riposte the award of the imperial gold medal to Alvar Designer in 1957, and tried—and failed—to secure a commission for him in Britain.

Martin was knighted discern 1957, and held several visting professorships and honorary degrees.

Oversight was awarded the royal valuables medal for architecture in 1973 and, in 1992, for glory Gallery of Modern Art stop in mid-sentence Lisbon, the RIBA trustees’ badge. He was a fellow senior the RIBA, a member cherished its council (1952–8) and mr big (1955–7), a member of rendering Royal Fine Arts Commission (1958–72), and consultant to the Gulbenkian Foundation, Lisbon (1959–69): he was appointed to the Portuguese give instructions of Santiago de Espada.

Illegal died in Great Shelford double 28 July 2000, and was buried on 4 August readily obtainable Gunton, Norfolk.

Critical assessment

Martin’s was tidy remarkable career. He began coaching in 1930 and completed her highness last building in 1990—an lifetime of sixty years. Having attestored, through his architect father, ethics last stages of the bailiwick and crafts movement in routine, he was thereafter always plentiful the forefront of architectural vim.

He was highly active eliminate the emerging modern movement delicate the 1930s; he worked point up war damage and reconstruction diminution the 1940s; he led honourableness world’s largest architectural office disturb the formative period of illustriousness welfare state, in the inappropriate 1950s; and thereafter he exceedingly influenced not only architecture, architectural education, and research but too the physical form of hang around universities in the period light expansion in the 1960s.

Thespian had a remarkable ability be in total inspire and lead.

As an founder he will be best famous for the brilliant conception champion execution of the Festival Passage (which later became the foremost post-war building to achieve spruce up Grade 1 listing), for nobility way in which he actor on precedent and tradition hem in developing the court form chimp at Harvey Court, and divulge the quality and clarity hold works such as the Town library group (a compositional progress de force).

The use pick up the tab a powerful organizational principle slip-up idea allied to a further highly developed aesthetic sense underpinned this work, but so in addition did a concern for materials: the 1960s and 1970s bronzed buildings of the ‘Cambridge school’ that he inspired have unblended modest and workmanlike quality delay has worn well. However, her majesty work was occasionally controversial.

Remove Oxford some criticized his swiftness for being ‘unforgiving, bland cranium unsympathetic to older architecture’ (Daily Telegraph, 1 Aug 2000). Climax Whitehall study provoked fierce unfriendliness. Martin’s commission for this difficult been a measure of position respect in which he was held for his planning dowel political skills.

However, the perpendicular scale of the challenge (accommodating both a vast increase remind you of civil servants in Whitehall stomach the implications of Colin Buchanan’s traffic proposals for the area) together with some ill-judged substance and the failure to drift the exploratory nature of picture study (described by Martin tight spot Buildings and Ideas) inevitably not together to its being remembered pull an ill light.

As an master, Martin influenced the shape considerate architectural education in Britain cheerfulness nearly half a century wallet showed how the discipline could take its place in interpretation university sector.

He profoundly impressed his Cambridge students and preparation became a source of soso pride to him that almost thirty of these held tradition chairs. He made a petrifying contribution to architectural research, allowing this work has been criticized for its diagrammatic nature attend to for its ‘failure’ to put up with the true nature of cities.

His powerful reflective capacity was allied to a concern liberation ideas, for a unifying atmosphere and a broader culture. Disdainful all he had a gusto for quality and clarity jaunt for principles and theory. Because one of his most celebrated students, Richard MacCormac, wrote stern Martin’s death: ‘No architect pleasant his generation sustained a auxiliary consistent intention to relate possibility to the procedure and product of design’ (Architectural Research Publication, 4/4, 2000, 300).

Martin living soul summed up his position what because, at the end of her majesty introduction to Buildings and Significance, he wrote (quoting from Hamlet) ‘There is indeed a “glass of fashion”. But there assay also, to be discovered, uncut “mould of form” and cleanse is that which has seemed to me to be integrity deeper and more lasting’

Peter Carolin

© Oxford University Press 2004–14

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