Perspectives on Architecture – RIBA London – October 20th 2015
Join the SC+M team for a free public talk on our research project to document the post-war North East at the RIBA, 66 Portland Place on 20th October 2015. The talk will be hosted by author John Grindrod whos excellent publication Concretopia comes highly reccomended. Also check out his indepth blog – Dirty Modern Scoundrel for all things utopian. To book a seat, please contact Hayley Russell. For more details on the talk go the RIBAs website. The talk runs from 6.15 to 7.15pm hopefully with plenty of time for a good Q+A. Look forward to seeing you there.
An office building constructed to house multiple voluntary organisations together in a single building, was constructed in 1972-4 to the designs of Ryder and Yates. The building’s unique and innovative design incorporates a Vierendeel truss structural arrangement that dispenses with the need for columns, instead suspending the building slabs from deep beams in the penthouse and subframes. Ryder and Yates were one of the most important post-war regional firms in England and this building represents their first major building in Newcastle city centre and one of their most prominent works. It is believed to be the first purpose-built building to house multiple community service organisations under a single roof.
Along with Ryder and Yates MEA House, their former office in Killingworth was also listed. Dedicated work from Tyne & Wear Building Preservation Trust has brough this building to the attention with an ongoing campaign to repair and restore the building back into use. You can give a small donation here towards its preservation. English Heritage descibed the significance of the offices as:
Constructed in 1964-5 is an elegant building with strong architectural character derived by its clean crisp lines and sharp detailing. It was designed by Ryder and Yates, one of the most important post-war regional firms in England and is little altered both externally and internally. Its modernist single-storey pavilion form, which reuses the steel frame of a building Ryder & Yates designed for the 1962 London Olympia exhibition, provides an interesting reflection of the links between modern architecture and exhibition design, as well as showing the influence of Le Corbusier and Lubetkin on Ryder and Yates’ work.
Back in July we held an official launch of the website at Newcastle University School of Architecture and Planning. The exhibtion contained over 40 sample projects from the archives and recent models. Better late than never, but thanks to everyone who attended and the support of Newcastle Architecture department for hosting us. The excellent photography is courtesy of Ryan Edy.
