Historic England has given protection to 17 Post-Modern buildings through their new listing publication. The bold, playful examples of a critical reaction to Modernism, designed between 1970 and 1990, have been listed to stem losses for the valued architectural style, following a recommendation from the UK government’s Department for Digital, Culture, Media, and Sport.
The listed schemes vary in terms of location and use, encompassing culture, housing, education, civic, commercial, and law. From Crown Courts in Cornwall and warehouses in Slough to libraries in Cambridge and housing schemes in London, the listings reflect a revived interest in Post-Modernism, which was spurred by the 2011 “Style and Subversion” exhibition at the V&A in London.
Of the 17 listings, 11 are located in the capital city of London, where a strong representation of residential listings are contrasted by civic schemes such as the Sainsbury Wing of the National Gallery, designed by Robert Venturi and Denise Scott Brown. Acclaimed architecture firm CZWG features heavily in the list, responsible for four listed schemes.
Post-Modern architecture brought fun and color to our streets. Housing schemes were enlivened with bold façades, a school technology building was decorated with columns designed as screws, a business park injected with glamour. These are scarce survivals of a really influential period of British architecture and these buildings deserve the protection that listing gives them.
– Duncan Wilson, Chief Executive, Historic England
The new listed buildings include two listed at Grade I, the highest rating reserved for buildings of "exceptional interest." Another two are listed at Grade II*, signifying that they are of "more than special interest," while the remaining thirteen buildings are listed at Grade II* meaning that they are of "special interest."
The 17 pieces of Post-Modern architecture to be given heritage protection are as follows:
- Sainsbury Wing at the National Gallery, London / Venturi, Raunch and Scott Brown (Grade I Listing)
- Thematic House, London / Charles Jencks (Grade I Listing)
- Judge Business School, Cambridge / John Outram (Grade II* Listing)
- Truro Crown Courts, Cornwall / Eldred Evans and David Shalev (Grade II* Listing)
- China Wharf, London / Piers Gough, CZWG (Grade II Listing)
- Cascades, London / Rex Wilkinson, CZWG (Grade II Listing)
- Newlands Quay, London / MacCormac Jamieson Prichard and Wright (Grade II Listing)
- Swedish Quays, London / Price and Cullen (Grade II Listing)
- 23, 23a, 24, 25 Church Crescent, London / Colquhoun and Miller (Grade II Listing)
- 105-123 St Mark’s Road and 1-3 Cowper Terrace, London / Jeremy and Fenella Dixon (Grade II Listing)
- Belvoir Estate, London / Islington Architects’ Department (Grade II Listing)
- Katharine Stephen Rare Books Library, Cambridge / Joanna van Heyningen and Birkin Haward (Grade II Listing)
- Gough Building, Dorset / CZWG (Grade II Listing)
- Hillingdon Civic Centre, London / Robert Matthew Johnson-Marshall (Grade II Listing)
- Founders’ Hall, London / Sam Lloyd, Lloyd and Adams (Grade II Listing)
- 210, 220, 240, 250, 260, 290 Park Avenue, South Gloucestershire / CZWG (Grade II Listing)
- McKay Trading Estate, Slough / John Outram (Grade II Listing)
News via: Historic England.
