The nature of public appreciation of architecture

731 Pages·2015·37.51 MB·English

by  Judith Brine

THE NATURE OF PUBLIC APPRECIATION OF ARCHITECTURE:
A THEORETICAL EXPOSITION AND THREE CASE STUDIES
A THESIS SUBMITTED FOR THE DEGREE OF DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY
JUDITH M.C. BRINE, B. Arch. (Melbourne)
Dip. T.R.P. (Melbourne)
DEPARTMENT OF ARCHITECTURE
UNIVERSITY OF ADELAIDE
t98T
/ìi¡o.dror n lblaT
TABLE OF CONTENTS
I.
VOLUME Page
I.
SUMMARY X
II. DECLARATION xllr
III. PREFACE AND ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS xlv
IV.
INTRODUCTION: THE STRUCTURE OF THE THESIS 1
V A THEORETICAL EXPOSITION OF THE NATURE OF 6
ARCHITECTURAL APPRECIATION
VI. CASE STUDY ONE: THE CAMBRIDGE CAMDEN SOCIETY 39
Introduction
1 39
2 The activities of the Cambridge Camden Society 4I
3 The theoretical basis of the Cambridge Camden 99
Societyts operations
4 The influence of Pugin on the development of tt6
the Cambridge Camden Societyrs theoretical base
The influence of the Oxford Movement in the L34
5
development of the Cambridge Camden Societyrs
practical and theoretical base
VII. CASE STUDY TT,IO: THE PENAL SETTLEMENT OF PORT 182
ARTHUR: DIMENSIONS OF ITS PUBLIC APPRECIATION
AND THEIR RELATIONSHIP TO MARCUS CLARKEIS HIS
NATURAL LIFE
Introduction
7 1,82
Port Arthur as a prison
2 183
Port Arthur as an historic monument: the t94
J
site and its visitors
4 Connecting Marcus Clarkets His Natural Life 208
with the site of Port Arthur
5 Public appreciation of Port Arthur: dimension 22L
one attitudes to convictism
6 Public appreciation of Port Arthur: dimension 234
two - developing concepts of the past in
relation to Port Arthur
7 Public appreciation of Port Arthur: dimension 254
three appreciation of the building fabric
8 Conclusions about public appreciation of Port 309
Arthur
LI
(continued) Page
CONTENTS
,, VIII CASE STUDY THREE: THE EARLY CRITICAL BASES 318
.
OF THE CRITIC CHARLES JENCKS
Introduction 318
1
The critical stance of his thesis 320
2
The critical stance displayed in Modern 329
3
in Architecture
Movements
36!
4 Conclusion
IX. ASSESSMENT OF THE CONTRIBUTIONS MADE BY 364
THIS THESIS
Introduction 364
1
Case study one: the Cambridge Camden Society 367
2
rl 3 Case study two: Port Arthur 374
4 Case study three: Charles Jencks 378
/5 Conclusion, some generaL remarks 381
II. Page
VOLUME
X.
APPENDICES L
I
Early editions of the Church Schemes
1_.
) Extracts from The Merc Reaction to a 4
proposal to m a new m of His Natural
Life at Port Arthur in L926
A description of His Natural Life including L5
3
Clarkets preface
4 The popul arity of His Natural Life: A survey 20
of its printings
The critical recePtion of His Natural Life z5
5
Clarkers visit to Port Arthur 95
6
1 His Natural Life and place 101_
The work of Hannah Arendt pertaining to L07
8
Jencksr criticism
The work of I.A. Richards pertaining to r49
9
Jencks' criticism
].tL
(continued) Page
CONTENTS
L74
XI REFERENCES AND NOTES
.
L74
Introduction
L
A theoretical exPosition of the nature of t75
2
architectural aPPreciation
Case studY one 183
3
2t9
4 Case studY two
Case studY three 235
5
of the contributions made by 239
Assessment
6
this thesis
24L
Appendices
7
XII. 266
BIBLIOGRAPHY
1. Theoretical 266
2. Case studY one 273
3. Case studY two 787
4. Case studY three 293
]-V
following
(continued)
CONTENTS
page
INDEX OF ILLUSTRATIONS AND
DIAGRAMS AND THEIR SOURCES
1 Appreciation of Gothic beforsretr aPnuggeinrs a nd the 46
Cambridge Camden Society: viewing
Oxfordt . G.M. I,,ioodward Eccentric Excursions or
Literar and Pictorial sketches of countenance
c racter a coun ry n eren a SO
an a South i,rlales Inters ersed with
ur ous nec otes. an o., OD: 07,
plate
47.
2. rAntiquarians viewing Queens Cross' , gp. cit. 46
,
plate 46.
3. rShewing the Garden' , g¡.. cit., plate 1-3. 46
4 The arcades at Cherry Hinton, authorrs 50
photograph.
5. The fonC at Trumpington. Cambridge Camden 50
i ety Churches of Cambridgeshire and the
Soc
IsIe of Ert; Cambridge, L842.
6. Arcading in the north transePt, Histon, 50
authorr s photograph.
7 . An example of an early Church Scheme. 54
Cambridge Camden Society, annoted by l,'iebb,
Neale and Thomas . RIBA Library, Begg Papers .
8. Membership of the Cambridge Camden Society" 58
Data derived from Annual Reports and from
the Ecclesiologist.
9 The new mode of seating advocated by the 63
Cambridge Camden Society (details not
faithfully illustrated Cap and Bell,
)
Punch's Chronicles of E lish Histor LN
e ng usan an SA ggs
( eds ) , MacDonaId, London, 1972. OriginaLly
appeared in Punch 1854.
1-0. Models for High Chuch ritual, sedilia and 63
piscina, Cherry Hinton. Cambridge Camden
Society Churches of Cambridgeghire a45t lhe
Isle of E-ff, eãmbridg", L842.
V
following
(continued)
INDEX
page
1,I. Octagonal font of kind favoured by Carnbridge 63
Camden Society t Harlton Church, 1845.
An illustrated CLuide to Harlton Church.
AT ton, am L oê
tZ " Publications of the Cambridge Camden Society, 65
compiled from a varietY of sources including
Cambridge amden Society Annual Reports, the
C
EccLe s íoI o isL, the diari es-offfiË-ãnã Neale
rom vertisements
a a
"
13 " Cambridge Camden SocietY Broadsheet Hints on 69
the tnJell-Kee I & Orderi of Churches
Levenson, am T ge; V ng ons, J.H
Parker, Oxford, n. d.
14. Holy Sepulchre Church as it appeared in I8L4, 72.
Canon Mark Ruston, The Round Church Cambridge.
-Ic.f9801
Pitkin Pictorials Ltd n.cl. reprinted
from Ackermann History of Cambridge.
rrestoredr
15. The church as bY the Cambridge 72
Society t842, architect Anthony Salvin.
Camden
Front cover op. cit.
1,6. The Norman west door, oP. cit p.1 72
L7. Interior of the church in I8L4 before 72
restorat ion , 9P. cit. , p . 1-0, reprinted
from Ackermann HiEEõry of Cambridee.
1-8. The interior of the church after restoration, 72
ep. cit. , p.2.
L9. Plan showing originaL and nineteenth-century 72
work, op. cit., inside front cover.
20. Trumpington Church before restoration. 76
Cambridge Camden Society Churches of Cambrid e-
shire and the Isle of Elv eP. (- t
2t. Trumpington Church after restoration of roof 76
to original steep pitch, author's photograph.
22 " Harlston Church after recent removal of the 76
rendering. Cambridge Camden Society Churches
of Cambrid eshire and the Isle of El 9P.
c
23. St Saviors Church, Leeds, built by Pusey with 89
advice from Webb, Pugin's west window glass.
Architectural Review, Vol 588, December L945,
F
vl
fol lowing
(continued)
INDEX
Page
24. The crossing, oD. cit. , from contemPorary 89
lithograph, ttg
P
25" A "N.W. Pugin, Scheme for student bedroom at 9L
alLiot Cõllege at Oxford, 1843- Howard
B
olvin UnbuilÈ Oxford, Yale University Press,
C
New Haven & London, 1983, p.111- .
26. Sigillum designed by Pugin for the Cambridge 9L
Camden SocietY, Ecciesiologist Vol.3, t844,
p.1-85.
27. Frontis iece to A. N.l^1. Pugin The true 9L
tncr PIes of ointed or Christian architecture.
ca emy ô t ons on rePr nto ñê__
first edition pu,blished in 1-841 by John
[r]eale.
28. F.W. Paley, A Manual of Gothic Mouldi , with 9I
S
direct ions for copy ng an or etermining
their dates. London, John Van Voorst, fourth
edition L867 (L847 ) , Plate XII.
29. J.M. Neale and his family in A.G. Lough J'M' 98
Neale Priest Extraordinary , frontispiece.
30. Newman at Oxford , engraving by R. I¡loodman at 98
Magdalen College of the picture painted bY
Sir tJ.C. Ross R.A. in R.D. Middleton Newman
and Bloxam: an Oxford friendshi . ceoflfiãy
ess,
er eBe, or n vers v L947 .
31-. The Bishop of London ln Cap_and Bell, Punçhrs 98
Chronicle of En li sh His or n the Maki
usan an SA ggs e S ald,
f-ónã'õn f972, from Punch, VoI . XXXIII , 1-857 , p. L36.
32. Church at Litt lemore as built by Newman, from 153
an anonymous sepia sketch at Magdalen College,
R.D. Middleton Newman and Bloxam an Oxford
friendship. Geo rey um T ê8e, or
University Press, 7947 , opp. p.33.
1a Original interior of church at Littlemore, ibid 153
JJ.
3/+ . Contempo'rarY comment from a coloured Print at 153
College, in Middleton op. ci!.
Magdalen
35. Isaac l/üilliams. The Altar or Meditations in 1.57
verse on the Great Christian Sacrillce.
London, James öurns, 184z, plate '¿'¿ .
36 . ibid. , plate L2. 1,57
VI]-
following
INt)EX ( continued
) Page
37. Isaac illiams The cathedral or the Catholic L57
and A I¡Jstolic Church in E Iand. uxrord, John
enry ar r, , unpag nate
38. The dock at Port Arthur. Archives Office of L73
Tasmania, NS479l27, 3012236, n.d.
39. Approaching Port Arthur by sea photography t93
'
Ebi¡ard Seail . National Library of Australia,
n. d.
40 . The road to Port Arthur. Archives Office of 193
Tasmania 29 19.
4L. The lunatic asylum built in 1868, photograph 199
by Anson. Archives Office of Tasmania 30 I 4773.
42. The penitent Lary, photograph^Þy.T:^Crawford' L99
Archives Office- of- Tasmania 30 I L200 .
43. The interior of the penitentiary, photograph L99
by T. Crawford. Archives Office of Tasmania
30 l L202 .
44. The history of Port Arthur as a prison largeLy 220
compiled from information j-n Ian Brand Penal
Peninsula.
45. Visiting the modet prison. NationaL Llb'tary of 233
Australia, n.d.
46. Visiting the penitentiary, Mr Prettymanrs 233
stereo view. Archives Office of Tasmania
3012247, n.d.
47. Making a ilm of His Natural Life in 1926. 233
1.
Archives 0f.î.ice of Tasmania 3Ul4L 5114.
48. Guides at Port Arthur, BilI Thompson - Guide' 253
Archives Office of Tasmania 301634-5.
49. Septimus Nichols at Port Arthur. Archives 253
Office of Tasmania NS507/71.
50. Bill at the model prison. Archives Office of 253
Tasmania 30 I 4544
51. Port Arthur seen as aPicturesque vill age. The 274
church, photogfaPh Irueattie. Archives Office
of Tasmania 3014483
52. View from hoteL grounds. Archives Office of 274
Tasmania 30 I 45L5.
viii
following
INDEX ( continued)
Page
53. rA walk at Port Arthur'. Archives Office of 274
Tasmania 4137
.
54. Port Arthur seen as a town. Port Arthur in 279
1-839, photograph bY Beattie of a printing by
an unknown artist. Archives Office of Tasmania
3014476.
55. Port Arthur in 1859, pen and ink drawing by 2.7 9
C. Hunter. MitchelL Library, Sydney, in Ian
Brand Penal PeninsuLa Port Arthur and its
outstaffi. Tasmania 1978.
56. Port Arthur in 1860s. National Parks and Wild- 279
li fe Services Port Arthur Draft. Mana ement
Plan, t975 (unre erence
57. The church at Port Arthur. The Tasmanian 298
Archives 30 I 4482.
7940.
58. Restoration in L940. The Mercury, March 298
1"
The Tasmanian Archives 30 I 4483
-
59. Visiting the church in t926, Htrmphrey photograph 298
National Library of Australia.
141211,926.
60. A pamphLet issued by the National Parks and 307
Wifdflfe Services, Tasmania, c.1980.
6L. Restoration at Port Arthur as reported in 307
the local ne\^JSpaper The Mercury , Thursday
23lLIltgtZ, p. 8.
L
62. Summary of appreciation of Port Arthur. 308
oJ. I.A. Richards, I.A. Richards ESSA s in his 328
honour. Oxford n VETS v rCSS, , P'
64 Hannah Arendt, !975. Elizabeth Young-Bruehl 328
Hannah Arendt: for Love of the world. Yale
University Press, L9ó¿, oPP. p. 111
.
65. Charles Jencks, Architecture Australia, 343
February 5, front cover.
1-97
IX
I.
SUMMARY
This thesis investigates the nature of architectural
appreciation in situations where particular buildings have
been deliberately visited by the general public apparently
with a view to interacting with them in some way. Apprec-
iation is taken here to encompass both experience and
evaluation and, as in much philosophical aesthetics, it is
held that the value of a building relates to the
experience which it alLows. Further, it is argued that
value and experience are not confined to aesthetic value
and experience but rather that they relate to value
and
experience in the world at large. In general terms this
thesis presents visiting as a culturaL activity witTr
a
defined social structure.
The text of this thesis assumes and illustrates the
importance of the hermeneutic process applied to architec-
ture. First it is in itself a hermeneutic experiment;
an
exerci se in the interpretation of texts on architecture
produced by visitors to buildings or other commentators.
Then the texts which are studied are themselves accounts
of hermeneutic processes relating to architecture.
Finally, âs is consistent with the greater recognition of
the importance of the reader assumed by hermeneutic
theory, the case studies are deliberately presented t'-n
a
manner which allows the reader a greater interpretative
role than is usual in academic work. The theoretical
section of the thesis develops a number of statements
X