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London Panorama by Richard Bryant / arcaid.co.uk
Autumn 2009 saw the lecture series revisit earlier episodes in the story of ‘The Architects Who Made London’. Two walking tours were also held exploring some of the buildings and locations discussed in the lectures.
Nicholas Hawksmoor
12 October 2009
Nicholas Hawksmoor, arguably the most inventive architect of the English baroque, left his mark both on London’s physical fabric and the imagination of Londoners. His six great churches stretch east from St George’s Bloomsbury through to St Mary Woolnoth in the City, Christchurch Spitalfields and on to Wapping, Limehouse and Greenwich. Colin Amery, former Director of the World Monuments Fund, discusses Hawksmoor’s legacy on London.
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01:05 hours (37.2 MB)
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Sir William Chambers RA
9 November 2009
As a young man, Sir William Chambers RA travelled to China as a servant of the Swedish East India Company before discovering his vocation for architecture. He combined classical discipline with first-hand knowledge of chinoiserie, designing delightful pagodas and pavilions for the Royal Family at Kew and the austerely magnificent Somerset House. Professor David Watkin presents the work of this remarkable architect and founding member and first Treasurer of the Royal Academy of Arts.
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00:54 hours (31.0 MB)
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To coincide with the lecture series, two walking tours were organised exploring some of the buildings discussed in the lectures.
Hawksmoor’s London Churches
17 and 24 October 2009
Beginning with a cruise down the Thames to Greenwich, this tour led by Owen Hopkins explored the architecture and historical genesis of Hawksmoor’s churches, some of the boldest and most original architectural expressions of eighteenth-century London.
Chambers and Somerset House
14 and 21 November 2009
Built to house the three principal learned societies, including the Royal Academy, as well as various government offices, Somerset House was intended to act as a monument to Britain’s cultural and military supremacy. This tour, led by Owen Hopkins, explored how Chambers linked past and present to create the greatest architectural set piece of eighteenth-century London.
