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A Glance at Architecture
IT sometimes seems that one of the heaviest burdens laid on the modern architectural movement in this country is the style in which its literature is written. Much of this is translated—but, like Bottom, by no means completely trans- lated. The reiterative and almost hysterical manner of Le Corbusier's otherwise excellent books may have been acceptable in the more nimble French, but as done into English it offered a handle which those who disapproved of his theories were quick to seize. One can, however, sympathize with the translator (unnamed) who was faced with " L'Art Modern Primitif "*—a title singularly difficult to render into intelligible English, without making a whole sentence of it. The case which M. Casteels advances is that the modem movement is now sufficiently well established to be almost through its primitive phase, and, confident of complete acceptance, to be moving towards maturity. On the Con- tinent this is probably true—but would that one could believe the following : " England is always conservative in adopting new ideas, and mistrustful of extremes . . . Recently, how- ever, quite a crop of excellent modern houses have made their appearance, with here and there a cinema or a factory which thoroughly represent the modem spirit. The public is becoming accustomed to the new architecture, even getting to like it, and it is chiefly the architects who lag behind ! " The italics mark my particular dissent. So far as I know (and I chase such things for miles), the existing specimens of modern architecture in this country are too few and isolated to have had much effect on the public mind as yet. One of the saddest results of the dishonesty and hypocrisy which persist iri architectural design is that the public mind has grown apathetic about the whole thing. It takes the keenest interest in the design of a new car, but wastes no consideration on buildings—framed, as it feels, on conventions about which it knows little and cares less. The British public is a remarkable organism—and so is the British Press. A violent spate of controversy was brought down by Epstein's " Rima "—which, in any case, was destined to be almost completely hidden behind trees and bushes ; but I have yet to read one single comment on Messrs. Selfridges' new clock, which sticks out above Oxford Street in the eyes of all beholders. There can be no better thing to say of the new architecture than that its obvious honesty will bring it back to the eye of the man in the street. Already, when he does chance to notice an example, he finds in its simplicity and freedom from superannuated conventions something that appeals. As the habit of looking at new buildings grows upon him, he will gradually acquire taste enough to distinguish good from bad. Then, and not till then, we shall be able to claim that our architecture is in a condition of health.
It is obviously absurd to expect that every new building put up shall be an object of beauty (at any rate until the Utopian stage forecast in the previous sentence is reached) : economy, no less than dearth of taste and talent, makes it impossible. We can at least demand that it shall not ape beauty by means of cheap ornament and romantic imitation. Let it get down to its job and be content to do that well. The hallmark of the " modem " building is not its cubical shape, nor even the use of concrete—neither of these things is in the very least essen- tial ; it is in the evidence that its design has proceeded from the inside outwards—from plan to facade, instead of the reverse— and that its materials have been chosen with common sense, A modern architect is asked to design a building giving, on the site allotted, certain accommodation which has to be used for certain purposes. He proceeds to make his plan with no other considerations in his mind than these ; and he fulfils the requirements as efficiently as his talent allows. When this is
* The New Style. By Maurice Casteels. (Batsford. 25s.) done—and not before—he can see what sort of " outside " has resulted. Almost always it will be found to be pleasing. He may decide that it needs ornament (ornament is by no means tabu ; but it is never used except when and where it is really necessary), and he will choose his materials by the tests of suitability and economy. The result will be a building incon- testably better from the point of view of use (for which, after all, it was built) than one designed " from facade to plan " ; it will also have its character written on its face. Those who doubt its beauty might do worse than get M. Casteels' book and, ridding their minds as far as possible of preconceived ideas, carefully examine, in the following order : plates 68, 69, 74, 99 & 112 for smaller houses (116 to 127 will show what these may look like inside) ; 28, 38 and 56 for larger buildings ; 60, a church ; 20 and 26 for the beauty of utility—in fact, why
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