DOI Heft:
No. 110 (May, 1902)
DOI Artikel:Wainwright, A. S.: A Birmingham architect - W.H. Bidlake
DOI Seite / Zitierlink: https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.19875#0258
IV. H. Bidlake
ABIRMINGHAM ARCHITECT— of his preference he argues that in past times the
W. H. BIDLAKE. BY A. S. house, built more or less according to traditional
WAINWRIGHT rules by the workmen of the district, was the simple
and direct outcome of those rules applied to the
There is probably no architect in wants of the owner and to the limitations of the
Birmingham who has influenced and guided the site and local materials. It is because some special
younger men of his profession to the same extent as architectural effort has been made that much good
Mr. W. H. Bidlake. house-building has been marred, and the "suburban
Though his earlier architectural training was villa " has become so painfully obtrusive,
acquired in London, where, amongst other awards In fact, the "suburban villa," with samples of
for special merit he gained the R.I.B.A. Pugin every manner of building—brick, half timber, tile
Travelling Scholarship, he has, since his residence hanging, and rough cast—all crowded into the
in Birmingham, closely identified himself not only space of one small house, with the addition,
with his profession, but with its highest ideals, and, perhaps, of terra-cotta string courses and carved
above all, with its teaching. stone lintels, which must be provided, as every
For ten years he was instructor at the Central Art sane man knows, at the cost of the general excel-
School in Margaret Street, until pressure of work lence of material and workmanship, is to Mr.
compelled him to relinquish a position in which Bidlake an ever-present example of the very points
he holds the remark-
able record of never
having once missed a 'ihhhp • y„'
class or lecture through K^Hgb^^^|. |
the whole of his tenure HK
of office. He still re- H^^RHh»HH|^K'^H^-v
tains the post of lecturer HBRsbPP^'* lg -vgds\
upon Architectural HSSBbTIP^ W1 A
History at the school. Bmif^asarK :
With Mr. Bidlake's Blp'
public buildings this EJWf^n"
article does not con-
cern itself, nor is it i( ....
necessary to more than gife^.
record in passing his I ttfc^/f nl
great love of Gothic, fcj-"',.>"' /' X&'.'-f VjSMl
and his belief in its -"sS*1 ; S , iajs^.-'i&filfflS
vitality. k. faj; • f^jimmKSs^r-
The Kyrle Hall in hW^^P 'llWP^"^ :i
Birmingham, and St. MEggM j«Mt\ • :.'|P§|a
Agatha's and St. Os- BjOpBR Jl '"""Sfe
wald's churches, are HHpwjHRfe^|U^p
amongst his notable . Si^JS8§P®;^\ ■»> **
achievements; but it -■■
is of his work as a ^^S^^^f '^w^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^Si
designer and builder of MfrnFlfflll^^
private houses, and of j|j8SBai£»i£*^
the principles under- o £raB^<5%w^
lying his work, that we i)% ■'&a5&Bmm$s ■ J'" :^^^nTniX^^Jv^^^^^^^^^
wish to speak here. pIBBIIP^Upsl^^
Mr. Bidlake takes r'lBilsfaBEiisliM ■
exception to the term 7, ^^-^ - ' j/ jurtjfiESffi^
"Domestic Architec- *'■ - AtEffimB^BwKS^^Hi^MMMB^S'^K WlSfifiMB
ture," and prefers ' .^m^-''. ^WKKS.«BPi
rather "Domestic
Building." In support "woodgate," four oaks, nhar hirmingham w. h. bidlake, architect
245
ABIRMINGHAM ARCHITECT— of his preference he argues that in past times the
W. H. BIDLAKE. BY A. S. house, built more or less according to traditional
WAINWRIGHT rules by the workmen of the district, was the simple
and direct outcome of those rules applied to the
There is probably no architect in wants of the owner and to the limitations of the
Birmingham who has influenced and guided the site and local materials. It is because some special
younger men of his profession to the same extent as architectural effort has been made that much good
Mr. W. H. Bidlake. house-building has been marred, and the "suburban
Though his earlier architectural training was villa " has become so painfully obtrusive,
acquired in London, where, amongst other awards In fact, the "suburban villa," with samples of
for special merit he gained the R.I.B.A. Pugin every manner of building—brick, half timber, tile
Travelling Scholarship, he has, since his residence hanging, and rough cast—all crowded into the
in Birmingham, closely identified himself not only space of one small house, with the addition,
with his profession, but with its highest ideals, and, perhaps, of terra-cotta string courses and carved
above all, with its teaching. stone lintels, which must be provided, as every
For ten years he was instructor at the Central Art sane man knows, at the cost of the general excel-
School in Margaret Street, until pressure of work lence of material and workmanship, is to Mr.
compelled him to relinquish a position in which Bidlake an ever-present example of the very points
he holds the remark-
able record of never
having once missed a 'ihhhp • y„'
class or lecture through K^Hgb^^^|. |
the whole of his tenure HK
of office. He still re- H^^RHh»HH|^K'^H^-v
tains the post of lecturer HBRsbPP^'* lg -vgds\
upon Architectural HSSBbTIP^ W1 A
History at the school. Bmif^asarK :
With Mr. Bidlake's Blp'
public buildings this EJWf^n"
article does not con-
cern itself, nor is it i( ....
necessary to more than gife^.
record in passing his I ttfc^/f nl
great love of Gothic, fcj-"',.>"' /' X&'.'-f VjSMl
and his belief in its -"sS*1 ; S , iajs^.-'i&filfflS
vitality. k. faj; • f^jimmKSs^r-
The Kyrle Hall in hW^^P 'llWP^"^ :i
Birmingham, and St. MEggM j«Mt\ • :.'|P§|a
Agatha's and St. Os- BjOpBR Jl '"""Sfe
wald's churches, are HHpwjHRfe^|U^p
amongst his notable . Si^JS8§P®;^\ ■»> **
achievements; but it -■■
is of his work as a ^^S^^^f '^w^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^Si
designer and builder of MfrnFlfflll^^
private houses, and of j|j8SBai£»i£*^
the principles under- o £raB^<5%w^
lying his work, that we i)% ■'&a5&Bmm$s ■ J'" :^^^nTniX^^Jv^^^^^^^^^
wish to speak here. pIBBIIP^Upsl^^
Mr. Bidlake takes r'lBilsfaBEiisliM ■
exception to the term 7, ^^-^ - ' j/ jurtjfiESffi^
"Domestic Architec- *'■ - AtEffimB^BwKS^^Hi^MMMB^S'^K WlSfifiMB
ture," and prefers ' .^m^-''. ^WKKS.«BPi
rather "Domestic
Building." In support "woodgate," four oaks, nhar hirmingham w. h. bidlake, architect
245