Too late…Arundel Great Court

Image: http://zacfrackelton.com/blog/index.php/tag/polaroids/

 

40 years old, and already obsolete. However, I think old Arundel Great Court is a great piece of architecture – a fine background building that shows that blending in is a virtue. A virtue that seems less popular today. Its discreet character is out of fashion and the existing building is being demolished. Soon, we can marvel at a new building complex at the eastern end of the Strand. I would like to have a closer look at the merits of the old building before it’s completely gone. 

Arundel Great Court, overlooking the River Thames right next to Somerset House, is another example of a good post-war building on a great scale. Despite the size, its foremost quality is to blend in, become a successful part of the streetscape and reconcile between a range of disparate neighbours. 

Designed by Sir Frederick Gibberd, the esteemed architect of fascinating pieces of architecture, ranging from Liverpool Metropolitan Cathedral to Didcot Power Station, the London Central Mosque and the Intercontinental Hotel at Hyde Park Corner, Arundel Great Court was built between 1972 and 1976. Gibberd is one of my favourite British 20th century architects because he combines thrilling spatial experiences with a great sensitivity for materials and the historic context. His Liverpool Cathedral and the play of light inside is magical, and the way how the central glass lobby of the Coutts Bank on the Strand intersects the Georgian terrace is quite dramatic. 

Image: wikipedia

Arundel Great Court is somewhat different. It covers the whole plot between the Strand and Victoria Embankment, accommodating office space, retail units along the Strand and a five-star hotel with a breath-taking view across the river and the lavish internal courtyard. It’s neither a prominent edifice that dominates the skyline of a major city like the cathedral in Liverpool nor is it the headquarter building of a distinguished bank. It is ‘just’ a mixed-use block on a prominent street corner in London, surrounded by architectural primadonnas, each grabbing for attention: the solemn St Clement Danes, bombastic Australia House, stately Somerset House, elegant St Mary le Strand, pompous Bush House and spiky Royal Courts of Justice.

Image: Landsecurities

However, Great Arundel Court does a great job in terms of providing an appropriate background for the dazzling neighbours. It manages to introduce a calming presence, both in terms of materials and composition. The horizontal lines are very restrained yet elegant and the vertical articulation, breaking the large building in four blocks, is successful in creating a façade that works well in the context of Arundel Street. Seen from across the river, the elongated elevation merges seamlessly into the fabric of Westminster and sits comfortably next to Somerset House which has a similar low profile. The square roof plants add vertical accents and variety; the building feels like it has been always been part of the urban composition. The minimal materials palette of high quality finishes reinforces the discreet and dignified appearance of the building, matching the significance of the space it occupies on the Strand. Portland stone and the bronze finished aluminium windows age gracefully and lend Arundel Great Court the gravitas and solidity required to coexist harmoniously with the historic neighbours.

Now, this pleasant, well-mannered background building is being demolished to make place for a new, much bigger development. The successor will have to prove whether it will fit into the context or whether it will yet become another contender for architectural uniqueness, competing for attention – however, short-lived that may be. The old Arundel Great Court had the makings for a great building, a building that doesn’t take itself too important, a building with a modest, timeless elegance. Will the new building achieve the same? The verdict is out. Make up your mind and let me know what you think.