Robert Lawson
Robert Arthur Lawson (born January 1, 1833 in Newburgh , Scotland; † December 3, 1902 in the Canterbury region , New Zealand) is one of the most influential New Zealand architects of the 19th century. It is said that with his extensive oeuvre of neo-Gothic and classicist buildings he shaped the appearance of New Zealand cities in the Victorian era like no other. His buildings include over forty churches , including his monumental neo-Gothic First Church in Dunedin and New Zealand's only so-called " castle " Larnach Castle . In addition to a few buildings in Australia, most of the buildings that still exist today are located in the region around the New Zealand city of Dunedin.
Today Lawson is highly valued as an architect in New Zealand. At the time of his death, however, his reputation was still suffering from the construction problems that had occurred with the " Seacliff Lunatic Asylum " which he had built. The " Seacliff Lunatic Asylum " was the largest building in New Zealand at the time of its construction. However, parts of the building could not be used soon after completion due to static problems. In 1900, shortly before his death, Lawson had returned to New Zealand from a self-imposed ten-year exile to restore his reputation. However, his death shortly thereafter prevented his full rehabilitation . The esteem he was denied during his life was not granted until nearly a century after his death, when the beauties of Victorian architecture were rediscovered.
Life
Early years
Robert Lawson was the fourth child of James Lawson, a carpenter, and his wife Margaret. Young Lawson first attended a local parish school. He studied subsequently first in Perth (Scotland) and then in Edinburgh at James Gillespie Graham architecture . At the age of 21 he first emigrated to Melbourne , where he arrived on the Tongataboo on July 16, 1854 . Like many of those who emigrated to Australia, he tried a number of different professions - including gold prospecting and journalist . As an architect, he only worked occasionally during this time. During this time, for example, he designed a school building for the town of Steiglitz , which was followed by another in 1858. Lawson recognized relatively quickly the low chances of success as a prospector and the uncertainty of a professional career as a journalist. He therefore decided to work exclusively as an architect again and found a suitable position in Melbourne.
In the early 1860s, New Zealand was very much shaped by the styles that were modern in Great Britain . The architect Benjamin Mountfort had already realized neo-Gothic buildings in the province of Canterbury . In January 1862 a competition for a church building was announced. The tender was the main Presbyterian Church First Church for the fast growing city of Dunedin on New Zealand's South Island. Dunedin had experienced a strong economic boom with the gold rush that began in 1861, and the population of this city was steadily increasing.
Lawson entered the competition to design the church under the pseudonym Presbyter . If he chose him to impress the Presbyterian jurors, his decision was a success. His design was selected from among the submitted proposals. In 1862 Lawson moved from Melbourne to Dunedin and opened his own architectural practice. First Church was completed in 1874, and while it was being built, Lawson was tasked with designing other churches, public buildings and homes in the Dunedin area.
While at First Church , Lawson met Jessie Sinclair Hepburn, whose father, George Hepburn, was a member of the building council for the church. Jessie Sinclair Hepburn and Robert Lawson married in November 1864 and had four children in the years that followed. Lawson remained a staunch Presbyterian throughout his life, and later, like his father-in-law, became a member of the First Church council .
Although much of his early work was either destroyed or heavily altered, some plans and photographs from that period have survived, showing that he used a number of different architectural styles in the buildings of the period. In general, Lawson alternated between a classicist and neo-Gothic style throughout his career. The easiest way to explain the style and nature of his architecture is with six of his works.
Neo-Gothic work
The British Protestant understanding of religion was still heavily influenced by the Anglo-Catholic Oxford movement at that time. This had stipulated that the Gothic or the Neo-Gothic was the only architectural style that came into question for a church. Unlike Francis Petre , who was able to draw on suggestions from the Italian Renaissance in the churches he built in Christchurch, Lawson therefore had only a limited repertoire of forms available. The city of Dunedin was also founded a few years before Lawson's arrival in New Zealand by the Free Church of Scotland , a Puritan denomination that was not exactly known for its appreciation of ornaments and ornamentation and was also hostile to the architecture of the more Catholic countries.
Lawson's neo-Gothic style work, like most other architects of his time, was influenced by the work and architectural philosophy of Pugin. However, he adapted the architectural style propagated by Pugin even further to the simple and unadorned worship of the Presbyterians. The lack of elaborate liturgical rituals made a large sanctuary unnecessary. In Lawson's buildings, for example, the ambulatory , which in traditional Roman Catholic church buildings included the Marienkapelle and other chapels dedicated to the veneration of saints, is only hinted at. In total, Lawson designed over forty churches in the neo-Gothic style. As with Benjamin Mountfort's buildings, there were some wooden structures among them. Most, however, were built in stone.
First Church, Dunedin, 1862
The start of construction on First Church was delayed because the city authorities had come to the conclusion that the hill on which the church was to stand was too great a traffic obstacle in the rapidly expanding city of Dunedin. A total of 12 meters was to be removed and Lawson had to adapt his designs accordingly. Nevertheless, the church tower with its height of 54 meters dominates the Lower Moray Place district to this day .
The tower is unusual because it has two-story, pointed-gable windows in the upper third, which make the tower appear even higher. Lawson had been dissatisfied with the first construction of the tower helm, had it dismantled and rebuilt. With its external appearance, the First Church is reminiscent of the late Norman cathedrals of England - albeit on a smaller scale. The apse is crowned with tracery and small towers, the facade has a large rose window . In its overall appearance, the church is reminiscent of European Gothic buildings. Some of the members of the Presbyterian community found this architectural style too extravagant. In fact, the Roman Catholic Church that Francis Petre built for the Catholic community in Dunedin in 1871 is much simpler in appearance.
However, the similarity to the great Gothic churches in Europe ends at the entrance door to the nave. Instead of the stone cross vaults that are typical of the Norman cathedrals, the church has a simple wooden ceiling. A simple stone arch separates the nave from the choir with the sermon pulpit. The light inside the church is diffuse as Lawson had all the windows decorated with stained glass. The use of stained glass - typical of European Gothic churches - is another feature of Lawson's work. Such windows can also be found at the Wesleyan Church in Dunedin, built by Lawson and now used as a theater , the Tokomairiro Presbyterian Church in Milton and at the Knox Church in northern Dunedin. Knox Church is much like a simplified and simplified version of the First Church. This church, which still dominates the north end of Dunedin's main street, George Street, can accommodate up to 1000 people.
Larnach Castle 1871
Lawson designed several large mansions, the most famous of which was first called The Camp , but is now known as Larnach Castle . It was built in 1871 for the businessman and politician William Larnach . After its completion, the villa was praised as one of the most elegant and impressive private homes in New Zealand. Larnach Castle is now occasionally criticized as a clumsy building whose individual components do not harmonize with one another. The villa is located on a hill on the coast from which you can overlook both the Otago peninsula and the Otago harbor.
Local folklore claims that Larnach himself designed his villa, modeled on Castle Forbes, his father's home in Baroona , Australia. The plans for the house, however, no doubt come from Lawson's architectural office. Castle Forbes, now defunct, belonged to Larnach's grandfather, the infamous James Mudie . William Larnach was not there, but grew up in Rosemont, a house on his grandfather's estate, and although it is reminiscent of Castle Larnach with its verandas and towers, these additions are from the 1890s.
The architecture of Larnach Castle is sometimes referred to as the Scottish Baronial style. But that is not entirely true; With its combination of a central section reminiscent of a Gothic residential tower and the glazed verandas with the cast-iron girders on either side, it is a typical building of the Victorian era. Only the central facade with the cornices , the tall, narrow windows, the crenellated crown and the small observation tower on the flat roof give the villa its castle-like appearance. The interior of the building was no less lavish. The marble used and the Venetian glass used were imported from Europe. 200 men built the villa for three years and it took another twelve years to finish the interior. In 1884 the villa was supplemented by a 3,000 square meter ballroom . Larnach Castle wasn't the only assignment Lawson received from the New Zealand businessman and politician. After Larnach's first wife died in 1880, he commissioned Lawson to build a miniature version of First Church as a family mausoleum .
Otago Boys' High School, 1885
The Otago Boys' High School buildings were completed in 1885. This building is also often referred to as neo-Gothic. However, since several stylistic elements from the Renaissance, Tudor style and Gothic are used here, the term historicism is the more appropriate. Historicism is typical of the late 19th century. The optional application, modification and combination of the appropriate elements of different historical styles made it easier to adapt to new building tasks and new construction methods that industrialization brought with it.
Otagy Boys' High School has long been considered one of the best buildings in Dunedin. In 1890, however, the architect Nathaniel Wales described the school with its numerous towers and turrets as a semi-eclectic building in the local Tudor style of medieval architecture . Unlike Larnach Castle, the school doesn't look like a castle; All towers are decorated with stone railings. In the highest tower there are four chimneys; whose chimneys are covered by small corner turrets. This hiding of chimneys, like the use of stone railings instead of battlements, is a typical feature of the French Renaissance chateaux on the Loire . There are similarities to the bridge towers of the Tower Bridge, which was completed in 1884.
Classicist buildings
Lawson built most of his classicist buildings on behalf of government agencies or companies.
National Bank, Oamaru 1871
The former national bank in Oamaru , which was completed in 1871, is considered to be one of the best buildings that Lawson built in the classical style. In front of the building is a perfectly proportioned portico , the triangular gable of which is supported by four Corinthian columns. It gives the building a temple-like appearance. The square main building has five window axes, the three central window axes are behind the portico. The proportions of the main facade show a symmetry typical of Palladianism . Unlike the buildings erected by Andrea Palladio , however, the two floors of the building are equivalent. The only difference between the two floors is that originally all the windows on the ground floor ended with round arches, while the windows of the same size on the second floor ended in a straight line. Of all of Lawson's classical buildings, the Oamaru National Bank is the most conventional one. Here he adheres closely to the classical rules of architecture that Palladio laid down in his textbook I Quattro Libri dell'Architettura . With increasing success as an architect, Lawson became bolder with his classicist designs - but he was not always able to achieve a comparable elegant harmony with his later buildings as with the building of the National Bank.
Parallel to the work on the National Bank, Lawson worked on the architecturally completely different Larnach Castle . Lawson was apparently able to apply different historical styles according to the wishes of his builders. This sets him apart from many architects who - unless they build entirely in one style - switch from one style to the other in the course of their professional career.
Bank of New South Wales, 1883
The Bank of New South Wales building was designed in 1883. It is a neoclassical building with a limestone facade dominated by a large, six-column portico. The architrave bears the inscription Bank of New South Wales , the frieze above is empty. Architecturally, the building is considered less successful than the neighboring building of the National Bank. It was originally the client's wish that the building should appear more imposing than that of the National Bank. Lawson did not succeed in this, however. The stone railings that connect the columns at their ends nullify the linear effect of this classicist building: the railing makes the building appear squat. This effect is reinforced by the windows of the building. The straight-line closed windows on the ground floor and the windows on the upper floor ending with a round arch are disproportionately large and thus destroy the temple effect that was supposed to be created by the large portico. The building has remained unchanged to this day and is currently used as an art gallery.
The Star and Garter Hotel
The elongated and only two-story Star and Garter Hotel is considered Lawson's most ambitious classical building. Here he renounced the use of temple-like columns or a portico, as are typical of Palladianism. Instead, he was inspired by the mannerist palaces of Italy, as they developed in the succession of Michelangelo in Italy in the 16th century as a countermovement to the overloaded buildings of the High Renaissance . Similar to these palaces, the hotel also has a ground floor made of somewhat more coarsely worked stones. Half-columns separated by cornices frame the windows on both floors. The upper floor is not a piano nobile , as was customary for Pallidian villas, where this floor was mainly used for representative purposes. According to the purpose of the building, both floors are equivalent here.
As with other Lawson buildings, the Star and Garter Hotel is ultimately a hybrid of different classicist styles, which Lawson has masterfully combined here. Since the hotel was completed, many of its windows have been closed or enlarged. These changes greatly altered the architectural effect that Lawson once created with this building. Today the former hotel is largely used by a theater group. At the eastern end of the building there is a restaurant that still bears the name of the former hotel.
The career slump
The year 1882 marked the climax of Lawson's career. After the death of the important New Zealand architect Benjamin Mountfort , who until then architecturally dominated the urban development of Christchurch, he was given the design of the exhibition halls for the world exhibition that was to take place in Christchurch in 1882. This led to the fact that he was also commissioned to design the opera house - a very honorable commission. This was followed by the order for the Seacliff Lunatic Asylum , a sanatorium 28 km north of Dunedin, which ultimately caused a serious slump in Lawson's career.
Lawson worked from 1874 to 1884 on the design and construction of the psychiatric clinic, which should accommodate 500 patients and 50 employees. When completed, the building was the largest in New Zealand. Old photographs show a large, grandiose building in a neo-Gothic style, which is almost reminiscent of Neuschwanstein with its opulence . Architecturally, it was Lawson's most extravagant and exuberant building. Otago Boys' High School seems almost reserved and strict in comparison. Corner turrets soar into the sky from almost every corner of the building. The roof gable is dominated by a very large tower, which is adorned by other turrets and a large spire. 4.5 million bricks were used for the huge building, which was 225 meters long and 67 meters deep. The large tower, whose purpose was to detect escape attempts by inmates, was almost 50 meters high.
The first problems with the statics became apparent even before the building was completed. In 1887 a major landslide occurred that made the entire north wing of the building unusable. At the beginning of 1888 an investigative commission was commissioned to determine the causes of the damage to the building. In February Lawson realized that he was facing legal consequences and asked the investigative commission to have a lawyer assist him. During the investigation, everyone who was involved in the construction of the building was interviewed. Each of them had to prove that they had sufficient professional experience. Ultimately, however, it was Lawson, as the architect, who bore primary responsibility for this building, and on whom the attribution of guilt was focused, when the commission published its findings. Lawson was described in the final report as negligent and incompetent. New Zealand was experiencing an economic recession at the time and Lawson found that he was no longer getting any jobs. After assisting Wellington- based architect William Turnbull for a short time , he returned to Melbourne in 1890.
The last few years
After the slump in his career caused by the debacle with the Seacliff Lunatic Asylum , Lawson rarely worked alone. In Melbourne he entered into a partnership with the architect Frederick Gray. Together they designed Earlsbrae Hall, a large neoclassical villa in Essondon, Victoria. Some architectural historians consider this work to be one of the high points in Lawson's oeuvre. This villa is often said to resemble a Greek temple. In fact, it takes up inspiration from Palladianism, from which the large country estates on the plantations of the North American southern states developed in the late 18th and early 19th centuries. While Lawson was undoubtedly involved in the design, it is not possible to clearly separate what is attributable to Gray in the design. The building's foundation was laid back in 1890, the year Lawson returned to Melbourne. It is therefore likely that Gray was already working on the design when Lawson became his partner - especially since the building land had been purchased in 1888.
Some details in the design point to Lawson - such as the Corinthian portico, which is similar to the one he designed for the National Bank in Oamaru. The portico here, however, is larger and surrounded by two-story verandas, as Lawson built for Larnach Castle. Other buildings constructed during Lawson's years in Melbourne include the Moran and Cato Department Store in Fitzroy and the College Church in Parkville , completed in 1897.
In 1900, at the age of 67, Lawson returned to New Zealand from his 10 year imposed exile. In Dunedin he partnered with his former student JL Salmonde. A number of buildings were built under their common name. The Threave brick house that Lawson built for Watson Shennan on High Street was Lawson's last work. Threave has particularly rich neo-Gothic verandas, but is now better known for its gardens than for its architecture.
Lawson died suddenly on December 3, 1902. He had partially made good the damage done to his reputation by the Seacliff Lunatic Asylum . He had recently been elected Vice President of the Otago Institute of Architects.
Aftermath
Robert Lawson was a typical architect of his time who designed buildings in the architectural styles that were popular at the time. British emigrants to Australia and New Zealand wanted architecture that reminded them of their homeland. It is therefore not surprising that Lawson designed so many neo-Gothic and classicist buildings. Lawson's particular ability was his ability to combine different historical architectural styles, thereby creating buildings that were more than a replica of earlier architectural styles. His designs were adapted to both the climatic conditions of the new home and the locally available building materials. In addition to wood, he particularly enjoyed working with the limestone that was found in Oamaru and preferred it to the bricks, which were also of good quality.
During Lawson's lifetime, both neo-Gothic and classicism were the predominant architectural styles. He built his church buildings exclusively for Protestant denominations who wanted buildings in the neo-Gothic style. His largest buildings are therefore realized in this architectural style. First Church, which was also his first major construction, is considered to be his masterpiece. His classicist buildings, which are competently and masterfully executed, are limited to smaller, mostly public buildings.
Today most of Lawson's buildings have either been destroyed or heavily rebuilt. Two of his neo-Gothic wooden churches from 1870 and 1881 still exist in Kakanui and East Gore . They, like the buildings described above, have helped Lawson's reputation as an architect to be rehabilitated today despite the construction problems with the Seacliff Lunatic Asylum. Today he is considered to be one of the best New Zealand architects of the 19th century. In memory of Lawson, the New Zealand Institute of Architects has donated a series of lectures called RA Lawson Lecture, to which one of the most famous architects is invited to Dunedin once a year.
Lawson Structures
A number of buildings in New Zealand's South Island are believed to have been made by Lawson. However, they cannot be ascribed to him with certainty, and in some cases the ascription is incorrect. Lawson, for example, is considered to be the architect of the Dunedin City Council building. In fact, the tender for the design of this building was won by the architect TB Cameron. Lawson only supervised the construction.
The following structures are definitely Lawson:
- Park's School, Dunedin , (1864)
- First Church, Dunedin, (1867–1873)
- Wesleyan Church, Dunedin, (1869)
- East Taieri Presbyterian church, East Taieri , (1870)
- National Bank, Oamaru , (1871)
- Arthur Briscoe & Co. Warehouse, Dunedin, (1872)
- Larnach Castle, (1872–75)
- Knox Church, Dunedin, (1874–1876)
- Union Bank (later ANZ Bank), Princes Street, Dunedin, (1874). The building is now used as a night club.
- Dunedin Municipal Chambers (construction only)
- Seacliff Lunatic Asylum, (1879-1884)
- Brown, Ewing Company building, Dunedin, (1880s)
- Bing Harris Company building, Dunedin, (1881)
- Bank of New South Wales, Oamaru, (1883)
- Otago Boys' High School, (1885)
- Tokomairiro Presbyterian Church, Milton , (1889)
- "Threave" (private residence), 367 High Street, Dunedin, (1900)
- Presbyterian Church, Hampden
- The Manse, Palmerston
- Old Fire Station, Dunedin
- Bank of New Zealand building, Dunedin
- Opera House, Christchurch
- The Star and Garter Hotel, Oamaru
- South District School, William Street, Dunedin, (1864)
- Post Office Building, Lawrence
- Trinity Wesleyan Church (later the Fortune Theater ), Dunedin, (1869)
- St Andrew's Presbyterian Church, St. Andrew
- Union Bank of Australasia Building, Dunedin, (1874)
- Earlsbrae Hall, Essendon, Victoria , (1890)
Individual evidence
- ↑ etchurch.co.nz
- ^ National Bank Oamaru. In: arch INFORM ; Retrieved December 8, 2009.
- ↑ teara.govt.nz or larnachcastle.co.nz
- ↑ knoxchurch.net
- ↑ travelblog.org
- ^ Bank of New South Wales, Oamaru. In: arch INFORM ; Retrieved December 8, 2009.
- ↑ obhs.school.nz
- ↑ marquis-kyle.com.au
- ↑ heritage.vic.gov.au ( Memento from December 9, 2006 in the Internet Archive )
literature
- Robert Arthur Lawson. in: An Encyclopaedia of New Zealand. Edited by AH McLintock. Owen, Wellington 1966.
- H. Knight, N. Wales: Buildings of Dunedin. John McIndoe, Dunedin 1988, ISBN 0-86868-106-7 .
- Jonathan Mane-Weoki: From the "Athens of the North" to the "Edinburgh of the South". The Architecture of Robert Arthur Lawson. In: Bulletin of New Zealand art history. University of Auckland 13, 1992, pp. 3-14.
- David McGill: Landmarks - Notable historic buildings of New Zealand. Godwit Publishing, Auckland 1997, ISBN 1-86962-003-8 .
- J. Herd, GJ Griffiths: Discovering Dunedin. John McIndoe, Dunedin 1980, ISBN 0-86868-030-3 .
- Lloyd Chapman: In a Strange Garden, The Life and Times of Truby King. Penguin, Auckland 2003, ISBN 0-14-301879-5 .
Web links
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Lawson, Robert |
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES | Lawson, Robert Arthur |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | New Zealand architect |
| DATE OF BIRTH | January 1, 1833 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Newburgh , Fife, Scotland |
| DATE OF DEATH | December 3, 1902 |
| Place of death | Canterbury Region , New Zealand |