ARCHITECTURE.

Press, Volume LXIII, Issue 18901, 17 January 1927, Page 12

ARCHITECTURE.

BRITAIN'S GREAT HERITAGE. j _ SPEECH BY PRINCE OF WALES. PRESENTATION OF ROYAL MEDAL. (JROM OCB OWS COSB33PONMNT.) LONDON, November 27. The Prince of Wales, at the annual dinner of the Koyal Institute of British Architects, held at the Guildhall, presented the Eoyal Gold Medal for Architecture to Professor Ragnar Ostberg, the architect of the new Town Hall of Stockholm, which the Prince described as "one of the greatest buildings ever produced by human genius." Amid scenes of tremendous enthusiasm the Prince placed the blue ribbon, with the gold medal attached, round the neck of Professor Ostberg, who, in the course of his acknowledgment, confessed that at.one time in his career he had serious doubts whether ho would become an architect at all.

"As an expression of the gratitude of Swedish architects," for the compliment thus paid to their country and their art, Mr Kristoffer Hult (president of the Swedish Association of Engineers and Architects) presented to Mr E. Guy Dawber, president of the British Institute, a handsomely bound copy of "Svecia Antiqua et Hodicrna," by Erik Dahlbcrg, A company of over 500 witnessed the presentations at what was probably the most successful function of its kind in the Institute's history. The guests occupied the whole floor of the famous Guildhall, and their wants were supplied by over 150 waitresses—a remarkable innovation in a banqueting hall where the waiters hitherto have always been men.

No Frontiers to Art. The president mentioned that five years ago the Prince of Wales was elected an honorary Fellow of tho Institute —not by examination—because it was doubtful whether ho would come successfully through the ordeal (laughter), but by acclamation. (Cheers.) If they ( had gained the Prince as an architect ] they hoped still to retain him as a client, for on his estates in the Duchy of Cornwall he had set a most admirable example in all the work lie had had carried out. His Boyal Highness had demanded a high architectural tradition in all the work-an example that might be followed by other landowners in this country. (Cheers.) Preserving Rural Beauty. The Royal Medal, continued Mr Dawber, had been awarded to Professor Ostberg with the unanimous approval of all the architects of this country. Art had no boundaries and no national frontiers. (Cheers.) To show how little insular Great Britain really was, he mentioned that in every one of the great countries of the, world could be found a ' recipient of the highest architectural award that Great Britain could give. (Cheers.) There was one subject very dear to his heart-the formation of the Council for the Preservation of Rural England.. (Cheers. A year or more ago meetings of all other constituent bodies interested in the movement were called, and the result had been the formation of a council which in time might 'help to remedy the abuses that were beine carried on ;.n England to-day. "England," he said, "is the most beautiful country in the world, i (Cheers.) Its towns, its. villages, and its countryside are unique, but through indifference, apathy, and ignorance we are in danger of losing and destroying that charm and attraction which are the admiration of the whole world. We as a nation do not realise the value of the wonderful heritage we have in this land, and we hope through the formation of this society, which will be launched in about a week's time, we shall eventually create a body of public opinion that, after "all, is the only thing that can count in the suppression of the evils we are now suffering from." • (Cheers.)

New Zealand Students. The Prince of Wales said he wished to allude to one or two of the many functions of the Royal Institute of British Architects. Though he could not say for certain if the institute was the oldest architectural organisation in the world, it .was certainly one of the oldest professional organisations in the British Empire, and it had been remarkably successful in reaching out to the farthest corners of the British Empire. "Its seventy odd affiliated societies and branches, which are distributed all over the Dominions and Colonies," he said, "keep very close linked with the parent institute. Through them the R.1.8.A. controls and inspires the whole system of archtectural education in the Empire, and in almost every part of it young men are competing keenly for the prizes and scholarships which the R.1.8.A. offers. In recent years—and my friend. Mr Coates, who, we are sorry, has not been able to be present this evening, will be glad to hear this—the success of New Zealanders in these competitions has been I very marked. (Cheers.)

Art of Architecture. ■ "The two paramount objects of this body are to look after, first, architecture, and, second, architects. (Cheers.) And these functions are of extreme importance to the whole community. For when all is said and done we cannot escape from architecture; be it good, be it bad, we are sheltered by it, surrounded by it, and affected by it, every day of our lives. ' If our arehitcts are dull and uninspired, we are condemned to live in ugly, illconstructed buildings, or to go about our daily business in drab, ill-planned cities, towns, and villages. If, on the other hand, our architects can give us surroundings which are both good to look at. and good to dwell in, the difference m our general well-being and our outlook on life is absolutely wonderful. (Cheers.) But fostering the -rt of architecture is not merely a matter of acting as a watchdog over existing buildings that ought to be preserved or T-V P r °P°\ e(l Pkns of buildings which ought perhaps, never to be erected, though both these are very important functions of the Institute. It de™?t^ 80 ' aS X Bn SSestei before, a •watchful eye on the interests of the architect himself To do their best Z*s£ »'-** tim ' y° ur members must have their material interests considered and safeguarded, and/above all,

they must be provided with opportunities. (Cheers.) The First Essential. "If a lavman were asked, 'What is the first es'sential for- an architect's work?' he would probably say, offhand, 'Bricks and mortar and a piece of ground to put them on.' (Laughter.) If you were to ask me, an honorary Felloe' an d how lucky that I should have achieved this great position by acclamation and not by examination—(laughter) jf you were to ask me what the richt answer was I should say 'Clients.' (Cheers.) The architect differs from all other creative artists in one important point: he cannot begin to create till the community gives him his chance. A painter can paint a picture—it may be a very bad picture, but he still has the'hope'that some silly fool will come and buy it. (Loud laughter.) A musician if the worst conies to the worst, can start playing on the chance of collecting an audience. (Laughter.) But the poor architect cannot go and build a town hall or a hospital, or even a cottage without a definite commission to do so; he cannot even start building a pigsty or reptile or monkey house until"someone has a pig, a reptile, or a monkey to put in it. (Loud laughter.) For the work of an architect is not the production of drawings, but the erection of buildings. And, if the country wants beautiful houses, it must take the trouble to employ its best architects to design them, and if it wants noble public buildings it must give the collective genius of this great profession a free opportunity to compete for them. (Cheers.)

Not a Good Policy. "Our president just now said some very nice things about the architectural policy pursued on my Duchy estates. This policy has not, however, been' followed solely for the good of the general public; it is also a very sound business proposition. We have always found that the erection of cottages or blocks of flats was cheaper when designed by an architect than if we merely adopted a stock pattern. The architect is more economical, and lie obtains his effects by trusting to good proportions rather than to unnecessary ornament. (Cheers.) We have found, too, that a well-designed, simple building invariably gives greater pleasure -to those who live in it, and, still more, creates in them a real pride in their home. So L should warn anybody who contemplates the erection of a building, however great or small, of the fallacy that it is good policy to economise on the architect's fees. (Cheers and laughter.) Speaking, as a landlord, 1 can assure him it is not.

Presentation to Professor Ostberg. "The occasion of an after-dinner speech is always a difficult matter; perhaps that is why many speakers put it off so long. To-night, however, my conclusion is an easy and a pleasant one. To mo has been allotted the task of presenting to Professor Ostberg the Royal Gold Medal for Architecture. Professor Ostberg, escorted by bir Reoinald Blomfield, R.A., and Sir John Burnet, R.A., advanced towards tno chair, and was invested with the medal by the Prince. When the cheering had subsided, his Royal Highness continued:. It is the highest honour which we in this country can bestow on any architect, and, though the roll of those who have won it before contains many names famous all the world over, I doubt it there has ever been more complete agreement on the choice of any recipient before. By universal # consent, Professor Ostberg's masterpiece, the new Town Hall in Stockholm, is one of the greatest buildings ever produced by human genius—{cheers)—and 1 know that I am speaking on behalf of all British architects,-and for all in the country who appreciate architecture, when I say that we are proud our medal should be in his hands. (Cheers.) Scholar and his Equipment.

In a quaint apology for his English, Professor Ostberg expressed his warmest thanks to the Prince of Wales. He said that many years had passed since it was his daily joy to use the English language, and that was more than thirty years ago—long before he discovered England itself. With a scholarship he wandered in his youth through Italy, Spain, and Greece, riding his cycle, with little other equipment than his sketch-book, his collars, and a piece of the very best Pear's soap. (Laughter.) His wish then was to assimilate the architecture of the South, and it was during his travels that his chance meetings with people from England awakened in him the desire to make the acquaintance of "this noble race," which he had previously regarded as a most peculiar one. (Laughter.) During his years of travel he found them always a world in themselves; he got from these strange men and women the peculiar impression that other countries did not exist for' them. (Laughter.) So, for a long time he restricted'his emotions to merely looking at them, but when lie frequently encountered them in widely distant parts of the -South his interest was gradually awakened. He noticed that it never came into their heads to,speak Spanish in Spain or Italian in Italy, and he began to realise that it would be unnatural for them to speak in any other tongue but their own. (Laughter.)

An Effort and Its Result. Professor Ostberg told how in time ho came North and learned to appreciate the beauties of British architecture. About this time he himself had sorious doubts as to whether he would succeed in being an architect at all. Tears had passed since then, dedicated,' in Sweden, to an effort to "make architecture speak with a clear voice to those that live." And now, to his own profoundest astonishment he had been made the possessor of the highest, and, in the face of the whole world, the most eloquent proof "that you consider me to be one of the architects in our day who have been able to say some words in architecture worth listening to." (Cheers.) But it was not only he whom the Prince, had .honoured; it was Swedish architecture that was honoured by the distinction. (Cheers.) This exalted interest would enable Sweden's architects to conquer in their effort to attain and defend the beautiful. (Cheers.) Mr Kristoffer Hult (president of the Swedish Association of Engineers and Architects) read a message from Swedish architects to their British brethren. "The personal touch" of the compliment paid to one "of their number had left the strongest feelings of friendship and sympathy, said the message; the spirit which animated the English architects in their work was the spirit to which they themselves strove; for nowhere since the time of the Renaissance had "the great inheritance of beauty from the antique" been administered with greater wisdom than in England. As an expression of gratitude the Swedish architects begged to present to the Royal Institute of British Architects a copy of "Svecia Antiqua et Hodierna," by Erik Dahlberg soldier, engineer, and architect, whose work Mr Hult trusted would remind the institute of his country in the North "where engineering, art, and science have always been wedded in honour " (Cheers.) The president accepted the book "as an emblem of the friendship eternally existing between the architects of your country and the architects of tins."