ETH Zürich  |  DARCH  |  ITA  |  Structural Design  |  EXCURSIONS  |  SPRING 2016 
DE | EN
Boots Factory, Nottingham, 1930
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Boots Factory, Nottingham, 1930

Narrative Weightiness
Owen Williams in Scotland and England


Su. 13. - Sa. 19.03.2016 | max. 14 Participants | Budget D (ca. CHF 900) | 2 KP | Poster | Highlights | Route

Owen Williams (1890-1969) was the most significant engineer of the early structural concrete period in Great Britain. Unlike most engineers and architects in Europe, he did not use concrete by pragmatically copying shapes of structural elements of other materials. Neither he followed a neoclassical approach as August Perret did making use of the new properties of plastic molding. Guided by the concept of working with a cast stone, Williams sought an appropriate, radically simple expression of concrete. From this directness many peculiar, sensitive, powerful and complex structures and buildings, which are all well embedded in their local context. These structures often exhibit a certain lithic weightiness featuring at the same time a particular narrative character. Owen Williams’ works are singular in Great Britain’s modern architecture but also beyond.

The seminar trip traces the many different works of Owen Williams between 1920-1940 comprising buildings and bridges. London based historian David Yeomans will be guiding as throughout the trip.

Highlights
Boots Factory, Nottingham, 1930
Express Building, Manchester, 1939
Empire Pool, London, 1934
Daily Express, London, 1931
Dollis Hill Synagogue, London, 1938
Findhorn Bridge, Schottland, 1924
Crubenmore Modern Bridge, Schottland, 1926

Experts
David Yeomans (Historian, London)

Chair of Structural Design
Prof. Dr. Joseph Schwartz

Format
Transportation, accommodation, visits and reader are included.

last modified 4.2.2020