A question from Ellis Woodman as to whether or not there are still people alive who were students at the RA Schools when Albert Richardson taught architecture reminded me that Peter Smithson, the well known brutalist, enrolled as a student in 1948, after completing his studies, interrupted by the war, at the King’s College School of Architecture in Newcastle. What on earth will he have made of the teaching of Richardson who liked to be carried round Ampthill in a Sedan Chair ? Anyway, it was at the RA that Smithson met Anthony Caro, another improbable product of its conservative teaching.

Here we are, three directors of the NPG, Roy Strong, who was Director from 1967 to 1974, me from 1994 to 2002, Nick Cullinan who took over in 2015, together representing a mere fifty two years of the gallery’s history, only missing the late John Hayes and Sandy Nairne:-

I went to visit Ian McKeever, an artist whose work I have long admired, long before I knew him at the RA and before I read his writings on art when I was at the National Gallery. But I had never been to his studio, deep in the deepest Dorset countryside, somewhere near Shaftesbury, where he produces work which it is easier to understand when seen in situ, produced in an atmosphere of the utmost calm and long spells of working on series of abstract works, which are like musical performances, layers of single colours in veils of paint and clouds.

I had only half known, and greatly admired, the way the work is informed by his knowledge of Old Master painting, including a series of gouaches which work with, and in doing so interpret, images of historical portraits:-

Walking up Harley Street, I stopped to admire the sculptural reliefs on no.37, a house designed by Arthur Beresford Pite and with sculptural decoration by Frederick E.E. Schenk, including a winged figure over the oriel window:-

And other good bas reliefs:-

I was sitting in Cavendish Square, waiting until it was time for dinner – nor a very satisfactory square owing to extensive bomb damage and the creation of an underground car park – when my eye was caught by the fine sculpture of the Madonna and Child which Jacob Epstein did for the Convent of the Holy Child of Jesus after the war, when Louis Osman was commissioned to design a bridge connecting Nos. 12 and 13 and commissioned Epstein without telling the Mother Superior that he was Jewish:-

Well, well, the hearing of the planning application for the development of the Bell Foundry which was due to take place on 30th. July in a fortnight’s time has been postponed. Let’s hope this is good news: that Tower Hamlets has realised that a catastrophe has been due to take place and the historic fabric of the Foundry changed beyond recognition. Now, there is at least an opportunity for some negotiation to take place whereby ownership of the Bell Foundry is sold or transferred to United Kingdom Historic Building Preservation Trust and it becomes a proper working foundry once again, retaining the skills, as well as the fabric of the building, which would otherwise be lost.

I am learning from the amazing amount of traffic on my twitter account how much the Whitechapel Bell Foundry means to people: not just as a set of historic buildings, but because it represents such a strong sense of historic continuity, which has now been ruptured. Much the most popular tweet came from someone who goes under the soubriquet of Boiled beans (@Fulmedames) and I reproduce it here as a record of some of the feelings which the closure of the Foundry has generated:-

Those bells spoke to the people in a time when there was no other way to reach so many at once. They tolled the time, peeled the weddings, told who had died, sent out warnings, opened & closed markets.

Now we silence the makers for profit.

I have been fascinated by the extraordinary amount of ill feeling which has been generated by the decision of Historic England to throw in its lot with the plans of a New York venture capitalist to turn the Bell Foundry into an ersatz hotel, rather than help and support the plans of the United Kingdom Historic Building Trust to revive it as a working foundry.

Historic England claims that no money has so far passed hands, but it was drawn in at an early stage to give advice on the developer’s proposals and having given advice, it was presumably difficult for them not to support what was planned, however much it butchers what survives.

Let me quote, as it happens, Historic England’s own description of the historic interest of the site: ‘for the national cultural and industrial significance as the mid C18 site of a specialised industry known to have been located elsewhere in Whitechapel since the medieval period, where well-known bells including Big Ben and the Liberty Bell, Philadelphia, were cast’.

And on its architectural interest: ‘a distinctive, cohesive complex of domestic and industrial buildings spanning nearly 300 years of occupation including the dignified residence of the foundry owner at nos 32-34 Whitechapel Road, no 2 Fieldgate Street and the industrial ranges to the rear’.

If these were the reasons for listing the property, are they not also the reasons for making efforts to preserve it intact as a working foundry, not demolish half of it and turn the rest into a bogus tourist attraction ?

I went to this year’s Annual Architecture Lecture at the Royal Academy, which was given by Jean-Philippe Vassal, one half of the architectural practice, Lacaton & Vassal. I realised that I am familiar with two of their projects: the Palais de Tokyo, where they did a minimal refurbishment, allowing the existing bones of the original 1937 building to provide open and empty spaces which can then be inhabited and freely adapted by artists; and FRAC in Dunkerque, where they provided a mirror image to the existing grandiose ruin in order to double the available space for purposes of artistic performance. They approach the task of housing design in the same spirit: keep what is available; adapt it; provide as much space as possible for the inhabitants to do their own thing, treating architecture as closer to scenography than design, creating sets for people to inhabit, rather than shrinking space down and controlling how it is used.

Very impressive.

Duncan Wilson, the Chief executive of Historic England, has written a carefully considered response to the Times to the letter which Dan Cruickshank and I wrote on Friday.

For those who don’t have access to the Times, I am re-publishing it here:-

Sir, The proposals for the Whitechapel Bell Foundry (letter, Jul 12) have been misrepresented by those arguing for the alternative scheme. The plans of the new owners, Raycliff, are closer to the Whitechapel legacy of bell-making. The Hughes family, who ran the foundry from 1904 until it closed (as it was uneconomic to continue) has supported the Westley Group to continue production of small bells in the Old Foundry, and larger bells elsewhere. These plans, being considered by Tower Hamlets, are creative, sensitive, and respectful of the historic buildings, as well as allowing public access. They have the ingredients of a successful heritage regeneration scheme and secure the future of the listed buildings, which is why Historic England supports them.
Duncan Wilson Chief executive, Historic England

He is, of course, absolutely correct that Raycliff, a New York venture capital company, have secured support from the Hughes, the former owners of the Foundry, for their plans. The Hughes have taken the view that it was impossible to operate a bell foundry successfully on the site, which is why they sold it. The benefit of the alternative plans, which have been drawn up by United Kingdom Historic Preservation Trust and Factum Foundation, is that they keep the historic buildings as a working foundry, do not involve the demolition of the 1970s extension, and by making it into an art foundry allows the existing operation to be re-established. This is surely preferable to it becoming a kitsch hotel.