Roderick Gradidge: Difference between revisions

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{{short description|English architect}}

{{citation style|date=October 2015}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2015}}

{{Use British English|date=October 2013}}

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===Country house commissions===

Gradidge had the opportunity to work on a number of buildings in Surrey by prominent architects, such as Sir [[Edwin Lutyens]], [[Harold Falkner]], [[Hugh Thackeray Turner]], [[Detmar Blow]] and [[Charles Voysey (architect)|Charles Voysey]]. He completed a number of projects elsewhere, particularly with fine interiors and country houses. One of his finest country house commissions was for a large extension at ''Fulbrook House'', one of Lutyens's finest and earliest country house commissions outside [[Farnham]], Surrey and which he published in his book, ''The Surrey Style''. He designed a library with [[David Hicks]] at [[Nicholas Hawksmoor]]'s [[Easton Neston]] in the style of the [[English Baroque]] for [[Lord Hesketh]], a [[Gothic architecture|Gothick]] conservatory at [[Cholmondeley Castle]] and altered [[Mount Stuart]] for [[Lord Bute]].

Much of Gradidge's work on Surrey country houses was with the Surrey-based architect [[Michael Blower]]. Their first projects were on [[Charles Voysey (architect)|Voysey]]'s ''New House'' in [[Haslemere]] and on [[Detmar Blow]]'s ''Charles Hill Court'' for an Austrian industrialist. From there, they went onto [[Harold Falkner]]'s ''Tancreds Ford'', which they designed and built for the writer [[Ken Follett]] and his first wife, and which was published in two articles in [[Country Life (magazine)|Country Life]].<ref>Country Life 17 & 24 November 1983, by Michael Hall</ref> Next came ''Kingswood Hanger (The New House)'', reputedly designed by [[Hugh Thackeray Turner]] and for which they jointly won a [[RIBA]] Award, which was also published in Country Life.<ref>Country Life 3 September 1998, by Clive Aslet</ref> Just prior to Gradidge's death, he and [[Michael Blower|Blower]] were working on a project at ''Combe Court'', which was completed by [[Michael Blower]] and his sons through their architectural practice, [[Stedman Blower Architects|Stedman Blower]].

===Other work===

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After 2 years of [[National Service]] in [[Mandatory Palestine|Palestine]], he moved to London and the [[Architectural Association]], where he completed his training as an architect and was elected an Associate of the [[Royal Institute of British Architects]] ([[ARIBA]]). He remained in London practicing as an architect and writer for most of his life, where he was a prominent figure in social and architectural circles in the last half of the 20th century.

A large man, who was gay,<ref>A.N. Wilson, The jolly architect who couldn't have fun, ''Daily Telegraph'', 7 January 2001. [https://www.telegraph.co.uk/comment/4258366/The-jolly-architect-who-couldnt-have-fun.html]</ref> Gradidge was an advocate of rational dress, a movement more usually associated with modernists, and had suits tailored in fine cloths that featured jackets and kilts. For much of his life he wore his hair uncut and tied as a plait;, heand felttook cuttingto tattoos and earrings as early as 1955.<ref>A.N. Wilson, The jolly architect who couldn't have fun, ''Daily Telegraph'', 7 January 2001. [https://www.telegraph.co.uk/comment/4258366/The-jolly-architect-who-couldnt-have-fun.html]</ref> According to one memorialist: "With him it was unnecessarynot andjust wastefula matter of timenot suffering fools gladly; he was reluctant to suffer anyone gladly."<ref>Alan Powers, 'Roderick Gradidge', ''The Guardian'', 25 January 2001, [https://www.theguardian.com/news/2001/jan/25/guardianobituaries.alanpower]</ref> He was a long-time member of the congregation of the Anglo-Catholic [[St Mary's, Bourne Street]], Belgravia, where his requiem mass was celebrated. He did not marry and had no children.

== Legacy ==

''[[The Daily Telegraph|The Telegraph]]'' obituary described Gradidge as ''one of the most colourful and underrated English architects of recent years''.<ref>{{cite web |title=Roderick Gradidge |website=[[The Daily Telegraph]] |date=22 December 2000 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160315100320/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/obituaries/1379044/Roderick-Gradidge.html The|archive-date=2016-03-15 Telegraph|url-status=live Newspaper 22 December 2000]|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/obituaries/1379044/Roderick-Gradidge.html}}</ref> Obituaries also appeared in ''[[The Times]]'', ''[[The Guardian]]''<ref name="guardian"/> and ''[[The Independent]]''.<ref>''[[The Times]]'', 1 January 2001</ref><ref name=guardian>{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/news/2001/jan/25/guardianobituaries.alanpower|title=Roderick Gradidge {{!}} Architect who led the rehabilitation of Lutyens|last=Powers|first= Alan|newspaper=The Guardian|date=24 January 2001}}</ref><ref>''[[The Independent]]'', 2 January 2001</ref>

Towards the end of his career, he was awarded a [[RIBA]] Award, (the gold-standard of architectural awards in the UK) for the design of a house in the [[Surrey Hills AONB|Surrey Hills]], completed with [[Michael Blower]].

His legacy is limited in that he never completed a whole building from scratch and in so far as what remains of his work as an architect are wholly interiors, extensions, alterations and extensions to pre-existing buildings.

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==External links==

* [http://www.cultural-connectionblowerfoundation.org The Blower Foundation (for cultural connection) is a registered UK Charity devoted to cultural heritage and expression] and hold an archive of drawings by [[Michael Blower]] and Roderick Gradidge and have an online gallery of buildings by both architects.

* [http://www.stedmanblower.co.uk Stedman Blower Architects ] hold additional correspondence and detailed information on the projects by [[Michael Blower]] and Roderick Gradidge.

{{Authority control}}

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[[Category:20th-century English architects]]

[[Category:Masters of the Art Worker's Guild]]

[[Category:People educated at Stowe School]]