Roderick Gradidge: Difference between revisions

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Roderick was an evangelist for the [[Arts and Crafts Movement|Arts & Crafts]], the [[Victorian architecture|Victorian]] and a [[Vernacular]] architecture which had become so unfashionable by the beginning of his career. It is this passion that drove him to his writing career and to become a repository of the knowledge of the architecture of this period and in particular in the County of [[Surrey]] (near his home at [[Chiswick]]) where so much interesting architecture was produced in this period. Roderick had the opportunity to work on a number of buildings in the county 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 interesting 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<ref>The Surrey Style: see bibliography</ref>. He designed a library with [[David Hicks]] at [[Nicholas Hawksmoor]]’s [[Easton Neston]] in the style of the [[English Baroque]] for [[Lord Hesketh]], a [[Gothick]] conservatory at [[Cholmondeley Castle]] and altered [[Mount Stuart]] for [[Lord Bute]]. He worked on a number of pub interiors for [[Ind Coope]], such as the ''Markham Arms'' (now altered) on the [[Kings Road]], [[Chelsea, London|Chelsea]] and the ''Three Greyhounds'' in [[Soho]], [[London]]. He restored the [[Gothic Revival architecture|Gothic]] interior of [[E. W. Godwin]]’s [[Northampton Guildhall]], and the interior of [[Bodelwyddan Castle]] for the [[National Portrait Gallery (London)|National Portrait Gallery]], which won the Museum of the Year Award in 1989. At ''St Marys, Bourne Street'', [[South Kensington]] and the National Portrait Gallery in London, he also did some interior modifications, although the latter has since been altered. Further notable projects included additions to [[St Edmund's College, Cambridge]] (1990-3), [[Pugin]]’s ''St Chads, Birmingham'' and ''St Augustine, Ramsgate''.

He was active in the [[Art Workers Guild]], actedserving as itsthe Guild's Secretary from 1977-84 and Master in 1987. He was a founding member of the Thirties Society (later to become the [[20th Century Society]]) of which he was a Trustee for many years and was prominent in [[The Victorian Society]], at a time when these were marginal interests within the architectural profession.

===Partnership with Michael Blower===