PRINCE AND ARCHITECTS.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 19996, 13 January 1927, Page 13

PRINCE AND ARCHITECTS.

INTERESTING PRESENTATIONS. . BRITAIN’S WONDERFUL HERITAGE. REFERENCE TO NEW ZEALAND STUDENTS. (Fbom Oub Own Coekespondekt.) LONDON, November 27. The Prince of Wales, at the annual dinner of the Royal Institute of British Architects, held at the Guildhall, presented the Royal 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 he 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 Antique et Hodierna,” by Erik Dahlberg. 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 oyer 150 waitresses —a remarkable innovation in a banqueting hall where the waiters hitherto have always been men. Those present included: The Lord Mayor and Lady Mayoress, the Archbishop of York, Lord Burnham, Lord Riddell, fair F. Dicksee, Sir John and Lady Burnet, Lord Sumner, Lord Lee of h areham, Sir R. Blomfield, and Sir J. Cook. NO FRONTIERS TO ART. The President mentioned that five years ago the Prince of Wales was elected an honorary fellow of the institute—-not by examination—because it was doubttul whether he 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 liis estates in the Duchy of Cornwall he had set a most admirable example in all the work he had carried out. His Royal Highness had demanded a high architectural tradition in all the work an example that might be followed by other landowners in this country. Royal Medal, continued Mr Dawber, had been awarded to Professor Ostberg with the unanimous approval ot all tne 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 the highest architectural award that Great Britain could give.—(Cheers.) There was one subject very dear to his heart tne formation of the Council for the Preservation of Rural England.—(Cheers.) A year or more ago meetings of all other con stituent 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 being earned on m England to-day. “England,’’ he said, “is the most beautiful country in the world—(Cheers.) Its towns, its villages, and it? countrysides 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 woiHleidulbeiutagewe have in this land, and we hope through the formation of this society, which will be launched in about a weeks bUne, shall eventually create a body of public ophiion that, after all, is the only thing that can count in the suppression of the evils we are now suffering from. (Cheers.) ™”a.ffnß. T 0 the Royal Institute of British Arc M® ct ? f ‘ Though he could not say for certain if the institute was the oldest architectural organisation in the world, it was certain.y one of the oldest professional organisations in the British Empire, and it had been remarkably successful in re out to the farthest corners of the British Emnire "Its 70 odd affiliated societies and P branches, which are distributed all over the dominions and colonies, he saici, “keep very dose linked with the parent institute Through them the K.l.ii.A. controls ’ and inspires the whole system of architectural education in thei Empiic and in almost every part of it yomib men are competing keenly for the prizes and scholTrXps which the R.-LB-A -offer. In recent years—and my friend, MrGoales who we are sorry has not been.able.to bo present this evening, will be glad to hear this —the success of New Zealanders . these competitions has been very marked. (Cheers.) THE 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 trom architecture; be it good, be it bad, we are sheltered by it, surrounded by it, and affected by it, every day of our lives.. It our architects are dull and uninspired, we are condemned to live in ugly, 1 “" constructed buildings, or to go about our daily business in drab, ill-planned citms, towns, and villages. If, on the other hand, our architects can give us surroundings which are both good to look at and goof, to dwell in, the difference in our general well-being and our outlook, on life is absohitelv wonderful. — (Cheers.) But fostering the art of architecture is not merely a matter of acting as a watchdog over existing buildings that ought to be preserved or over the proposed plans of buildwhich ought, perhaps, never to be erected— though both these are very important functions of the institute. It demands also, as I suggested before, a watchful eve on the interests of the architect himself. To do their best work for the nation your members must have their material interevSts considered and safe guarded, and, above all, they must be provided with opportunities —(Cheers.) THE FIRST ESSENTIAL. “If a layman were asked, ‘What is ,the I first essential for an architect s work. he 1 would probably say, off-hand, ‘Bricks and mortar and a piece of ground to put i them on/ ( —Laughter.) If you were to ask me an honorary fellow—and how ! i uc t- v that I should have achieved this rrreat position by acclamation and not by examination — (laughter) if you were to ; ask me what the right answer was.l should I say “clients.*— (Cheers.) The architect I 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 lie still lias the hope that some silly fool will come and buy it.—(Loud laughter.) a musician, if the worst comes to the worst, can start playing on the chances 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 pigstye 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 he obtains his effects by trusting to good proportions rather than to unnecessary ornament. — (Cheers.) We have found, too, that a well-designed, simple building i»-

variably gives greater pleasure to those who live in it and, still more, creates in them a pride in their home. So I 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, I can assure him it is not. THE PRESENTATION TO PROFESSOR OSTBERG. “The conclusion 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 me has been allotted the . task of presenting to Professor Ostborw the Royal Gold Medal for Architecture. ” Professor Ostberg, escorted by air Reginald Blomfield, R.A., and Sir John Burnet. R.A., advanced towards the chair, and was invested with the medal by the 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 if there has ever been more complete agreement on the choice of any recipient before. By universal consent Professor Ostberg’s masterpiece, the law Town Hall in Stockholm, is one of the greatest buildings every produced by human genius—(cheers) —and I know that I am speaking on tehalf of all British architects, and for all in the country who appreciate architecture, when I -ey that we are proud our medal should be in his hands. (Chcora.) A 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 30 Sears 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 Pears 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 mm the desire to make the acquaintance, of this noble race.’’ which he had proviously retrarded as a most peculiar one.—(Lnughte..) feuring his years of travel he found them always a world in themselves; he Kot roin these strange men and women the P ecul ‘‘ impression that other countries did not pxist for them. —(Laughter.) ho, tor a SUSS is -STBV safest* £"ES.n” to 8 »» & “ ,r sstf & sar 0 AN EFFORT AND ITS RESULT. Professor Ostberg told how in time he came north and learned to appreciate the beauties of British architecture. About this time he himself had serious doubts whether he would succeed in being an architect at all. Years 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 xace of the yhd® world, the most eloquent proof that you consider me to be one of the architects ot 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, ihe 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 Institution of British Architects a copy of “Sveeia Antiqiia 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 this.”