Ryder and Yates Book Launch
23.04.09 Topic: Ryder &
Yates
The long awaited Ryder and Yates book was finally launched at the RIBA HQ in London last night. A second launch tonight at the newly renovated Tyneside Cinema in Pilgrim Street, Newcastle upon Tyne was enjoyed by perhaps 150 people.
The first ever comprehensive account of the outstanding work of Ryder and Yates has been chronicled in this new book by Tyneside architect Rutter Carroll. Formed by Gordon Ryder and Peter Yates and heavily influenced by Le Corbusier and Berthold Lubetkin, the practice dominated the development of modern architecture in the North East of England from the early 1950s, where their visually astounding modernism put them in stark contrast to their contemporaries.
Twentieth Century Architects: Ryder and
Yates
Rutter Carroll
The first
ever comprehensive account of the outstanding work of
Ryder and Yates has been chronicled in this new book
by Tyneside architect Rutter Carroll. Formed by
Gordon Ryder and Peter Yates and heavily influenced
by Le Corbusier and Berthold Lubetkin, the practice
dominated the development of modern architecture in
the North East of England from the early 1950s, where
their visually astounding modernism put them in stark
contrast to their contemporaries. Structured
by building type, the book attempts to reveal the
principles of design particular to the practice of
Ryder and Yates. It tells how, from its formation in
Newcastle in 1953, it quickly established a
reputation for innovative and highly individual
buildings situated almost exclusively on Tyneside.
Discussing key works in the Ryder and Yates portfolio
such as Norgas House and the Engineering Research
Station in Killingworth through to MEA House and the
Salvation Army hostel, it reveals the level of
influence this practice had over the region.
Lavishly
illustrated by images and plans from the Ryder &
Yates private archive, this book is an essential read
for architects, students, architectural historians
and modernist enthusiasts interested in learning more
about one of the 20th century's most intriguing
British practices. This book
has been commissioned as part of a series of books on
20th Century Architects by RIBA Publishing, English
Heritage and The Twentieth Century Society.
Review by Professor David Greenwood, School of the Built Environment,Northumbria University, UK
This book offers a retrospective on two important twentieth century architectural designers, Gordon Ryder and Peter Yates, whose work – ranging from domestic commissions through social housing, to larger public and private sector buildings – has had a major impact on the built environment, particularly in their northern heartland.
An intelligent and informative offering, it can be read at a number of levels: it is a beautifully illustrated commentary on the work of the Ryder & Yates practice; it is a professional biography of the two, charting their careers, influences and professional beliefs; and it is a valuable resource of architectural (and indeed social) modern history.
As an architect and an academic himself, Carroll is clearly impressed by the tenacious and largely uncompromising design philosophies of his subjects, and yet he manages to maintain a measured, unbiased and scholarly ‘distance’ throughout, making this a truly valuable text for students, practitioners and devotees of architecture and architectural history. Taken individually, each project study presents an informative resource for the reader, with the added bonus of a contextualising narrative that reveals their chronological progression.
This is an important contribution to the series and moreover, an enjoyable reading experience.
Rutter Carroll
Review by Professor David Greenwood, School of the Built Environment,Northumbria University, UK
This book offers a retrospective on two important twentieth century architectural designers, Gordon Ryder and Peter Yates, whose work – ranging from domestic commissions through social housing, to larger public and private sector buildings – has had a major impact on the built environment, particularly in their northern heartland.
An intelligent and informative offering, it can be read at a number of levels: it is a beautifully illustrated commentary on the work of the Ryder & Yates practice; it is a professional biography of the two, charting their careers, influences and professional beliefs; and it is a valuable resource of architectural (and indeed social) modern history.
As an architect and an academic himself, Carroll is clearly impressed by the tenacious and largely uncompromising design philosophies of his subjects, and yet he manages to maintain a measured, unbiased and scholarly ‘distance’ throughout, making this a truly valuable text for students, practitioners and devotees of architecture and architectural history. Taken individually, each project study presents an informative resource for the reader, with the added bonus of a contextualising narrative that reveals their chronological progression.
This is an important contribution to the series and moreover, an enjoyable reading experience.