Contemporary Architecture in the Linlithgow Conservation Area
Jon Newey - January 2009
Mention the words ‘contemporary architecture’ to some people in
Linlithgow and the colour drains from their faces. They point a quivering finger
at the Vennel Flats and mutter phases like ‘o’er my deid body…’.
Now, the thing is, I’ve been a practising architect for a quarter of a
century, and the Vennel Flats were designed before I was born. As far as I am
concerned the Vennel Flats are no closer to ‘contemporary architecture’ than
a crater on the moon! They were designed by Edinburgh-based architects Rowand,
Anderson, Kininmonth & Paul in 1959. That’s 50 years ago. The aesthetic
grew out of a Europe-wide post-war spirit, the ‘Zeitgeist’ of the 50’s, a
period when a whole generation of young people were blaming their predecessors
for two devastating world wars. Designers were rejecting everything their
pre-war elders had stood for. ‘Out with the old – in with the new’ was the
mantra. Victorian houses were condemned as slums. Harold Wilson was elected on a
‘homes for heroes’ ticket. People stripped out their old fireplaces, threw
away their sash windows and hacked off their ornate cornices. Dark Victorian
colours and drapes were out. Bare concrete, linoleum floors, formica kitchens
and venetian blinds were the order of the day.
Things have changed a wee bit since then. In the intervening half a century
we’ve all become a bit more respectful of our history and our heritage. We’re
much more interested in conserving and repairing old buildings than our parents,
grandparents and great-grandparents ever were. We have developed a better sense
of historical perspective.
On the other hand, we all know that history hasn’t stopped. Time keeps on
moving forward. In the last 10 years Scotland has produced some of the finest
contemporary architects in the world. Architects capable of designing sensitive,
respectful, yet distinctly contemporary additions to Scotland’s ever-evolving
urban tapestry. Buildings steeped in Scotland’s history, yet firmly rooted in
the 21st century. Buildings full of warmth, honesty, character, imagination and
flair.
Linlithgow’s conservation area has a wonderful collection of Georgian and
Victorian buildings, a dramatic skyline and some exuberant baronial flourishes.
The Council’s policy for Linlithgow’s Outstanding Conservation Area is to
‘conserve and enhance’ everything in it. It isn’t simply a ‘we-love-Victorian-and-Georgian-buildings’
policy. It’s worth remembering, for example, that the ‘conserve and enhance’
policy applies just as much to the (ageing) Vennel Flats as it does to any other
building within the Conservation Area! Now there’s food for thought! Should
the Civic Trust organise a party for the golden jubilee of this much maligned
development? Maybe not.
Linlithgow’s built heritage extends a long way further back into history
than the 18th century, and will extend a long way forward into the future too.
Where would we be if the Victorian designers had only ever copied their Georgian
forebears? What if the Georgians had only ever copied their medieval
predecessors? What ‘heritage’ would we now have of which to be proud?
I’ll give an example. Charles Rennie Mackintosh. A designer now revered as
a national treasure, but his buildings were stunningly contemporary when he
designed them. Do we really believe that Scotland’s architectural heritage
would have been better served if a 'replicate your older neighbours' policy had
been rigorously applied at the time?
The real question here should not be one of stylistic preferences (Vernacular
style, Tudor style, Georgian style, Contemporary style), but one of design
purity, quality and integrity. Can you recognise a truly good piece of
architectural design when you see it? Not everyone can. Maybe nobody can!
On one site a proposal to conserve, renovate and restore an older building
back to its former splendour might be a wonderful approach, full of interest,
realism and solid integrity. Meanwhile, on another site, the construction of a
brand new building using well-considered contemporary detailing, good quality
materials and respectful forms, full of innovation and delight could be a
fabulous addition to the townscape. Both these approaches deserve to be
recognised equally for the valuable contribution they can make to our town’s
continuing heritage – our past, present and future.
The Linlithgow streetscape is full of quirky non-conformist, asymmetrical,
individualist wee details, the sort of things that can look fabulous when
reinterpreted on a well-considered contemporary building.
Shamefully, our
ancient buildings are responsible for the vast majority of our country’s
greenhouse gas emissions. Emissions from old buildings dwarf the emissions from
all the cars, vans and lorries put together. The simple fact is that our 18th
and 19th century forebears created buildings that are outrageously inefficient
in energy terms, especially when we apply modern expectations of comfort to
them. These are the gas-guzzling ‘monster trucks’ of the building world!
Good contemporary architecture is capable of delivering something far better.
This is the ‘Zeitgeist’ of the 21st century. Low-embodied-energy materials,
carbon-neutral systems, passive solar energy, passive ventilation, solar panels
and heat pumps are all part of the contemporary architectural vocabulary. If we
reject this vocabulary simply because of dogmatic stylistic preferences how will
we ever explain it to our grandchildren?
Winston Churchill once said 'Those that
fail to learn from history are doomed to repeat it'. We can and should learn
from the designers of the past, but we need to do so without repeating their
mistakes!
Jon Newey is a partner in EK:JN and a member of the Linlithgow Civic
Trust.
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The opinions expressed here are those of the relevant authors and do not
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