Quinlan Terry | Standpoint

July 2008

Terry’s solid but beautifully detailed buildings provide solutions to the environmental problems that increasingly preoccupy the modern world. He claims that long-lasting buildings constructed in locally sourced, traditional materials are more sustainable than those built from steel, the forging of which uses enormous amounts of energy, and glass, which is joined with plastic seals that last no longer than five years. The purpose of architecture, he believes, is to build a beautiful building, which will last for hundreds of years and everyone enjoys. The problem today is that architects build thin walls with thin materials that cost the earth in carbon emissions. Moreover, the buildings don’t last; they have to come down after 40 years and their materials are not generally recyclable. Steel frames and cladding are what cause the need for air-conditioning, whereas in the case of masonry construction, “you can live with it when the oil runs out”, says Terry. His conclusion is that “a skyscraper is an environmental nightmare”. It is almost impossible to overrate the importance of Terry’s opinions and of the buildings in which he demonstrates their truth.

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Jesse

September 20th, 2010
10:09 AM

Quinlan terry is fantastic. People don't realise that modern buildings aren't innovative at all. 'Inovative is just an excuse to make ugly buildings. Somone once said that "the controversy of Quinlan Terry stems preciscely from being so non controversal".

Anonymous

August 21st, 2009
4:08 PM

Very gushing posts for Terry here. I think that the reason that Terry has never received accolade for his work is that he is a bad architect whom doesn't have care for the urban fabric within which he works. The plans he proposes for regents park terrace are out of keeping with the Nash buildings on the site to which they should be reverential and I’m even going to talk about his demolition of the listed gate house. Again at the infirmary at the Chelsea hospital is out of scale and style with the Wren building, I understand why he chose the Tuscan order and I can see that the yellow brick used is a reference to the Sloanes gate house but the result is an oversized building that clashes with the Wren hospital. As for the claim that "Terry’s Richmond Riverside is a huge development, which nonetheless harmonises with local Georgian buildings in both style and scale, proving that you can build in an historic town without wrecking it" what nonsense, the building is a mess where you can see floor build ups passing through the middle of windows ( a result of trying to fudge together a modern building type and modern building techniques with a traditional facade. )

Kris Walker

February 13th, 2009
3:02 PM

I agree with the above- in the dire and mad state of modern architecture today Quinlan Terry is the sole redeeming lihgt, giving people back WHAT THEY WANT- that is, simply beautfiul architecture, not 'innovative' modern styles that hurt the eye and that have ruined cities such as London which prior to such work could have been considered beautiful cities.

joram wilson

July 14th, 2008
9:07 AM

Quinlan Terry is a architect that ordinary people can admire. For so long, ordinary people, really defenceless people, have been at the mercy of modernists and it has seemed as though nothing beautiful would ever be built again. And so I am, as one humble person, extremely grateful that Quinalan Terry, and his son, and their partners and associates walk upon this earth.

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