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Eyesore or icon – whatever the perspective on Sir Miles Warren’s Dorset Street Flats, there’s no denying their significance to New Zealand’s architectural canon. WORDS JOSIE STEENHART | PHOTOS SARAH ROWLANDS / OPEN CHRISTCHURCH “The Dorset Street Flats were regarded as the ugliest buildings in town; the tour buses regularly detoured to see what was dubbed ‘Fort Dorset’. As a young architect I was proud to achieve such notoriety,” wrote Sir Miles Warren in his 2008 autobiography of the block of ‘bachelor’ flats he designed in 1956 and himself lived in until 1965. “Our friends thought we were so poor we could not afford plaster on the concrete block.” Fast-forward nearly 70 years, and Sir Miles’ notorious block of flats, freshly and painstakingly strengthened and restored just in time for the 2022 Open Christchurch festival, is now considered one of the city’s – and country’s – most important pieces of residential architecture. These days listed as a Category 1 Historic Place on Rārangi Kōrero/The New Zealand Heritage List, the cinder block flats launched the distinct architectural style now known as the ‘Christchurch School’ and have been formative in our national architectural design ever since. “The Flats have been described by heritage experts as “of outstanding significance as one of the most important Modern Movement buildings constructed in this country,” says Greg Young, the Christchurch-based architect tasked with their restoration. “They are extremely important to New Zealand and Christchurch architecture. They changed architecture in New Zealand when they were designed, and continue to influence our work.” Extensively damaged in the February 2011 earthquakes and with seven owners and five different insurance companies involved, the complicated situation meant the flats were left in limbo for several years. Once finally settled and handed over to the owners to manage, the restoration took a year of planning and two and half years of construction. Greg says the flats were in “a terrible state” when he and his firm Young Architects started work on them. “They were bent, broken, leaking and vandalised.” He says the biggest challenges during construction all involved the interiors. “The exteriors had been well preserved, architecturally, due to a heritage covenant, but after 60 years and 20 different owners, with the ’80s and ’90s interior desecration in the mix, the interiors were in a bad state.” “We had to peel back layers to find what they were probably like originally so we could do the architecture justice. This involved poring through photos, film clips, memories – and some surgical forensics. From there we still ended up with eight flats that are all subtly different (as they were originally) and a reflection of how they were when first built.” “From the outside,” says Greg, “you wouldn’t know we’ve changed anything (unless you look really hard, and know what you’re looking for), when in actual fact we’ve changed some things significantly. There are two main areas we needed to concentrate on – structural resilience, and comfort. “The structure is predominantly hidden, but one obvious element we’ve upgraded is some exposed concrete walls in the downstairs flats.” “The only areas we’ve replicated are the landscaping, where we worked off the original drawings to replicate some of the courtyard features.” “For comfort, one of the owners once told me that he used to get ice forming on the inside of the bathroom in winter. We’ve insulated, double glazed, and installed central heating and air conditioning – they are now toasty warm.” Greg says the most rewarding part of the work is “when the new occupants tell me how they love living in them”. Revolutionary for their time and described as providing a new kind of residential living for the era in terms of their small size and purpose-built nature, how do they stand up today? “At 43m2, the Flats are small but perfectly formed,” says Greg. “They stand up proudly today as a valid reference point for apartment living, though since they were officially ‘bachelor pads’ the bedrooms and storage are less than expected. “The brilliance of Sir Miles’ early designs is difficult to explain without standing in them – but they really make your soul sing. The proportion of the spaces, the balance of materials, and the way natural light is channelled through the spaces makes these flats truly wonderful. Add to this north-facing sheltered courtyards, and their vicinity to Hagley Park, and they really are a joy to live in. “When I met with Sir Miles to discuss the repairs, he was surprised at why it was taking so long and costing so much, as – in his own words – they were so simple to put together. This surprise is mirrored by many. Twelve years and a large sum of money were spent restoring such small simple flats. Their simplicity added so much difficulty, as there is nowhere to hide.” View the Dorset Street Flats (architects: F. M. Warren A.N.Z.I.A, 1956–57; Young Architects, 2021) at this year’s Open Christchurch festival, May 6–7, 2023. openchch.nz JOSIE STEENHART (ed), “03 Magazine”, April 2023, Allied Press Magazines, ISSN 2816-0711, pp. 44-47. Thank you to everyone who booked a place to come visit us. We look forward to meeting you all on Saturday 6th.
"Warren gained early recognition with his design for the Dorset Street Flats (1956–1957), in which New Brutalist principles were reinterpreted using white-painted concrete block with fair-faced concrete lintels. As Peter Beaven observed in 1967, “their statement of private urban living and their frank use of materials… was a revelation”. Their example helped spark the period of creativity in local architecture known as the Christchurch School. Over the next decade, Warren developed the ideas first seen at Dorset Street Flats in an impressive series of houses in which direct expression of materials, lucid planning and an underlying respect for tradition became the hallmarks of his early style." Obituary: Sir Miles Warren Ian Lochhead pays tribute to Frederick Miles Warren (10 May 1929 – 9 August 2022) ONZ, KBE, FNZIA, New Zealand’s most celebrated and influential architect of the 20th century. Sir Miles Warren, who died on 9 August 2022, was a member of the generation of architects who entered the profession in the decade following World War Two, at a time when Modernism had become the accepted architectural language in New Zealand. Within that group, he rose to a position of unsurpassed eminence and became the most honoured architect of his generation. For the public at large, he was probably the best-known and most widely respected New Zealand architect. His buildings include some of the most admired designs from any period in this country’s architectural history. Frederick Miles Warren was born in Christchurch on 10 May 1929. He was educated at Christ’s College, Christchurch, where he was strongly influenced by an architectural environment that dated back to the 1860s. He was academically gifted but his choice of architecture as a career was seen as regrettable; “Oh, Warren minor, we had high hopes for you”, was the crushing verdict of his headmaster. The two years he spent in the Christchurch office of Cecil Wood, from 1946 to 1947, were formative and his admiration for Wood was life long. Wood’s skill as a draftsman, his sensitivity to materials and his respect for tradition were important influences. Warren excelled as a student at Auckland University College School of Architecture in 1949 and 1950. Travelling to the United Kingdom, he found employment in the Housing Division of the London County Council. Under the leadership of Colin Lucas, the Housing Division was at the cutting edge of British architecture and Warren was able to absorb the lessons of post-war New Brutalism at its source while working on the designs for the Roehampton Estate (1953–1954). Travel in Europe further broadened his architectural horizons.Warren returned to Christchurch in 1955 and entered private practice. A brief partnership with G.T. Lucas was followed by one formed with Maurice Mahoney in 1958. Warren described their roles as being like two sides of the same coin; the design flair and outgoing personality of Warren was the perfect foil for Mahoney’s quiet demeanour and meticulous attention to detail. Their partnership, one of the most enduring and successful in New Zealand architecture, evolved into the company structure of Warren and Mahoney Architects Ltd, in 1985. Mahoney retired from the firm in 1992 followed by Warren in 1995. By this time, Warren and Mahoney had become a national architectural practice with offices in Auckland, Wellington and Queenstown, in addition to Christchurch. The professionalism and efficient management of the studio at 65 Cambridge Terrace made it a prized training ground for young architects and many went on to establish their own illustrious careers; Sir Ian Athfield was prominent among them. Warren gained early recognition with his design for the Dorset Street Flats (1956–1957), in which New Brutalist principles were reinterpreted using white-painted concrete block with fair-faced concrete lintels. As Peter Beaven observed in 1967, “their statement of private urban living and their frank use of materials… was a revelation”. Their example helped spark the period of creativity in local architecture known as the Christchurch School. Over the next decade, Warren developed the ideas first seen at Dorset Street Flats in an impressive series of houses in which direct expression of materials, lucid planning and an underlying respect for tradition became the hallmarks of his early style. The Warren and Mahoney Office at 65 Cambridge Terrace (1962), with its dramatic roof-scape of broken gables, was effectively a constructed manifesto for the practice. Chapman Block (1961), a bold Brutalist statement within the Gothic Revival precinct of Christ’s College, cemented his long-standing architectural relationship with his old school. At College House (1967), a residential hall at the University of Canterbury, a chapel and residential blocks flank a quadrangle, enclosed by a refectory at one end and a library at the other. While Warren’s modernist vocabulary remains paramount, his acknowledgement of the traditional collegiate typology adds resonance and gravitas to the design. Warren attributed the partnership’s success in the Christchurch Town Hall competition to the fact that it came at exactly the right time for them to capitalise on their accumulated experience. That building’s expressive forms and cross-axial plan, the sense of austere luxury resulting from meticulous details and quality finishes, along with the main auditorium’s feeling of intimacy, set a new standard for public architecture in New Zealand. The architects’ close collaboration with acoustic consultant Harold Marshall resulted in a concert hall that combined clarity of sound with resonance; it is internationally recognised as a milestone in concert hall design. From its completion in 1972, the building was embraced by the local community and, following the 2011 Canterbury earthquakes, a vigorous public campaign ensured its survival. Warren was, by now, a national figure and, in 1985, he became the first New Zealand architect to receive a knighthood. The design for the New Zealand High Commission in Washington, DC (1979) demonstrated his ability to respond to a historic context, in this case Lutyens’ neoclassical British Embassy. His New Zealand High Commission, New Delhi (1990), pays a more overt tribute to Lutyens’ classicism. The Christ’s College Administration building (1988), added to the northern end of Wood’s Memorial Dining Hall, also pays homage to Warren’s early mentor. Throughout his career, Warren was a vigorous advocate for architecture. Architectural education was a particular interest and he regularly welcomed students of architecture and architectural history to 65 Cambridge Terrace and, later, to Ōhinetahi, the historic house and garden that increasingly became his focus from 1995. He was, however, horrified when students failed to recognise the pantheon of architects’ names inscribed on the frieze above the bookshelves in his well-stocked library. In 2006, he established The Warren Trust to support architectural education; its assistance for a wide range of events and publications has made a significant contribution to our wider architectural culture. He also recognised the value of architectural records and the Warren and Mahoney partnership collection now resides in the Macmillan Brown Library at the University of Canterbury. It includes fine examples of Warren’s deft watercolour perspectives, a persuasive tool that allowed clients to visualise themselves in as-yet-unbuilt designs. Drawing was always central to Warren’s practice and he valued it, not just as a medium for transmitting ideas but also as a tool for understanding the world around him. As is the case with other Canterbury architects, Warren’s built legacy suffered as a result of the earthquakes of 2010 and 2011. Few of Warren and Mahoney’s elegant Christchurch office buildings from the 1960s and ’70s remain but others, including the Dorset Street Flats, 65 Cambridge Terrace and the Town Hall have been meticulously repaired, strengthened and conserved. Dorset Street Flats, College House and the Town Hall, are now listed as Category 1 historic places by Heritage New Zealand, a distinction Warren regarded with wry amusement. In his view, buildings, his own included, needed to change and adapt over time if they were to continue in use. He was a generous supporter of heritage causes and played a key role in ensuring the survival of Christchurch’s Theatre Royal. In Wellington, Warren presided over the seismic strengthening and refurbishment of Parliament Buildings, at that time the country’s largest-ever heritage project. Miles Warren was a gifted raconteur and his autobiography, published in 2008, captures his distinctive voice and sense of humour while providing a unique perspective on his distinguished career. Much of his success he put down to the good luck of being in the right place at the right time but, clearly, he also made his own luck. Fittingly, since Christ’s College remained a constant throughout his career, his funeral was held in the College Chapel on 18 August. He leaves us just as his garden at Ōhinetahi is about to burst into renewed life; house, garden and art collection were gifted to the people of New Zealand in 2012. These, The Warren Trust and the buildings produced during a lifetime of exceptional creativity remain as Sir Miles Warren’s remarkable legacy. https://architecturenow.co.nz/articles/obituary-sir-miles-warren-1929-2022/ |
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