F. X. Velarde

Francis Xavier Velarde (1897 – 28 December 1960) was an English architect who practiced in Liverpool, Merseyside, England.

Francis Xavier Velarde
Born1897
Liverpool, England
Died28 December 1960(1960-12-28) (aged 62–63)
Crosby, Liverpool, England
NationalityEnglish
OccupationArchitect

Biography

Velarde was trained at the Liverpool School of Architecture from 1920, and from 1928 taught at the school. In 1957 he was awarded the OBE. His works are located mainly in Merseyside and Northwest England, and most of them were churches.[1] He was influenced by architectural developments on the Continent, in particular by the German Dominikus Böhm. It is unlikely that he was at all influenced by his Chilean father who died when he was five years old. He was later destined for a career in the merchant navy but was conscripted from there into the RNVR and served in the trenches to be gassed at Paschendale, thus inevitably shortening his life. On leaving the army he went to Liverpool art school where he was discovered by Charles Riley and given a place at Liverpool School of Architecture.[2] His design of St Gabriel, Blackburn, is considered to be "one of the milestones in the development of English church architecture towards Modern Movement style".[3]

Although Pollard and Pevsner state that he "worked exclusively for the Roman Catholic Church",[2] he did design one Anglican church, St Gabriel, Blackburn.[3] Five of his churches have been recorded in the National Heritage List for England as designated listed buildings. The Church of St. Monica, Bootle,[4] was upgraded from Grade II to Grade I status in 2017;[5] the Shrine of Our Lady of Lourdes in Blackpool, and English Martyrs' Church, Wallasey are listed at Grade II*,[6][7][8][9] and listed at Grade II are St Teresa's Church, Upholland[10][11] and Holy Cross Church, Bidston.[12][13] He also designed Roman Catholic schools, one of which is in Birkdale.[14]

His Church of St Vincent de Paul and St Louise of Marillac in Potters Bar (Hertfordshire) was completed in 1962, after his death, but subsequently demolished. The practice continued after his death as F. X. Velarde Partners whose work includes St Michael and All Angels Church, Woodchurch, Birkenhead, by Richard O'Mahony (1965).

Dominic Wilson reviewed his work more than sixty years after his death. He noted Velarde's frequent pairing of blue and gold in interior design, and his preference for brick, or stone when the budget stretched to it, rather than concrete. But Wilson criticised Velarde's engineering skill, his handling of rainwater, noting that his aversion to rainwater gutters and pipes on main frontages had left a legacy of leaks, and that there was a pattern of his underfloor heating having had to be replaced with other arrangements. [15]

See also

References

Citations

  1. Velarde, Francis Xavier, Liverpool Record Office, retrieved 6 August 2012
  2. Pollard & Pevsner 2006, p. 103.
  3. Hartwell & Pevsner 2009, pp. 125–126.
  4. Pollard & Pevsner 2006, pp. 156–157.
  5. Historic England, "Church of St Monica, Sefton (1283647)", National Heritage List for England, retrieved 22 July 2020
  6. Hartwell & Pevsner 2009, pp. 157–158.
  7. Historic England, "Thanksgiving Shrine of Our Lady of Lourdes, Blackpool (1387319)", National Heritage List for England, retrieved 7 August 2012
  8. Hartwell et al. 2011, pp. 651–652.
  9. Historic England, "Church of the English Martyrs, Wirral (1390589)", National Heritage List for England, retrieved 7 August 2012
  10. Pollard & Pevsner 2006, pp. 598–599.
  11. Historic England, "St Theresa of the Child Jesus Roman Catholic Church and attached Parish Rooms, Upholland (1379930)", National Heritage List for England, retrieved 7 August 2012
  12. Hartwell et al. 2011, p. 153.
  13. Historic England, "Church of the Holy Cross, Bidston (1390588)", National Heritage List for England, retrieved 7 August 2012
  14. Hartwell & Pevsner 2009, p. 640.
  15. The Churches of F. X. Velarde Lecture by Dominic Wilkinson of John Moores University for the twentieth century society. retrieved 24th Oct 2020

Sources

  • Hartwell, Clare; Hyde, Matthew; Hubbard, Edward; Pevsner, Nikolaus (2011) [1971], Cheshire, The Buildings of England, New Haven and London: Yale University Press, ISBN 978-0-300-17043-6
  • Hartwell, Clare; Pevsner, Nikolaus (2009) [1969], Lancashire: North, The Buildings of England, New Haven and London: Yale University Press, ISBN 978-0-300-12667-9
  • Pollard, Richard; Pevsner, Nikolaus (2006), Lancashire: Liverpool and the South-West, The Buildings of England, New Haven and London: Yale University Press, ISBN 0-300-10910-5
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.