These days architects want to be star-chitects drawing attention to themselves.
Asked to design an office building they furrow their brows and wonder what to build. There’s a cheese grater, a gherkin, a walkie talkie … I know, I’ll build a banana. That it will not relate to the surrounding buildings is considered a plus. That it will be a nightmare for the structural engineer is not considered. That it’s easy to draw is a plus too.
That was not the case in the 19th century. Architects designed buildings sympathetic to their surroundings. Furthermore they were not too grand to design the detail too. If you walk along the Embankment you may notice the seats have cast iron armrests in the form of sphinxes and camels. Walk on and you will see two huge bronze sphinxes guarding Cleopatra’s Needle and iron lamp standards with sturgeon coiled around their base.
All this is the work of GJ Vulliamy (1817-1886) made shortly after the Embanbkment was completed in 1870 by Sir Joseph Bazalgette. Incidentally it was gratifying that his great-great grandson was knighted too, in 2012 for services to broadcasting. Since then he has atoned for bringing Big Brother to UK TV screens by becoming a benefactor to the Arts. But it’s easy to digress. Vulliamy also designed this church in Endell Street, a tad north of Covent Garden.
Pevsner describes the façade succinctly.
”Narrow façade between taller houses; 1853 by George Vulliamy. Two-storeyed with two outer giant pilasters and two inner giant columns. The details one might call incorrect Palladian.” (The Buildings of England, London, Volume One, Nikolaus Pevsner, revised by Bridget Cherry)
It is the only Swiss church in London, indeed in England, and deserves its Grade II Listed status. Also it is the best example of Vulliamy’s work. His other buildings in London are fire stations and some buildings in Victoria Street designed when he was superintendent architect to the Metropolitan Board of Works. GGV it seems was a modest man, ready to turn his hand to any commission that came his way.
These sphinxes (Egyptian) and on the benches (Greek) came up on one of my talks. Elements included how to tell the sex of a sphinx (easier than budgerigars, Greek ones are always feminine), British army regiments with sphinxes in their cap-badges, and transport of the obelisk.
The sphinxes by the obelisk are the wrong way round. They should have their backs to the obelisk so that they can guard it. While they were being cast a pair of replica plaster sphinxes were placed with the obelisk so the overall effect could be judged. The plaster casts were properly placed with their backs to the obelisk, there is photo of this. However it was judged that aesthetically it was better if the sphinxes looked inwards. The final comment was that “if the sphinxes were to be called upon to guard a 3,000 year old obelisk for another 3,000 years then they had better have something to read in their own language”.
You might be interested in looking further into Vulliamy. The family were Swiss master clock makers – the first Vulliamy in Britain being invited by Charles II. At least one of his clocks is at Greenwich. That Vulliamy lived in what is now Norland Square, London W11, and I believe the remains of the house’s well is still there.
Another Vulliamy was the Achitect for Westonbirt House,near Tetbury.Now a Girls School.Perhaps he also built Dorchester House that was pulled down to make way for the Hotel.
I often admire those benches and iron lamp standards when I drive up the Chelsea Embankment, often wanting to stop and take photo. ( not yet happened). They are magnificent, wow (1817-1886). It’s nice to know who the artist is. Some one for me to google when I have time.