Chamberlin Powell & Bon Building, Architects, England, Office, British Projects Images

Chamberlin Powell & Bon Architecture

Modernist English Architecture Practice, 20th Century UK Design Office News

post updated 6 May 2021

Chamberlin Powell & Bon – Key Projects

Chamberlin, Powell and Bon buildings, all in England, UK:

Barbican complex, London
Golden Lane Estate, London
New Hall, Cambridge
University of Leeds expansion, Yorkshire

Key Chamberlin, Powell and Bon building

New Hall College, Cambridge, south east England, UK
Dates built: 1962-66

photo : Kim Fyson / Murray Edwards College Fellows’ Garden
New Hall Cambridge
Brutalist concrete, unusual organic forms.
New Hall was founded in 1954 as the ‘third foundation’ for women students at Cambridge University at a time when Cambridge had the lowest proportion of women undergraduates of any university in the UK. By 1962, thanks to the generosity of members of the Darwin family who gave their family home, the Orchard, the College had its site on Huntingdon Road, on the northern side of Cambridge.

The architects, Chamberlin, Powell and Bon, had been chosen and funds were being collected. Building began in 1964 and the new college was completed, as far as funding and land would allow, in 1965.

It could house up to 300 students and, with others living in houses off the site, the College total rose to about 215 undergraduates and 25 graduate students at the beginning of 1970. The College’s position was now sufficiently stable to seek a Charter from the Privy Council in 1972 to allow a transition of governance from an Association to that of a college.

Key Chamberlin, Powell and Bon housing

The Barbican Complex, City of London, south east England, UK
Date built: 1982

photo © Adrian Welch
Barbican Centre
Summary:
Seven acres of arts buildings and housing including 3 of London’s tallest residential tower blocks.
The Barbican Centre has been voted London’s ugliest building.
Status: Grade II listed, 2001
Style: brutalist architecture
The Barbican is one of London’s best examples of Brutalist architecture. It was developed as part of a utopian vision to transform an area of London left devastated by bombing during the Second World War.

The Centre took over a decade to build and was opened by The Queen in 1982. She declared it ‘one of the modern wonders of the world’ with the building seen as a landmark in terms of its scale, cohesion and ambition.

Its stunning spaces and unique location at the heart of the Barbican Estate have made it an internationally recognised venue. The buildings are set within an urban landscape acknowledged as one of the most significant architectural achievements of the 20th century.

More buildings by these English Modernist architects soon

Location: London, south east England, UK

Architects Practice Information

Architects Studio formerly based in London, UK

London Architects

This British architectural practice was founded in 1952. The house style was Modernist – ‘Brutalist’, typically creating exposed concrete buildings.

Architect Partners: Geoffry Powell, Peter Chamberlin and Christoph Bon
All taught at Kingston Polytechnic

Powell won the Golden Lane Estate architecture competition, London, in 1951

Influenced by Swiss-French architect Le Corbusier.

New Hall College dome, Cambridge, England:

photo © Adrian Welch

Stirling Prize

Related architect by style and location:

Denys Lasdun

Chamberlin, Powell and Bon influence : Le Corbusier

Architecture in England

Contemporary Architecture in England – architectural selection below:

English Architecture

English Architects Offices

London Architecture Designs – architectural selection below:

King’s Cross Sports Hall
Architects: Bennetts Associates

photo © John Sturrock
King’s Cross Sports Hall Building
The construction of the new King’s Cross Sports Hall, a community sports centre and gym building by a award-winning architecture practice. This new property development is located at the north east edge of the 67-acre King’s Cross development, has now completed.