Banister Fletcher
Encyclopedia
Sir Banister Flight Fletcher (15 February 1866, London
– 17 August 1953, London) was an English
architect
and architectural historian, as was his father, also named Banister Fletcher
.
With his father, he co-authored the first edition of A History of Architecture [A History of Architecture on the Comparative Method. London: Athlone Press, University of London, 1896- [issued serially], first single-volume edition, London: B.T. Batsford and New York: C. Scribner's Sons, 1896]. The twentieth edition is also the centenary edition, issued in 1996. (ISBN 0-7506-2267-9)
He was architect of the Gillette factory
on the Great West Road
, in Brentford
, Middlesex
, of the Great Hall at King's College School
, and of Abbess Grange
, Leckford, Hampshire
.
He was elected president of the Royal Institute of British Architects
(RIBA) in 1929 (until 1931).
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
– 17 August 1953, London) was an English
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
architect
Architect
An architect is a person trained in the planning, design and oversight of the construction of buildings. To practice architecture means to offer or render services in connection with the design and construction of a building, or group of buildings and the space within the site surrounding the...
and architectural historian, as was his father, also named Banister Fletcher
Banister Fletcher (politician)
Banister Fletcher was an English architect and surveyor and Liberal politician who sat in the House of Commons from 1885 to 1886.-Career:...
.
With his father, he co-authored the first edition of A History of Architecture [A History of Architecture on the Comparative Method. London: Athlone Press, University of London, 1896- [issued serially], first single-volume edition, London: B.T. Batsford and New York: C. Scribner's Sons, 1896]. The twentieth edition is also the centenary edition, issued in 1996. (ISBN 0-7506-2267-9)
- "A thundering classic appears again with useful additions. As Sir Banister Fletcher said, 'The study of architecture opens up the enjoyment of buildings with an appreciation of their purpose, meaning, and charm.' These words aptly summarise what this book has become for generations of students and architects. No serious fan of architecture should be without it."
American Institute of Architects.
- "..the whole point of Banister Fletcher is that it does cram everything into a single volume. It will remain one of the most thumbed tomes in Building Design's office library...above all, gloriously and frustratingly, invaluable."
Building Design, October 1996
He was architect of the Gillette factory
Gillette Corner
Gillette Corner is a crossroads intersection where the ancient road of Syon Lane crosses the Great West Road A4, on the border between Osterley and Brentford in west London. It marks the western end of the Great West Road's "Golden Mile" of classic 1930s developments in commercial and industrial...
on the Great West Road
Golden Mile (Brentford)
The Golden Mile is the name given to a stretch of the Great West Road north of Brentford running west from the western boundary of Chiswick in London, United Kingdom.It was so called due to the concentration of industry along this short stretch of road...
, in Brentford
Brentford
Brentford is a suburban town in west London, England, and part of the London Borough of Hounslow. It is located at the confluence of the River Thames and the River Brent, west-southwest of Charing Cross. Its former ceremonial county was Middlesex.-Toponymy:...
, Middlesex
Middlesex
Middlesex is one of the historic counties of England and the second smallest by area. The low-lying county contained the wealthy and politically independent City of London on its southern boundary and was dominated by it from a very early time...
, of the Great Hall at King's College School
King's College School
King's College School, commonly referred to as KCS, King's, or KCS Wimbledon, is an independent school for day pupils in Wimbledon in south-west London. The school was founded as the junior department of King's College London and occupied part of its premises in Strand, before relocating to...
, and of Abbess Grange
Abbess Grange
Abbess Grange is a neo-Elizabethan house at Leckford, Hampshire, England designed by Sir Banister Fletcher, a British architect, in 1901 for George Miles Bailey, on the site of a former grange of St. Mary's Abbey, Winchester...
, Leckford, Hampshire
Hampshire
Hampshire is a county on the southern coast of England in the United Kingdom. The county town of Hampshire is Winchester, a historic cathedral city that was once the capital of England. Hampshire is notable for housing the original birthplaces of the Royal Navy, British Army, and Royal Air Force...
.
He was elected president of the Royal Institute of British Architects
Royal Institute of British Architects
The Royal Institute of British Architects is a professional body for architects primarily in the United Kingdom, but also internationally.-History:...
(RIBA) in 1929 (until 1931).
Selected works
- Fletcher, Banister; Cruickshank, Dan, Sir Banister Fletcher's a History of Architecture, Architectural Press, 20th edition, 1996. ISBN 0750622679
- Fletcher, Banister; Fletcher, Banister Flight, A History of Architecture on the Comparative Method for Students, Craftsmen & Amateur, London : B.T. Batsford, Ltd.; new York : Charles Scribner's and Sons, 1901
- Fletcher, Banister, Recent development of early renaissance in England, London : C.W. Sweet, 1894
Further reading
- McKean, John (2009) "Sir Banister Fletcher: Pillar to Post-Colonial Readings", The Journal of Architecture, 11 (2). pp. 187-204. ISSN 14664410
External links
- Short biography from Grove Dictionary of ArtGrove Dictionary of ArtGrove Art Online, formerly The Dictionary of Art but usually known as The Grove Dictionary of Art, is a large encyclopedia of art, now part of the online reference publications of Oxford University Press, and previously a 34-volume printed encyclopedia when last published on paper in 1996...
- Map and pictures of King's College School