Francis Johnson (architect)
Encyclopedia
See Francis Johnston (architect)
for Irish architect of similar name.
Francis Frederick Johnson CBE
, (18 April 1911-29 September 1995), was an English
architect, born in Bridlington
in the East Riding of Yorkshire.
. He began his own practice in 1937 in his home town of Bridlington
, East Riding of Yorkshire
. His career was interrupted by the Second World War and he served in the Royal Engineers
from 1943 to 1946.
style. He designed a number of churches in the post war period for clients including the Church of England
Commissioners; these simple buildings often show the influence of the Scandinavian classical architecture
he had admired on his European tour.
Francis Johnson also restored and remodelled a large number of historic buildings including Hardwick Hall
, Derbyshire, Belton House
, Lincolnshire, Burton Agnes Hall
and Fairfax House, York
. In his approach to restoration, involving detailed research into the original colour schemes of buildings, he was ahead of his time in the 1960s.
Francis Johnston (architect)
See Francis Johnson for English architect of similar name.Francis Johnston was an Irish architect, best known for building the General Post Office on O’Connell Street, Dublin.-Life:...
for Irish architect of similar name.
Francis Frederick Johnson CBE
CBE
CBE and C.B.E. are abbreviations for "Commander of the Order of the British Empire", a grade in the Order of the British Empire.Other uses include:* Chemical and Biochemical Engineering...
, (18 April 1911-29 September 1995), 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, born in Bridlington
Bridlington
Bridlington is a seaside resort, minor sea fishing port and civil parish on the Holderness Coast of the North Sea, in the East Riding of Yorkshire, England. It has a static population of over 33,000, which rises considerably during the tourist season...
in the East Riding of Yorkshire.
Education and Early career
Johnson trained at the Leeds School of Architecture. He toured Europe in 1931 on a travelling scholarship before going to work for Allderidge & Clark in HullKingston upon Hull
Kingston upon Hull , usually referred to as Hull, is a city and unitary authority area in the ceremonial county of the East Riding of Yorkshire, England. It stands on the River Hull at its junction with the Humber estuary, 25 miles inland from the North Sea. Hull has a resident population of...
. He began his own practice in 1937 in his home town of Bridlington
Bridlington
Bridlington is a seaside resort, minor sea fishing port and civil parish on the Holderness Coast of the North Sea, in the East Riding of Yorkshire, England. It has a static population of over 33,000, which rises considerably during the tourist season...
, East Riding of Yorkshire
East Riding of Yorkshire
The East Riding of Yorkshire, or simply East Yorkshire, is a local government district with unitary authority status, and a ceremonial county of England. For ceremonial purposes the county also includes the city of Kingston upon Hull, which is a separate unitary authority...
. His career was interrupted by the Second World War and he served in the Royal Engineers
Royal Engineers
The Corps of Royal Engineers, usually just called the Royal Engineers , and commonly known as the Sappers, is one of the corps of the British Army....
from 1943 to 1946.
Work
Francis Johnson’s favoured field of work was domestic architecture and he is particularly known for his country houses in the GeorgianGeorgian architecture
Georgian architecture is the name given in most English-speaking countries to the set of architectural styles current between 1720 and 1840. It is eponymous for the first four British monarchs of the House of Hanover—George I of Great Britain, George II of Great Britain, George III of the United...
style. He designed a number of churches in the post war period for clients including the Church of England
Church of England
The Church of England is the officially established Christian church in England and the Mother Church of the worldwide Anglican Communion. The church considers itself within the tradition of Western Christianity and dates its formal establishment principally to the mission to England by St...
Commissioners; these simple buildings often show the influence of the Scandinavian classical architecture
Nordic Classicism
Nordic Classicism was a style of architecture that briefly blossomed in the Nordic countries between 1910 and 1930....
he had admired on his European tour.
Francis Johnson also restored and remodelled a large number of historic buildings including Hardwick Hall
Hardwick Hall
Hardwick Hall , in Derbyshire, is one of the most significant Elizabethan country houses in England. In common with its architect Robert Smythson's other works at both Longleat House and Wollaton Hall, Hardwick Hall is one of the earliest examples of the English interpretation of the Renaissance...
, Derbyshire, Belton House
Belton House
Belton House is a Grade I listed country house in Belton near Grantham, Lincolnshire, England. The mansion is surrounded by formal gardens and a series of avenues leading to follies within a larger wooded park...
, Lincolnshire, Burton Agnes Hall
Burton Agnes Hall
Burton Agnes Hall is an Elizabethan manor house in the village of Burton Agnes, near Driffield in Yorkshire. It was built by Sir Henry Griffith in 1601–10 to designs attributed to Robert Smythson...
and Fairfax House, York
York
York is a walled city, situated at the confluence of the Rivers Ouse and Foss in North Yorkshire, England. The city has a rich heritage and has provided the backdrop to major political events throughout much of its two millennia of existence...
. In his approach to restoration, involving detailed research into the original colour schemes of buildings, he was ahead of his time in the 1960s.
Churches
- St Margaret, HilstonHilstonHilston is a hamlet in the East Riding of Yorkshire, England, in an area known as Holderness. It is situated approximately east of Kingston upon Hull city centre and north west of Withernsea. It lies to the east of the B1242 road....
, East Riding of YorkshireEast Riding of YorkshireThe East Riding of Yorkshire, or simply East Yorkshire, is a local government district with unitary authority status, and a ceremonial county of England. For ceremonial purposes the county also includes the city of Kingston upon Hull, which is a separate unitary authority...
(1956-7). - Ascension, Calvert Road, Kingston upon HullKingston upon HullKingston upon Hull , usually referred to as Hull, is a city and unitary authority area in the ceremonial county of the East Riding of Yorkshire, England. It stands on the River Hull at its junction with the Humber estuary, 25 miles inland from the North Sea. Hull has a resident population of...
chancelChancelIn church architecture, the chancel is the space around the altar in the sanctuary at the liturgical east end of a traditional Christian church building...
(1957-8). - St Michael and All Angels, Orchard Park, Kingston upon HullKingston upon HullKingston upon Hull , usually referred to as Hull, is a city and unitary authority area in the ceremonial county of the East Riding of Yorkshire, England. It stands on the River Hull at its junction with the Humber estuary, 25 miles inland from the North Sea. Hull has a resident population of...
(1957-8). - Holy Nativity RC, Scarborough, North Yorkshire (1954-5).
- St Luke's RC, Scarborough, North Yorkshire (1955-6).
- St George RC, Scarborough, North Yorkshire (1957-8).
- Methodist Chapel, RiponRiponRipon is a cathedral city, market town and successor parish in the Borough of Harrogate, North Yorkshire, England, located at the confluence of two streams of the River Ure in the form of the Laver and Skell. The city is noted for its main feature the Ripon Cathedral which is architecturally...
(1958-60). - St Joseph's RC, Newby, Scarborough, North Yorkshire (1958-60).
- Methodist Church, SewerbySewerbySewerby is a village in the East Riding of Yorkshire, England approximately north east of Bridlington on the North Sea coast.Sewerby forms part of the civil parish of Bridlington....
(1963). - St Thomas, PennywellPennywellPennywell is one of the UK's largest post-war social housing schemes, and is situated in the central-west area of Sunderland, Tyne and Wear, North East England. Pennywell is the largest local authority housing estate in the City of Sunderland...
, Sunderland (1964). - St Christopher, Tong, West YorkshireTong, West YorkshireTong is a Ward in City of Bradford, West Yorkshire, England, named after Tong village which is its oldest settlement.- Geography :...
(1967-8). - St Luke, WillerbyWillerby, East Riding of YorkshireWillerby is a village and civil parish in the East Riding of Yorkshire, England that is located about west of Kingston upon Hull city centre. According to the 2001 UK census, Willerby parish had a population of 8,056....
(1968).
Private Houses
- The Old Rectory, Winestead restoration (1947-8).
- Sunderlandwick Hall, SunderlandwickSunderlandwickSunderlandwick is a hamlet in the East Riding of Yorkshire, England. It is situated approximately south of Driffield and lies to the west of the A164 road.It forms part of the civil parish of Hutton Cranswick....
(1962-3). - Settrington House, SettringtonSettringtonSettrington is a village and civil parish in the Ryedale district of North Yorkshire, England. It once had a railway station that lay on the Malton and Driffield Railway.-History:...
rebuilt after fire in 1963 (1965). - Whitwell-on-the-Hill, MaltonMalton, North YorkshireMalton is a market town and civil parish in North Yorkshire, England. The town is the location of the offices of Ryedale District Council and has a population of around 4,000 people....
(1969). - Corn Exchange House, BridlingtonBridlingtonBridlington is a seaside resort, minor sea fishing port and civil parish on the Holderness Coast of the North Sea, in the East Riding of Yorkshire, England. It has a static population of over 33,000, which rises considerably during the tourist season...
(1972). - Garrowby Hall, GarrowbyGarrowbyGarrowby is a hamlet in the East Riding of Yorkshire, England. It is situated approximately north of Pocklington town centre.It lies to the north of the A166 roadand forms part of the civil parish of Kirby Underdale....
south range (1981-2). - St Oswald's House, HothamHotham, East Riding of YorkshireHotham is a small village and civil parish in the East Riding of Yorkshire, England. It is situated approximately west of Hull city centre and south of Market Weighton town centre. The village has good road links with the cities of Kingston upon Hull, York and Leeds...
(1990). - Hilborough House, NorfolkNorfolkNorfolk is a low-lying county in the East of England. It has borders with Lincolnshire to the west, Cambridgeshire to the west and southwest and Suffolk to the south. Its northern and eastern boundaries are the North Sea coast and to the north-west the county is bordered by The Wash. The county...
designed 1989-90 (1996-9).
Other
- The King's School, TynemouthThe King's School, TynemouthThe King's School is a co-educational, independent day school in Tynemouth, Tyne and Wear, England with over 800 pupils aged between 4 and 18. The current headmaster is Mr Edward Wesson . The school is a member of the Headmasters' and Headmistresses' Conference...
, Northumberland new block (1959-60) - St Anne's Houses, BridlingtonBridlingtonBridlington is a seaside resort, minor sea fishing port and civil parish on the Holderness Coast of the North Sea, in the East Riding of Yorkshire, England. It has a static population of over 33,000, which rises considerably during the tourist season...
(1961-5). - St Chad's CollegeSt Chad's CollegeSt Chad's College is a college of the University of Durham in England. One of the smallest of Durham's colleges in terms of student numbers , it has the largest staff, the most extensive college library facilities, and consistently the highest academic results in Durham...
, Durham (1961-4). - Beach House, GrenadaGrenadaGrenada is an island country and Commonwealth Realm consisting of the island of Grenada and six smaller islands at the southern end of the Grenadines in the southeastern Caribbean Sea...
(1968-9). - RectoryRectoryA rectory is the residence, or former residence, of a rector, most often a Christian cleric, but in some cases an academic rector or other person with that title...
, Church Green, Bridlington (1970). - Rectory, Cottingham, East Riding of YorkshireCottingham, East Riding of YorkshireCottingham is a village and civil parish in the East Riding of Yorkshire, England. It lies just to the north-west of the city of Kingston upon Hull...
(1973). - The Pavilion (Opera HouseOpera houseAn opera house is a theatre building used for opera performances that consists of a stage, an orchestra pit, audience seating, and backstage facilities for costumes and set building...
), Thorpe Tinley Hall, LincolnshireLincolnshireLincolnshire is a county in the east of England. It borders Norfolk to the south east, Cambridgeshire to the south, Rutland to the south west, Leicestershire and Nottinghamshire to the west, South Yorkshire to the north west, and the East Riding of Yorkshire to the north. It also borders...
(1976-80). - Swimming Pool Pavilion, Burton Agnes HallBurton Agnes HallBurton Agnes Hall is an Elizabethan manor house in the village of Burton Agnes, near Driffield in Yorkshire. It was built by Sir Henry Griffith in 1601–10 to designs attributed to Robert Smythson...
(1985).
External links
- Francis Johnson & Partners
- Jonathan Glancey in the Guardian on the 2001 exhibition of Francis Johnson's work in London from The GuardianThe GuardianThe Guardian, formerly known as The Manchester Guardian , is a British national daily newspaper in the Berliner format...
. - Article on London Exhibition from the SpectatorThe SpectatorThe Spectator is a weekly British magazine first published on 6 July 1828. It is currently owned by David and Frederick Barclay, who also owns The Daily Telegraph. Its principal subject areas are politics and culture...
. - Article on recent work by Francis Johnson & Partners from Country LifeCountry Life (magazine)Country Life is a British weekly magazine, based in London at 110 Southwark Street, and owned by IPC Media, a Time Warner subsidiary.- Topics :The magazine covers the pleasures and joys of rural life, as well as the concerns of rural people...
.