G. Topham Forrest
Encyclopedia
George Topham Forrest, F.R.I.B.A., (born 1872, died 31 March 1945, Port Appin
, Scotland
) was a Scottish architect
who became chief architect for the London County Council
and was responsible for the design of many public housing estates, and also co-designed two bridges over the River Thames
.
. He apprenticed with the architecture firm of Brown and Watt from 1890 to 1894 and also took classes at Robert Gordon's College. He then moved to London and worked as an improver for John Macvicar Anderson while taking classes at King's College
and attending the Architectural Association studios
.
City Engineer's Office, primarily working on overseeing improvements in working-class housing. From 1899 to 1905 he was principal assistant in the West Riding
County Architect's Department, Yorkshire; at first he worked on asylum
s, but in 1903 he was put in charge of all county education design. In 1905 he became the county Education Architect for Northumberland
and in 1914 Essex
County Architect.
In 1919 he became architect to the London County Council and held that post until his retirement in 1935. His work there included the British Postgraduate Medical School
building in Hammersmith
,, many schools and hospitals, and the architecture of Lambeth Bridge
(with Reginald Blomfield
) and Chelsea Bridge
. Pevsner
called the Chelsea Bridge design "concise and functional".
His time at the LCC coincided with most of the great interwar period of construction of council house
s and flat
s: approximately 61,000 units by the outbreak of World War II. In particular, he was in charge of the development of the Becontree
estate, which had 26,000 units by itself; he was recruited from Essex specifically to plan it.
Forrest oversaw the design, layout and construction of the council dwellings, so those built during his tenure reflect his preference for plain neo-Georgian architecture, with houses having square-paned sash windows, unadorned brick facades, and plain front doors with small canopies above. This is seen clearly at the largest LCC housing estate, Becontree, where most of the homes are 2-storey cottages in short terraces and despite varied groupings and one of the first uses of cul-de-sac
s, which the planners called 'banjos' after their shape, there is an overall impression of uniformity. However, on the LCC's most important non-suburban estate built during this period, Ossulston Estate
in Camden Town
, he was influenced by Modernist
workers' housing he had seen in Vienna
. Also, under the influence of the Garden city movement
, he had the buildings on LCC estates laid out informally and grouped at road junctions and around small green
s. For example, at the Tottenham
estate known as Tower Gardens or White Hart Lane
, the pre-World War I southern portion designed by W.E. Riley has 2-storey terraced houses on a grid, whilst in the northern section built under Forrest after the war, the housing is less dense and is grouped around an axis where tennis courts and a community club were provided; there were also originally 4 allotment
s. At the St Helier Estate, he retained trees and hedgerows where possible and had shrubberies and greens planted, and the housing is deliberately varied in appearance. Even at the high-density Ossulston estate, the flats are grouped around courtyards and greens accessed through archways.
Forrest became a Licentiate of the Royal Institute of British Architects
on 27 February 1911 and was elected a Fellow in early 1919.
and designed a reconstruction of the Globe Theatre
as an appendix to an LCC publication on it.
Appin
Appin is a remote coastal district of the Scottish West Highlands bounded west by Loch Linnhe, south by Loch Creran, east by the districts of Benderloch and Lorne, and north by Loch Leven...
, Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
) was a Scottish 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...
who became chief architect for the London County Council
London County Council
London County Council was the principal local government body for the County of London, throughout its 1889–1965 existence, and the first London-wide general municipal authority to be directly elected. It covered the area today known as Inner London and was replaced by the Greater London Council...
and was responsible for the design of many public housing estates, and also co-designed two bridges over the River Thames
River Thames
The River Thames flows through southern England. It is the longest river entirely in England and the second longest in the United Kingdom. While it is best known because its lower reaches flow through central London, the river flows alongside several other towns and cities, including Oxford,...
.
Early life and training
Forrest attended Aberdeen Grammar SchoolAberdeen Grammar School
Aberdeen Grammar School, known to students as The Grammar is a state secondary school in the City of Aberdeen, Scotland. It is one of twelve secondary schools run by the Aberdeen City Council educational department...
. He apprenticed with the architecture firm of Brown and Watt from 1890 to 1894 and also took classes at Robert Gordon's College. He then moved to London and worked as an improver for John Macvicar Anderson while taking classes at King's College
King's College London
King's College London is a public research university located in London, United Kingdom and a constituent college of the federal University of London. King's has a claim to being the third oldest university in England, having been founded by King George IV and the Duke of Wellington in 1829, and...
and attending the Architectural Association studios
Architectural Association School of Architecture
The Architectural Association School of Architecture, more usually known as the AA, is an architectural school in London, United Kingdom...
.
Local government career
From 1898 to 1899 he was chief assistant in the LeedsLeeds
Leeds is a city and metropolitan borough in West Yorkshire, England. In 2001 Leeds' main urban subdivision had a population of 443,247, while the entire city has a population of 798,800 , making it the 30th-most populous city in the European Union.Leeds is the cultural, financial and commercial...
City Engineer's Office, primarily working on overseeing improvements in working-class housing. From 1899 to 1905 he was principal assistant in the West Riding
West Riding of Yorkshire
The West Riding of Yorkshire is one of the three historic subdivisions of Yorkshire, England. From 1889 to 1974 the administrative county, County of York, West Riding , was based closely on the historic boundaries...
County Architect's Department, Yorkshire; at first he worked on asylum
Psychiatric hospital
Psychiatric hospitals, also known as mental hospitals, are hospitals specializing in the treatment of serious mental disorders. Psychiatric hospitals vary widely in their size and grading. Some hospitals may specialise only in short-term or outpatient therapy for low-risk patients...
s, but in 1903 he was put in charge of all county education design. In 1905 he became the county Education Architect for Northumberland
Northumberland
Northumberland is the northernmost ceremonial county and a unitary district in North East England. For Eurostat purposes Northumberland is a NUTS 3 region and is one of three boroughs or unitary districts that comprise the "Northumberland and Tyne and Wear" NUTS 2 region...
and in 1914 Essex
Essex
Essex is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in the East region of England, and one of the home counties. It is located to the northeast of Greater London. It borders with Cambridgeshire and Suffolk to the north, Hertfordshire to the west, Kent to the South and London to the south west...
County Architect.
In 1919 he became architect to the London County Council and held that post until his retirement in 1935. His work there included the British Postgraduate Medical School
Royal Postgraduate Medical School
The Royal Postgraduate Medical School was an independent medical school, based primarily at Hammersmith Hospital in west London. In 1988, the school merged with the Institute of Obstetrics & Gynaecology, and in 1997 became part of the Imperial College School of Medicine.-History:The medical school...
building in Hammersmith
Hammersmith
Hammersmith is an urban centre in the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham in west London, England, in the United Kingdom, approximately five miles west of Charing Cross on the north bank of the River Thames...
,, many schools and hospitals, and the architecture of Lambeth Bridge
Lambeth Bridge
Lambeth Bridge is a road traffic and footbridge crossing the River Thames in an east-west direction in central London, England; the river flows north at the crossing point...
(with Reginald Blomfield
Reginald Blomfield
Sir Reginald Theodore Blomfield was a prolific British architect, garden designer and author of the Victorian and Edwardian period.- Early life and career :...
) and Chelsea Bridge
Chelsea Bridge
Chelsea Bridge is a bridge over the River Thames in west London, connecting Chelsea on the north bank to Battersea on the south bank. There have been two Chelsea Bridges, on the site of what was an ancient ford....
. Pevsner
Nikolaus Pevsner
Sir Nikolaus Bernhard Leon Pevsner, CBE, FBA was a German-born British scholar of history of art and, especially, of history of architecture...
called the Chelsea Bridge design "concise and functional".
His time at the LCC coincided with most of the great interwar period of construction of council house
Council house
A council house, otherwise known as a local authority house, is a form of public or social housing. The term is used primarily in the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland. Council houses were built and operated by local councils to supply uncrowded, well-built homes on secure tenancies at...
s and flat
Apartment
An apartment or flat is a self-contained housing unit that occupies only part of a building...
s: approximately 61,000 units by the outbreak of World War II. In particular, he was in charge of the development of the Becontree
Becontree
Becontree is a place in the London Borough of Barking and Dagenham, east north-east of Charing Cross.-Becontree estate:The area was developed between 1921 and 1932 by the London County Council as a large council estate of 27,000 homes, intended as "homes for heroes" after World War I. With a...
estate, which had 26,000 units by itself; he was recruited from Essex specifically to plan it.
Forrest oversaw the design, layout and construction of the council dwellings, so those built during his tenure reflect his preference for plain neo-Georgian architecture, with houses having square-paned sash windows, unadorned brick facades, and plain front doors with small canopies above. This is seen clearly at the largest LCC housing estate, Becontree, where most of the homes are 2-storey cottages in short terraces and despite varied groupings and one of the first uses of cul-de-sac
Cul-de-sac
A cul-de-sac is a word of French origin referring to a dead end, close, no through road or court meaning dead-end street with only one inlet/outlet...
s, which the planners called 'banjos' after their shape, there is an overall impression of uniformity. However, on the LCC's most important non-suburban estate built during this period, Ossulston Estate
Ossulston Estate
The Ossulston Estate is a multi-storey council estate built by the London County Council in Somers Town between 1927 and 1931. It was unusual at the time both in its inner-city location and in its modernist design, and all the original parts of the estate are now listed buildings.The estate was...
in Camden Town
Camden Town
-Economy:In recent years, entertainment-related businesses and a Holiday Inn have moved into the area. A number of retail and food chain outlets have replaced independent shops driven out by high rents and redevelopment. Restaurants have thrived, with the variety of culinary traditions found in...
, he was influenced by Modernist
Modern architecture
Modern architecture is generally characterized by simplification of form and creation of ornament from the structure and theme of the building. It is a term applied to an overarching movement, with its exact definition and scope varying widely...
workers' housing he had seen in Vienna
Vienna
Vienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre...
. Also, under the influence of the Garden city movement
Garden city movement
The garden city movement is a method of urban planning that was initiated in 1898 by Sir Ebenezer Howard in the United Kingdom. Garden cities were intended to be planned, self-contained communities surrounded by "greenbelts" , containing proportionate areas of residences, industry and...
, he had the buildings on LCC estates laid out informally and grouped at road junctions and around small green
Village green
A village green is a common open area which is a part of a settlement. Traditionally, such an area was often common grass land at the centre of a small agricultural settlement, used for grazing and sometimes for community events...
s. For example, at the Tottenham
Tottenham
Tottenham is an area of the London Borough of Haringey, England, situated north north east of Charing Cross.-Toponymy:Tottenham is believed to have been named after Tota, a farmer, whose hamlet was mentioned in the Domesday Book; hence Tota's hamlet became Tottenham...
estate known as Tower Gardens or White Hart Lane
Tower Gardens Estate
Tower Gardens in North Tottenham is a distinctive semi-circular estate bounded by Lordship Lane and the Roundway. Constructed between 1904 and 1928, it was one of the first municipal "cottage estates" in the world. It is now a conservation area and recently featured in Open House London...
, the pre-World War I southern portion designed by W.E. Riley has 2-storey terraced houses on a grid, whilst in the northern section built under Forrest after the war, the housing is less dense and is grouped around an axis where tennis courts and a community club were provided; there were also originally 4 allotment
Allotment (gardening)
An allotment garden, often called simply an allotment, is a plot of land made available for individual, non-professional gardening. Such plots are formed by subdividing a piece of land into a few or up to several hundreds of land parcels that are assigned to individuals or families...
s. At the St Helier Estate, he retained trees and hedgerows where possible and had shrubberies and greens planted, and the housing is deliberately varied in appearance. Even at the high-density Ossulston estate, the flats are grouped around courtyards and greens accessed through archways.
Forrest became a Licentiate 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:...
on 27 February 1911 and was elected a Fellow in early 1919.
Selected publications
Forrest wrote several journal articles and papers for professional societies on designing for county councils, particularly on the design of schools, in addition to reports to the LCC. He co-edited and contributed to several volumes in the Survey of LondonSurvey of London
The Survey of London is a research project to produce a comprehensive architectural survey of the former County of London. It was founded in 1894 by Charles Robert Ashbee, an Arts-and-Crafts architect and social thinker, and was motivated by a desire to record and preserve London's ancient monuments...
and designed a reconstruction of the Globe Theatre
Globe Theatre
The Globe Theatre was a theatre in London associated with William Shakespeare. It was built in 1599 by Shakespeare's playing company, the Lord Chamberlain's Men, and was destroyed by fire on 29 June 1613...
as an appendix to an LCC publication on it.
- "County Council Schools: Their General Arrangement and Method of Building". The Surveyor and Municipal and County Engineer Supplement 28 February 1908, p. 16.
- Report on the Construction and Control of Buildings and the Development of Urban Areas in the United States of America. LCC, 1925. OCLC 500353265
- "London One Hundred Years Hence". Public Administration 4.2, April 1926, pp. 156–74.
- "Guiding a Modern City". Municipal Journal 15 April 1927, pp. 585–86.