Blog
Monthly articles about architecture by Francis Terry
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Amor Fati - A Classical Attitude to Covid-19
May 2020
During this pandemic, I could be criticised for nonchalantly blogging about the finer points of classical architecture. So, I felt it is time to write something relevant to this crisis and from the heart.
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How to Draw like Raphael
April 2020
The highest praise one can give an artist is to say he or she draws like Raphael. It comes in the same package as writing like Shakespeare or ‘bending it like Beckham’. As I can’t write poetry and don’t play football the latter two challenges are not open to me, but drawing like Raphael... how hard can it be?
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An Introduction to British Architecture from Queen Victoria to George VI
March 2020
My blog this month is two in-house lectures I have given to my office over the past few weeks. The first is Victorian and Edwardian Architecture and the second is English architecture between the Wars.
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A Life in Sketchbooks
February 2020
I have a collection of my own sketch books going back forty years. These are like a visual diary and they chart my various artistic and architectural interests over the years.
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The Mistley Towers - Piazza Navona in Essex
January 2020
Arriving too early to catch a train from Manningtree station, a friend and I used up the time looking at the Mistley towers, only a short distance away.
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The Architecture of the 18th Century: From Rococo to NeoClassicism
December 2019
A few weeks ago I did a lecture on the architecture of the 18th century. This century is where I go routinely for inspiration. There is something magical about Georgian architecture which everyone seems to enjoy no matter who they are.
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New Kitchen
November 2019
Earlier this year, Country Life, Historic Houses and Neptune launched a competition to celebrate the best new kitchens in old spaces. Our recently completed kitchen fits this brief perfectly and we are thrilled to be shortlisted down to the last three.
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Why does my Puppy like Mozart?
(And what does this tell us about classical architecture?)
October 2019
We recently bought a puppy and discovered that he much prefers classical music to pop. It seems that dogs are born with discernible musical tastes which effects their moods and this seems to be consistent throughout the species.
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St Andrew’s Felixstowe – The Last Wool Church
September 2019
St Andrew’s, Felixstowe is an uncharacteristic early work by Erith designed between 1929 and 1930. He worked in collaboration with Hilda Mason, who, as the older architect was probably the dominant force in the project.
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Architect in Wonderland
August 2019
When I was growing up I was unsure about whether I wanted to be an architect or an artist. Over a summer holiday, in my late teens, I painted my younger sister’s bedroom with scenes from Alice in Wonderland.
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Enjoying the Stress of being an Architect
June 2019
Architects must seem a strange breed; they work long hours and take on huge liability, having emerged from seven years of expensive training. It is a life full of stress, so why do so many people want to do it?
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The Platonic House
May 2019
Many award-winning houses and those seen on ‘Grand Designs’ often look like space ships or abstract sculpture, which I am sure are worthy in their own way, but they do not look like houses. Is this a problem?
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The Platonic House
May 2019
Many award-winning houses and those seen on ‘Grand Designs’ often look like space ships or abstract sculpture, which I am sure are worthy in their own way, but they do not look like houses. Is this a problem?
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L'amour de l'Architecture Française
April 2019
Over the years I have noticed that clients seem to favour French classicism over Italian. Because of this, I have been sent on several trips to Paris to study and measure buildings – it’s a tough job but someone’s got to do it!
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Happy Birthday Mr Lutyens
March 2019
As everyone knows, the 29th March this year is a big day in European politics, but, if like me, you feel bored by the process and anxious by the result; might I suggest celebrating 150th Lutyens’s birthday, which coincidentally is on the same day?
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An Introduction to Baroque Architecture
February 2019
This is a lecture I gave to the office about the baroque movement in architecture. It follows on from a lecture I gave about the renaissance and is the precursor to a future lecture on neoclassicism.
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Should Architects Just Do as They Are Told?
January 2019
How much should I, as an architect, push my opinions? Should I simply take instructions from clients and blindly obey, or should I insist on buildings being a particular way?
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A Quick Trip to Ireland
December 2018
A few weeks ago I was asked to show an ICAA tour around a house in Ireland. I caught a late flight to Ireland on a Sunday night. I then had to hire a car and drove for over an hour. Eventually, I arrived at Roundwood House.
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What Informs Architectural Taste?
November 2018
Taste is a curious thing and I have often wondered how it works. Things considered tasteful can stop being tasteful, seemingly for no apparent reason, but there must be more to it than that.
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A Taste for Colour, Ornament and Pineapples – What Informs Architectural Taste
November 2018
Taste is a curious thing and I have often wondered how it works. Things considered tasteful can stop being tasteful, seemingly for no apparent reason, but there must be more to it than that.
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Stowe Revisited
October 2018
School reunions can be stressful, 'dress informal' says the invitation, but how informal? At least they didn’t demand 'smart casual' – whatever that is. After much indecision, I headed west to Stowe, my old school.
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What Is More Important, Materials or Form?
September 2018
Palladio's villas in the Veneto are made from render which is a cheaper alternative to stone, but it looks similar from a distance ... I think even if the Villa Rotonda was made of cheese, it would still look splendid from afar.
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Rotonda in Cheese – What Is More Important Materials or Form?
September 2018
Palladio's villas in the Veneto are made from render which is a cheaper alternative to stone, but it looks similar from a distance ... I think even if the Villa Rotonda was made of cheese, it would still look splendid from afar.
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Jefferson’s University of Virginia
July 2018
Jefferson was a great architect because he had an instinct for elegant phasing, which is the essence of all good architecture. His design of the University of Virginia in Charlottesville is an exceptional work of architecture.
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An Introduction to the Architecture of the Italian Renaissance
May 2018
Instead of a blog this month, I have posted a video of my ‘in house’ office lecture about the Italian Renaissance. This lecture covers one of the greatest outbursts of creativity in the history of western art and architecture.
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Natural food, Natural clothes... Natural architecture?
April 2018
A good pair of brogues will last decades. Trainers will not. Nylon, as used in sports clothing, seems to be the 'go-to' fabric nowadays, unless you are a reactionary architect who peddles nostalgia - like me.
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Sustainable Building Materials
April 2018
A good pair of brogues will last decades. Trainers will not. Nylon, as used in sports clothing, seems to be the 'go-to' fabric nowadays, unless you are a reactionary architect who peddles nostalgia - like me.
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Natural Food, Natural Clothes... - Sustainable Building Materials
April 2018
A good pair of brogues will last decades. Trainers will not. Nylon, as used in sports clothing, seems to be the 'go-to' fabric nowadays, unless you are a reactionary architect who peddles nostalgia - like me.
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Designing for the Wingless
March 2018
The gull sees a site plan, but the human sees a setting for their life carried out on the ground. Seeing from both points of view is a daily challenge for any architect or master planner.
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Designing for the Wingless
March 2018
The gull sees a site plan, but the human sees a setting for their life carried out on the ground. Seeing from both points of view is a daily challenge for any architect or master planner.
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The Temple of Ilissus
February 2018
This year, a client commissioned me to draw an ionic capital. Doing a drawing of this scale is something I rarely have time to do and it was fortunate to be given the opportunity.
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The Temple of Ilissus
February 2018
This year, a client commissioned me to draw an ionic capital. Doing a drawing of this scale is something I rarely have time to do and it was fortunate to be given the opportunity.
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The Pantheon - The Greatest Building in the World
January 2018
When asked what I view as the greatest building in the world, I say 'The Pantheon' - without a shadow of a doubt. It is an amazing survivor from the ancient world, which still has the power to move almost everyone who stands under its 'most majestic canopy.'
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The Pantheon - The Greatest Building in the World
January 2018
When asked what I view as the greatest building in the world, I say 'The Pantheon' - without a shadow of a doubt. It is an amazing survivor from the ancient world, which still has the power to move almost everyone who stands under its 'most majestic canopy.'
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Berlin and Potsdam
November 2017
Berlin is a great place to visit for a few days. The city is a manageable scale full of fascinating museums, superb architecture and hundreds of lovely and varied restaurants.
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Berlin and Potsdam
November 2017
Berlin is a great place to visit for a few days. The city is a manageable scale full of fascinating museums, superb architecture and hundreds of lovely and varied restaurants.
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A Holiday in Venice
September 2017
This year we chose Venice for our family holiday. We stayed on the Lido so that we could achieve the right balance between beach and culture and keep everybody happy. I have not been to Venice for several years...
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A Holiday in Venice
September 2017
This year we chose Venice for our family holiday. We stayed on the Lido so that we could achieve the right balance between beach and culture and keep everybody happy. I have not been to Venice for several years...
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Where does your Chicken Cross the Road?
August 2017
“Why did the chicken cross the road?” is not a great joke. What interests me more is where the chicken crosses the road in people’s minds. When asked the question, what do you imagine?
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Where does your Chicken Cross the Road?
August 2017
“Why did the chicken cross the road?” is not a great joke. What interests me more is where the chicken crosses the road in people’s minds. When asked the question, what do you imagine?
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The RIBA’s Traditional Architecture Group
July 2017
I have recently taken on the chairmanship of the Traditional Architecture Group (TAG). This society was formed fifteen years ago, as a linked group to the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA)...
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The RIBA’s Traditional Architecture Group
July 2017
I have recently taken on the chairmanship of the Traditional Architecture Group (TAG). This society was formed fifteen years ago, as a linked group to the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA)...
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Last Thoughts on Dalibor Vesely
June 2017
Dalibor Vesely (1934-2015) is the subject of legend at Cambridge University. He was my diploma tutor at the Faculty of Architecture, where he taught during the 80s and 90s.
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Last Thoughts on Dalibor Vesely
June 2017
Dalibor Vesely (1934-2015) is the subject of legend at Cambridge University. He was my diploma tutor at the Faculty of Architecture, where he taught during the 80s and 90s.
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Treasures of the V&A #1
May 2017
The V & A is, without a doubt, my favourite museum. I enjoy wandering around with no particular purpose, looking at whatever objects catch my eye. Sometimes I find new gems; other times I enjoy returning to familiar pieces...
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Treasures of the V&A
May 2017
The V & A is, without a doubt, my favourite museum. I enjoy wandering around with no particular purpose, looking at whatever objects catch my eye. Sometimes I find new gems; other times I enjoy returning to familiar pieces...
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Fort Worth, an Urban Renaissance
April 2017
Last February I went on a tour organised by the Institute of Classical Architecture & Art and saw the tremendous work done in Forth Worth, a city in North Central Texas. Over a long period, sound urban principles have had an astonishing effect on the town...
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Fort Worth, an Urban Renaissance
April 2017
Last February I went on a tour organised by the Institute of Classical Architecture & Art and saw the tremendous work done in Forth Worth, a city in North Central Texas. Over a long period, sound urban principles have had an astonishing effect on the town...
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The Making of the Erechtheion Capital
March 2017
One of the most universally adored details of all classical architecture is the Ionic capital at the Erechtheion on the north side of the Acropolis, built between 421 and 406 BC. Phidias was both sculptor and mason of the structure and was employed by Pericles...
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The Making of the Erechtheion Capital
March 2017
One of the most universally adored details of all classical architecture is the Ionic capital at the Erechtheion on the north side of the Acropolis, built between 421 and 406 BC. Phidias was both sculptor and mason of the structure and was employed by Pericles...
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Glad to be Pastiche
February 2017
The definition of Pastiche is 'an artistic work in a style that imitates that of another work, artist, or period.' I imitate historic buildings, rather than inventing new styles, and with this in mind, it may seem fair game to direct the word at my work...
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Glad to be Pastiche
February 2017
The definition of Pastiche is 'an artistic work in a style that imitates that of another work, artist, or period.' I imitate historic buildings, rather than inventing new styles, and with this in mind, it may seem fair game to direct the word at my work...
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Pretty Buildings
January 2017
Architects are always presumed to be good at maths and physics. This suggests that people feel the primary role of an architect is to make a building stand up, which is curious because architect in the UK are not licenced to carry out this task. Perhaps architects are to blame...
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Pretty Buildings
January 2017
Architects are always presumed to be good at maths and physics. This suggests that people feel the primary role of an architect is to make a building stand up, which is curious because architect in the UK are not licenced to carry out this task. Perhaps architects are to blame...
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How Palladian were Palladians?
December 2016
As a practicing classical architect, I have had a number of clients who have wanted their houses to look like the work of the English Palladians of the Georgian era rather than Palladio himself. From this I started to notice that the work of the English Palladians...
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The Use of Scamozzi Ionic in Georgian Architecture
December 2016
As a practicing classical architect, I have had a number of clients who have wanted their houses to look like the work of the English Palladians of the Georgian era rather than Palladio himself. From this I started to notice that the work of the English Palladians...
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How Palladian Were Palladians? – The Use of Scamozzi Ionic in Georgian Architecture
December 2016
As a practicing classical architect, I have had a number of clients who have wanted their houses to look like the work of the English Palladians of the Georgian era rather than Palladio himself. From this I started to notice that the work of the English Palladians...
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My Kind of Town: Washington DC
September 2016
In the early 1990s, Washington DC was not just the capital, but also the murder capital, of the United States. Despite this, I found it a surprisingly enjoyable place to live, when I spent the year out before my diploma there, working for the eminent classical architect Allan Greenberg...
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My Kind of Town: Washington DC
September 2016
In the early 1990s, Washington DC was not just the capital, but also the murder capital, of the United States. Despite this, I found it a surprisingly enjoyable place to live, when I spent the year out before my diploma there, working for the eminent classical architect Allan Greenberg...
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Fortune Favours the Friendly
July 2015
On occasions I meet architects who think that they are, or more often should be, 'in charge' of every aspect of their buildings. These people are either very naive or deluded. They harp back to a golden age when architects were taken seriously like doctors or lawyers...
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Fortune Favours the Friendly
July 2015
On occasions I meet architects who think that they are, or more often should be, 'in charge' of every aspect of their buildings. These people are either very naive or deluded. They harp back to a golden age when architects were taken seriously like doctors or lawyers...
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Palladio: The One Trick Pony
January 2009
Palladio-mania is just going too far. Last year I was invited to two Palladio parties on the same evening, one was at the RIBA and the other at the Italian Embassy. Wherever I look I see articles, symposiums, exhibitions, publications, parties and even a church service...
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Palladio: The One Trick Pony
January 2009
Palladio-mania is just going too far. Last year I was invited to two Palladio parties on the same evening, one was at the RIBA and the other at the Italian Embassy. Wherever I look I see articles, symposiums, exhibitions, publications, parties and even a church service...
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Sketching with my Father
September 2005
Sketching with my father is the corner stone of my architectural education and from about the age of ten my parents took me to see the great master pieces of European architecture. In each city we visited, my father and I would spend the day sketching...
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Sketching with my Father
September 2005
Sketching with my father is the corner stone of my architectural education and from about the age of ten my parents took me to see the great master pieces of European architecture. In each city we visited, my father and I would spend the day sketching...
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Sketching with my Father
March 2005
An essay about Francis Terry's numerous sketching holidays in Italy and other European cities with this father the classical architect Quinlan Terry CBE.
