Lasdun Unbuilt
Susan Waters
Portrait of Denys Lasdun by Susan Lasdun, 1990s. Lasdun Archive/RIBA Collections.
As a case study, what does the Denys Lasdun Archive tell us about the man and his reputation beyond the mere study of his known projects?
The archive was formally loaned to the RIBA in 2002 by his widow Susan Lasdun. She actively supported its cataloguing and a close partnership developed with the RIBA, resulting in its formal acquisition in 2018.
Conscious of his legacy, Lasdun had wanted his archive to be a resource for future generations. It is a unique body of material that goes beyond the drawings, projects files, client files, photographs and models associated with an architectural practice.
There are lecture notes, correspondence with leading figures in the world of art and architecture, personal notes, audio visual material, including recorded interviews, speeches and documentary films of his work, medals and trophies as well as personal artefacts such as his pencils and briefcase.
It offers an exceptional insight into the work and complex personality of one of Britain’s most important post-War architects, as well as the society, culture and politics of Britain in the second half of the 20th century, particularly in the huge public investment in social housing, higher education and the arts
The archive charts the highs and lows of a post-war architectural practice, one that achieved great success and reputation from the 1950s to the 1970s but tailed off markedly in the lean years of the 1980s and early 1990s. Remarkably, the unbuilt projects remain well represented, demonstrating their personal importance to Lasdun.
One of these was the Hurva Synagogue in Jerusalem (1978–83). It was a personally significant project, about which his son James wrote in 2011. Exploring the family’s Jewish heritage, he used the archive alongside his own memories to bring vividly to life the problems beset by his father as he negotiated the city politics of Jerusalem.
Early sketch for the Hurva Synagogue, Jerusalem.
Lasdun Archive/RIBA Collections
Final model for the Hurva Synagogue, Jerusalem, seen from the south. Lasdun Archive/RIBA Collections.
Discarded models of the Hurva Synagogue. Lasdun Archive/RIBA Collections.
Another was the competition for the Carlo Felice Opera House (1984) in Genoa, where Lasdun’s entry was placed second to the winning design by Aldo Rossi. Cuttings from the Italian press and private correspondence in the archive indicate it was a political decision and show a fierce debate, with many leading Italian cultural figures such as Bruno Zevi and Giancarlo di Carlo supporting Lasdun’s design.
Presentation for the Carlo Felice Opera House competition. Lasdun Archive/RIBA Collections.
View of the original site showing the extant portico. Lasdun Archive/RIBA Collections.
Lasdun’s passion for architecture and the environment is evident in the archive. It is also one of the three most requested by researchers and over 850 items have been digitised, including all the films and some of the audio tapes, thus widening the accessibility of the collection. (See www.ribapix.com for images of Lasdun’s life and work.)
The RIBA has also acquired more archives relating to it, including the papers of Susan Lasdun, an artist and writer in her own right, that shed further light on Denys’s career and reputation. Most recently, the RIBA has acquired the archive of Peter Mckinley, one of Lasdun’s partners.
Final model of the Carlo Felice Opera House (Stage 2), close-up of the front elevation, seen at night. Lasdun Archive/RIBA Collections.
