What I'm Reading....

An image I took in 2003 of Oxford University Museum of Natural History by Benjamin Woodward completed in 1860 an iconic building in the Gothic Revival.

THE GOTHIC REVIVAL by Michael J. Lewis, Thames and Hudson, London

A good solid backgrounder to the increasingly complex world of C18th and C19th architecture. I'm particularly interested in the High Victorian period and its development from Pugin and Ruskin through to Scott, Butterworth and Street.

Miniquote: "The Gothic Revival is more than a fashion craze for pointed arches and pinnacles. During its years of greatest influence, it subjected every aspect of art, belief, society and labour to intense intellectual scrutiny, using the Middle Ages as a platform from which to judge the modern world".

The Beetham/ Hilton Tower by Ian Simpson Architects, Manchester

MANCHESTER: SHAPING THE CITY, RIBA, London

A superb book on the latest contemporary architecture in one of the most vibrant and fast moving cities in the world. I hardly dare miss a week in Manchester because things are changing so quickly. This book takes a pause and looks at enterprises such as the Beetham Hilton Tower and the regeneration of the Northern Quarter. Excellent format and clean and crisp photography.

Miniquote: "This book celebrates the major redevelopment and regeneration work that has, and continues to be undertakin in the city. It:

• identifies the drivers for change in the renaissance of contemporary Manchester following its evolution from Georgian/ Victorian times;
• explores the depth and complexity of the public-private partnerships involved in the delivery of structures and their achievements;
• articulates the importance of urban design for successful regeneration"