Ian Nairn
Encyclopedia
Ian Nairn was a British
architectural
critic and topographer
.
He had no formal architecture qualifications; he was a mathematics
graduate (University of Birmingham
) and a Royal Air Force
pilot. In 1955 he made his name with a special issue of the Architectural Review
called "Outrage" (later a book, 1959) in which he coined the term Subtopia for the areas around cities that had in his view been failed by urban planning, losing their individuality and spirit of place
. The book was based around a nightmarish road trip that Nairn took from the south to the north of the country - the trip gave propulsion to his fears that we were heading for a drab new world where the whole of Britain would look like the fringes of a town, every view exactly the same. He also praised modernist urban developments such as the Bull Ring shopping centre in Birmingham
, which eventually became one of the most unpopular buildings in the UK and was demolished in the early 21st century.
He became a well known journalist, writing for several newspapers and producing a series called Nairn's Travels for the BBC
in 1970. He was a contributor to Nikolaus Pevsner
's Buildings of England series, co-authoring Surrey
and Sussex
. His involvement in the project ended prematurely as he felt unable to work under the objective constraints the series required, and ceased work on the latter volume before it was completed.
Nairn's writing style is concise, and often very amusing, and he describes both his loves and hates, sometimes describing a passage between buildings rather than the buildings themselves, or a single detail, such as the elephant on the Albert Memorial
that "has a backside just like a businessman scrambling under a restaurant table for his cheque-book".
He was fond, perhaps too much, of pubs and beer
, and his architectural guides are full of descriptions of pubs, and recommendations of which beers to drink. This was part of his love of local and regional distinctiveness.
In his concerns about the encroaching blandness of modern design, he was the heir of literary men who had similarly been critics of the spread of an Edwardian suburbia, such as E.M. Forster ("success was indistinguishable from failure" there), and John Betjeman
("red-brick rashes"), and which fed into the Campaign to Protect Rural England among others. This strain of thinking was, however, to become largely concerned with conservation of the heritage in affluent areas, rather than with Nairn's urban fringe. And like Betjeman, Nairn fought against the forces of subtopia, the obliteration of British heritage - though the forces of subtopia invariably prevailed; one example, his defence of Northampton
's Emporium Arcade - 'if they do pull this place down it'll be a diabolical shame.' It was demolished June 1972.
He died aged 53. 'As surely as town planners wrought havoc on his beloved landscape, Nairn destroyed himself. Consumed with a sense of failure, he sought refuge in drink and in his later years wrote almost nothing. He died of cirrhosis of the liver.' He is buried in Ealing
, in a Victorian graveyard. Significantly perhaps, it is now one of Ealing's conservation areas - a posthumous victory for the passionate and angry Nairn.
In the 2005 film, Three Hours From Here Andrew Cross retraced the extensive journey across England that Nairn took in order to research and write Outrage in 1955.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
architectural
Architecture
Architecture is both the process and product of planning, designing and construction. Architectural works, in the material form of buildings, are often perceived as cultural and political symbols and as works of art...
critic and topographer
Topology
Topology is a major area of mathematics concerned with properties that are preserved under continuous deformations of objects, such as deformations that involve stretching, but no tearing or gluing...
.
He had no formal architecture qualifications; he was a mathematics
Mathematics
Mathematics is the study of quantity, space, structure, and change. Mathematicians seek out patterns and formulate new conjectures. Mathematicians resolve the truth or falsity of conjectures by mathematical proofs, which are arguments sufficient to convince other mathematicians of their validity...
graduate (University of Birmingham
University of Birmingham
The University of Birmingham is a British Redbrick university located in the city of Birmingham, England. It received its royal charter in 1900 as a successor to Birmingham Medical School and Mason Science College . Birmingham was the first Redbrick university to gain a charter and thus...
) and a Royal Air Force
Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Formed on 1 April 1918, it is the oldest independent air force in the world...
pilot. In 1955 he made his name with a special issue of the Architectural Review
Architectural Review
The Architectural Review is a monthly international architectural magazine published in London since 1896. Articles cover the built environment which includes landscape, building design, interior design and urbanism as well as theory of these subjects....
called "Outrage" (later a book, 1959) in which he coined the term Subtopia for the areas around cities that had in his view been failed by urban planning, losing their individuality and spirit of place
Spirit of place
Spirit of place refers to the unique, distinctive and cherished aspects of a place; often those celebrated by artists and writers, but also those cherished in folk tales, festivals and celebrations...
. The book was based around a nightmarish road trip that Nairn took from the south to the north of the country - the trip gave propulsion to his fears that we were heading for a drab new world where the whole of Britain would look like the fringes of a town, every view exactly the same. He also praised modernist urban developments such as the Bull Ring shopping centre in Birmingham
Birmingham
Birmingham is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands of England. It is the most populous British city outside the capital London, with a population of 1,036,900 , and lies at the heart of the West Midlands conurbation, the second most populous urban area in the United Kingdom with a...
, which eventually became one of the most unpopular buildings in the UK and was demolished in the early 21st century.
He became a well known journalist, writing for several newspapers and producing a series called Nairn's Travels for the BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
in 1970. He was a contributor to Nikolaus 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...
's Buildings of England series, co-authoring Surrey
Surrey
Surrey is a county in the South East of England and is one of the Home Counties. The county borders Greater London, Kent, East Sussex, West Sussex, Hampshire and Berkshire. The historic county town is Guildford. Surrey County Council sits at Kingston upon Thames, although this has been part of...
and Sussex
Sussex
Sussex , from the Old English Sūþsēaxe , is an historic county in South East England corresponding roughly in area to the ancient Kingdom of Sussex. It is bounded on the north by Surrey, east by Kent, south by the English Channel, and west by Hampshire, and is divided for local government into West...
. His involvement in the project ended prematurely as he felt unable to work under the objective constraints the series required, and ceased work on the latter volume before it was completed.
Nairn's writing style is concise, and often very amusing, and he describes both his loves and hates, sometimes describing a passage between buildings rather than the buildings themselves, or a single detail, such as the elephant on the Albert Memorial
Albert Memorial
The Albert Memorial is situated in Kensington Gardens, London, England, directly to the north of the Royal Albert Hall. It was commissioned by Queen Victoria in memory of her beloved husband, Prince Albert who died of typhoid in 1861. The memorial was designed by Sir George Gilbert Scott in the...
that "has a backside just like a businessman scrambling under a restaurant table for his cheque-book".
He was fond, perhaps too much, of pubs and beer
Beer
Beer is the world's most widely consumed andprobably oldest alcoholic beverage; it is the third most popular drink overall, after water and tea. It is produced by the brewing and fermentation of sugars, mainly derived from malted cereal grains, most commonly malted barley and malted wheat...
, and his architectural guides are full of descriptions of pubs, and recommendations of which beers to drink. This was part of his love of local and regional distinctiveness.
In his concerns about the encroaching blandness of modern design, he was the heir of literary men who had similarly been critics of the spread of an Edwardian suburbia, such as E.M. Forster ("success was indistinguishable from failure" there), and John Betjeman
John Betjeman
Sir John Betjeman, CBE was an English poet, writer and broadcaster who described himself in Who's Who as a "poet and hack".He was a founding member of the Victorian Society and a passionate defender of Victorian architecture...
("red-brick rashes"), and which fed into the Campaign to Protect Rural England among others. This strain of thinking was, however, to become largely concerned with conservation of the heritage in affluent areas, rather than with Nairn's urban fringe. And like Betjeman, Nairn fought against the forces of subtopia, the obliteration of British heritage - though the forces of subtopia invariably prevailed; one example, his defence of Northampton
Northampton
Northampton is a large market town and local government district in the East Midlands region of England. Situated about north-west of London and around south-east of Birmingham, Northampton lies on the River Nene and is the county town of Northamptonshire. The demonym of Northampton is...
's Emporium Arcade - 'if they do pull this place down it'll be a diabolical shame.' It was demolished June 1972.
He died aged 53. 'As surely as town planners wrought havoc on his beloved landscape, Nairn destroyed himself. Consumed with a sense of failure, he sought refuge in drink and in his later years wrote almost nothing. He died of cirrhosis of the liver.' He is buried in Ealing
Ealing
Ealing is a suburban area of west London, England and the administrative centre of the London Borough of Ealing. It is located west of Charing Cross and around from the City of London. It is one of the major metropolitan centres identified in the London Plan. It was historically a rural village...
, in a Victorian graveyard. Significantly perhaps, it is now one of Ealing's conservation areas - a posthumous victory for the passionate and angry Nairn.
In the 2005 film, Three Hours From Here Andrew Cross retraced the extensive journey across England that Nairn took in order to research and write Outrage in 1955.
Publications
- Outrage: On the Disfigurement of Town and Countryside (Architectural Review special 1955; book: 1959)
- Counter Attack Against Subtopia (1957)
- Surrey (1962) (with Nikolaus Pevsner)
- Modern Buildings in London (1964)
- Your England Revisited (1964)
- The American Landscape: A Critical View (1965)
- Sussex (1965) (with Nikolaus Pevsner)
- Nairn's London (1966)
- Britain's Changing Towns (1967)
- Nairn's Paris (1968)