The Society of Architectural Historians of Great Britain (SAHGB) has awarded the 2016 Alice Davis Hitchcock Medallion to Elain Harwood of Historic England for her ‘Space, Hope and Brutalism: English Architecture 1945-75’, described by publishers Yale as ‘the first major book to study English architecture between 1945 and 1975 in its entirety’, and published as part of The Paul Mellon Centre for Studies in British Art series.
SAHGB writes:
The ADH award is given annually to the author of a literary work which, in the opinion of the SAHGB award committee, provides an outstanding contribution to the study or knowledge of architectural history. The work must be by a British author (or authors), or deal with an aspect of the architectural history of the British Isles or the Commonwealth, and have been published within the past two years. The winner of each year’s award is announced at the annual lecture in October at the Courtauld Institute. Our thanks to those members who nominate books and provide citations
Yale writes:
This is the first major book to study English architecture between 1945 and 1975 in its entirety. Challenging previous scholarship on the subject and uncovering vast amounts of new material at the boundaries between architectural and social history, Elain Harwood structures the book around building types to reveal why the architecture takes the form it does. Buildings of all budgets and styles are examined, from major universities to the modest cafe. The book is illustrated with stunning new photography that reveals the logic, aspirations, and beauty of hundreds of buildings throughout England, at the point where many are disappearing or are being mutilated. Space, Hope, and Brutalism offers a convincing and lively overview of a subject and period that fascinates younger scholars and appeals to those who were witnesses to this history.
Elain Harwood, Space, Hope and Brutalism: English Architecture 1945-75 (Yale University Press, 2015)
