Richard Twentyman (1903-1979)

Photograph: Snowmanradio
Photograph: Snowmanradio

St Nicholas Church, Radford – Richard Twentyman, 1957


Photograph: Geoff Pick
Photograph: Geoff Pick

Emmanuel Church, Bentley – Richard Twentyman, 1956


Photograph: worcesteranddudleyhistoricchurches.org.uk
Photograph: worcesteranddudleyhistoricchurches.org.uk

St Chad’s Church, Rubery – Richard Twentyman, 1960


Photograph: John M
Photograph: John M

All Saints Church, Darlaston – Richard Twentyman, 1952


Photograph: John M
Photograph: John M

Bushbury Crematorium – Richard Twentyman, 1954


Photograph: historywebsite.co.uk
Photograph: historywebsite.co.uk

GKN Research Laboratories and Offices, Birmingham New Road, Wolverhampton – Richard Twentyman, 1954


Photograph: historywebsite.co.uk
Photograph: historywebsite.co.uk

Wolverhampton Gas Company Offices, Darlington Street, Wolverhampton – Richard Twentyman, 1938


Photograph: historywebsite.co.uk
Photograph: historywebsite.co.uk

The Pilot, Wolverhampton – Richard Twentyman, 1937


Photograph: Retroscania
Photograph: Retroscania

The Red Lion, Wolverhampton – Richard Twentyman, 1938


Photographer: historywebsite.co.uk
Photographer: historywebsite.co.uk

The Spring Hill, Penn – Richard Twentyman, 1937

Richard Twentyman, an architect from Wolverhampton, designed some wonderful Modernist buildings around the middle of the twentieth century, most of which (sadly unlike that of fellow titan of West Midlands-Modernism John Madin) can still be found standing around the Midlands today.

The influence of the Bauhaus is clear to see in much of his work, no doubt a result of his time spent studying at the radical Architectural Association in London during the 1920’s.

What I find particularly interesting about his body of work, is the curious and unlikely combination of pubs and churches that he decided to turn his hand to across the Black Country. Perhaps with Friday and Saturday nights drinking in the pub and Sunday morning at church, I quite like the idea that there were Black Country folk who may have spent most of their weekend in one of Richard Twentyman’s buildings, for one reason or another.

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