| Summary : A motor parts manufacturers research centre built in 1965 in Solihull, to a design by Clifford, Tee and Gale. It is claimed the landscape was designed by Sylvia Crowe. The Centre formed part of the British firm Lucas Industries Ltd, which produced parts for the motoring industry. It is a two-storey flat roofed building constructed in concrete, glass and brick, and is built to an E-shaped plan with a large car-park to the rear and a lawn planted with trees to its south and south-west, with three crescent shaped mounts and with further buildings covering the north and west of the Centre. The elongated main elevation of the Research Centre faces north-east, and slightly folds inwards at the centre, where the main entrance to the building is further highlighted by a projecting circular canopy with a flat conical roof resting on slender supports. Both floors to either side of this entrance have full height glazing set behind a row of identical supports set on a concrete plat band, which continues on the return elevations where it meets with a full height single brick bay with horizontal strip windows (possibly a stair-hall). Above the main entrance is a large orange decorative sign in abstract relief with the letters `TRW' (formerly carrying the letters `LUCAS'). Three sides of the wall to the entrance hall contain a large frieze made by the nationally important artist William George Mitchell. The building was assessed for listing in 2011 but failed to meet the required criteria. |
More information : The Lucas Research Centre was built in 1965 in Solihull, on the southern fringe of Birmingham, to a design by Clifford, Tee and Gale. It is claimed the landscape was designed by Sylvia Crowe. The Centre formed part of the British firm Lucas Industries Ltd, which produced parts for the motoring industry. The Research Centre focussed on the research in electronics, mechanical and electrical engineering, and materials and processes, and contained a technical library and lecture theatre. Photographic evidence indicates that the two-storey flat roofed building is constructed in concrete, glass and brick, and is built to an E-shaped plan with a large car-park to the rear and a lawn planted with trees to its south and south-west, with three crescent shaped mounts and with further buildings covering the north and west of the Centre.
The elongated main elevation of the Research Centre faces north-east, and slightly folds inwards at the centre, where the main entrance to the building is further highlighted by a projecting circular canopy with a flat conical roof resting on slender supports. Both floors to either side of this entrance have full height glazing set behind a row of identical supports set on a concrete plat band, which continues on the return elevations where it meets with a full height single brick bay with horizontal strip windows (possibly a stair-hall). Above the main entrance is a large orange decorative sign in abstract relief with the letters `TRW¿ (formerly carrying the letters `LUCAS¿).
Inside, the Centre has an open plan full height entrance hall which leads to an Imperial staircase in open modernist style. Three sides of the wall to the entrance hall contain a large frieze made by the nationally important artist William George Mitchell, which according to the applicant gives the building significant artistic interest. It was commissioned specifically for this building in circa 1965 by Lucas Industries Ltd. Lucas chose Mitchell¿s art because of his use of innovative materials, in this case glass fibre and polyester resin coloured by pigments developed by Bakelite, as they felt it had an affinity with their products.
It is clear from the evidence supplied that the relief by Mitchell, which has survived intact in its original position, has significant artistic interest and a strong historic association with Lucas Industries Ltd. However, as confirmed by both the artist and the owner the artwork is like freestanding furniture or a wall hung painting, not a permanent fixture that is integral to the building itself. As such it can unfortunately not be considered for listing as part of the building.
In accordance with the revised Principles of Selection for Listing Buildings (2010) and English Heritage Selection Guides (2007), for buildings of this type and date to merit designation on a national level they need to survive mostly intact, and display high levels of architectural quality and innovation in their design and use of materials. Any historic associations would need to be of national importance and clearly reflected in the design of the building. Although the former Lucas Research Centre of 1965 contains some interesting architectural detailing and appears to have survived mostly intact, in a national context its design and layout do not display sufficient levels of innovation. When comparing it to listed examples in similar style, but which are of much earlier date, such as for example Smithdon Secondary School in Hunstanton, Norfolk, of 1949-54 (listed at Grade II*) it is clear that the Lucas Research Centre expresses, for its age, well-established design and style characteristics. The building does have a degree of importance in its historic association with Lucas Industries Ltd, and contributes to the understanding of the historic development of this firm, which is particularly known within the motoring industry around Birmingham. However, this interest is on a local rather then national level, and does not weigh up against the overall lack of special architectural interest of the building. The association of the site with Sylvia Crowe, a nationally important landscape architect, is of interest, but this does not alter the fact that the building lacks sufficient levels of architectural and historic interest for it to merit listing. (1) |