If Le Corbusier was right that a house is a machine for living, it certainly doesn’t follow that a church is a machine for worship. Even if you’re not of a religious turn of mind, his own Notre Dame du Haut in Ronchamp has a remarkable sense of spirituality that transcends mere structure. Good architecture should enrich the lives of those who use it, whether in a domestic, utilitarian or religious context and church architecture, in particular, reflects the values of its time.
This utterly gorgeous book arrived unannounced and unrequested. Church architecture is really beyond even the margins of a remit I sometimes stretch. However, I do have an interest in the subject and the Arts & Crafts Movement in general, so its delivery is a serendipitous personal delight.
It takes the form of a gazetteer so, wherever you are, you can find examples throughout the UK. Arrangement is, as it should be, by county and there are also handy biographies of the main practitioners. Introductory material discusses the Arts & Crafts Movement itself, architecture as art and the place of religion in society.
If this is a subject that interests you, the mere existence of the book will guarantee its purchase. The good news is that it’s everything you’d hope, want and expect it to be.
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