Marks of Time
Historic Buildings as  illustrations of the past.
  • Home
  • Blog
    • Derry to Strabane
    • Derry to Limavady
    • Kilkenny to Derry
    • Dublin Visit
    • Inishowen Tour
    • Co Down Visit
    • Carrickfergus Tour
    • Stirling
    • Belfast to Derry
  • About
    • Links
    • Further Reading
  • Contact
  • Map Viewer
  • Counties

Post War

Altnagelvin Hospital  was the first  purpose built  hospital of the UK National Health Service. Designed by Yorke   Rosenberg, &  Mardall and built between 1956 and 1959 it was the first  major piece of Modern  Architecture in the city.  The  design was influenced by the theories  of the French Architect Le Corbusier. It  sat as a tower block within a  parkland setting and was complemented by two  large round entrance pillars, of  enormous scale, clad in brown schist, and by  smaller buildings such as the  Nurses Home. A statue of Princess Macca, the
first person to build a hospital  in Ulster, by F.E. McWilliams, was also  erected in front of the building. This  reinforced a primitive theme apparent in  the detail of the buildings. The  building has since been reclad and surrounded  by extensions.

  
One important  building which does  survive unchanged from the period is Faughan  Valley    Secondary School in  Drumahoe. Designed by  architect Ian Campbell in 1955 and opened in 1959, it  is considered to be one  of his best school designs. This design uses cubism  as its inspiration and  reuses the forms of European modernism to create an  overall composition around  a functional plan. ‘Piloti’ are used  along the entrance façade and around the sides.  The building’s water tower is  raised as a feature and clad in timber- a  precursor of a more recent  architectural trend.  Inside,  careful disposition of windows  creates a light filled space.  
   

Picture
Picture
Picture
<Back         Burt Chapel >
Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.