Alexis X.A. Roberts ARLH 206: Modern Architecture I Dr.

Robin Williams Winter 2012 Final Writing Assignment

Sham Ruins; A Means of Escape to the Past:

Escapism, trying to escape the frustrating routines of daily life is no new means of entertainment or recreation. According to author Robert B. Heilman, the earliest known forms of escape have existed long before the modern term has. Humans have long used the act of storytelling to escape. That said the tradition continues today in a variety of art forms, most notably literature, the written form of storytelling. Also, take for instance the more recent popularity of motion picture, video gaming and travel itself. Through reading, watching, play and travel we are given the privilege to travel through time, space and reality. No longer are we limited to the works of authors but we are allowed to transport ourselves through time, space and in and out of reality. The fact that the desire to escape has been on the constant rise has allowed many industries to capitalise on this trend. The lofty goal of creating an ideal world otherwise known as a Utopia may never fade. Architecture has been one of those industries to take advantage of these desires and has remained no different in this respect. More particularly it has been through architecture that man has physically experienced remnants of the past and fictional worlds. Even more specifically it has been through the follies and garden buildings of the Picturesque Modern Architecture aesthetic period that allowed man to be transported to another place and time without needing to travel great distances. Sham ruins and Follies are landscape elements placed

usually placed within a landscape in order to add enhance the believability of these ideal spaces. As the purpose of architectural history exhibitions are to question historical or critical questions in unique ways, through the display of visuals and documentation to a varying audience, they serve as the perfect tool for celebrating the wonders of architecture. The question this exhibition of works seeks to answer is; To what extent did follies and sham ruins throughout Europe and during the 1700s to 1900 strengthen the believability of the gardens and landscapes in which they appeared and how did they aid viewers in escaping the genre of reality? The need to escape ones reality is a thread that continues to bind man even today. A folly by definition is noted as an act or instance of foolishness, seen as a costly undertaking which results in absurd or ruinous outcomes. By scholars of Architectural History these structures often known as sham ruins were often seen as just that; irresponsible fragments of architecture that required little to no study in the overall discipline of architecture. Attached as a part of the Picturesque aesthetic movement, these part structures were deemed almost exclusively English which may serve as the reason for which the study of the structures being focused on mostly English follies. This case study serves to produce a thoughtful but comparative look at various characteristics of these decorative out of place structures which shadowed Greek and or Roman temples on the grounds landscapes of the equally intricate landscapes of English and Irish properties. Many feel these architectural fragments held little purpose however one feels these works held hidden purpose. As the viewer moves throughout the exhibition it is my hope that they widen their architectural acceptance to include these hidden intents. Yes Follies may have been categorised as incomplete or partially realised ideas or even works of futile construction but it is their fantastical and often eccentric features that make them a valid piece of worth studying. This compilation of 15 buildings includes the Pantheon on the

grounds of Stourhead, in Wiltshire, England to the Jealous Wall, Irelands largest folly and located in Westmeath. At large this exhibition focuses mainly on the sham ruins and folly buildings of the 18th and 19th centuries of Modern Architecture. These follies also come in variety of forms and are defined by a number of characteristics. According to Adrian Fisher, some follies are classically rendered, while others appear to be too fantastical and to some critics they are additions too bizarre for placement in their particular locations. That said, there is a common thread between all follies and that is the intent to defy the rational attitude toward to the suitable functionality of structures. According to author James Howley, Follies and garden buildings have fallen into a class of architecture that is quite ill defined. He states that this may be the reason for the lack of study by architectural scholars over time. Although he admits that although the term folly has appeared from time to time in the works of various historians, the buildings themselves have so far received very little attention. It appears that scholars of architectural history place a great importance on the interpretation of buildings through categorisation with respect to time period or stylistic qualities. However, Howley notes that both follies and garden buildings completely fail to conform to the narrow recognisable groupings of more common typologies due to their design inconsistencies. Despite this notion, the charm of these works is only further strengthened by their great diversity. One may venture to call these buildings the greatest works of plagiarism. Based on visual quotes from various historical time periods and geographical locations alike, these structures take on the forms of structures with no other purpose other than to enhance and enrich the way we experience the architectural richness of various towns, cities and landscapes respectively. Even with a reputation as structures designed and built lacking in the obvious intent aspect, one believes these works are essential to the fabric of our architectural origins. Follies and garden buildings are tools for bridging the gap

which separates art and architecture. They also provide us with habitable bookmarks of historical or fictional settings. As noted before, the follies were hardly referenced in general but writer Howley also notes that the follies and garden buildings, in particular those of Ireland are the least studied and preserved of follies from any geographical location. It is for this reason that I chose to present this exhibition which takes these beautiful but highly ignored structures as a guiding theme.

The exhibition will include the following follies and sham ruins. The selected set of structures are
distinguished by their typology or symbolic intent. Name, Location, Architect/Designer, (Date) Ballyfin Grotto/Folly, Co. Laios, Ireland by Richard Turner (1798-1881)

Curraghmore Shell House, Waterford, Ireland by Catherine Countess of Tyrone (1754) Rustic Arches: The Jealous Wall (or Belvedere Rustic Arch), Westmeath, Ireland by Robert Rochfort, Earle of Belvedere (circa 1760) (Irelands largest folly)

Luttrellstown Rustic Arch, Luttrellstown, Co. Dublin, Ireland by Sir Albert Richardson (1810-1950) Towers: Father Matthews Tower at Glanmire, Glanmire, Co. Cork, Ireland, by George Richard Pain (circa 1840) Helens Towere by Lord Dufferin (1850)

William BurnClandeboye Tower (Gamekeeers Tower) Hollybrook Tower by unknown (1849) and Sampsons Tower by unknown (1859) Eye Catchers:

Castle Oliver, Co. Limerick, Ireland, by George Fowler Jones (1845) Flemings Folly, Ballinagh, Co. Cavan

Heywood Folly, Federick Trench and Sir Edwin Lutyens (c.1770) Temples:

Oriel Temple, Collon, Co., Ireland by John Foster (1812)

Mussenden Temple, Londonderry Co., Ireland by Federick Augustus Hervey, fourth Earl of Bristol and

Church of Ireland Bishop of Derry, designed by the Earls private architect (1785).

The Casino at Marino, Dublin, Ireland by Sir William Chambers (1755)

Annotated Bibliography Details of the Past and Fiction: Follies, Garden Buildings as a Tool for Escape. Books Headley, Gwyn & Meulenkamp, Wim Follies, Grottoes and Garden Buildings, Aurum Press 1, 1999. Headley and Meulenkamp gather over 1600 sites where follies, grottoes and or garden buildings are found throughout Europe, namely England, Scotland and Wales. The architecture is categorised by their location which makes the structures readily available to readers. Background information is also listed for each of the buildings.

Jones, Barbara, Follies and Grottoes, Constable & Co., London, 1953. This book holds a generous combination of original drawings, photos and attempts at placing the follies into context. This work also details a few structures from the British isles and Ireland.

Curtis, John & Ashby, English Follies Richard, J. Salmon Ltd, 2006. This book contains brief descriptions of the more popular follies but also holds a few rarely studied buildings. As an introductory source this is a good source for early research.

Barton, Stuart, Monumental Follies: An exposition on the eccentric edifices of Britain, Lyle Publications, 1st Edition, 1972. This is a work written closer to the end of the 20th century and provides a post modern look at the follies closer to their original construction. Most mentioned follies are in a ruinous state.

Buxbaum, Tim, Scottish Garden Buildings: From Food to Folly, Mainstream Publishing, 1989. This book discusses the follies, dovecotes and garden buildings. They are described within context in addition to black and white photos to accompany, coloured photos and line drawings.

Howley, James, The Follies and Garden Buildings of Ireland, Yale University Press, 1993.

This source can be deemed a thorough case study of Follies in Ireland. The research on the majority of the works is quite deep, complete with photographs, small measured drawings, elevations and occasionally plans.

Fisher, Adrian, Mazes & Follies, Pitkin Unichrome, 2004. This book is split into two sections, one section is written on Follies and the other on Mazes. All of the discussed buildings are well known and but the text is brief making this a good background source. Scholarly Journals
Ackerman, James S., The Tuscan/Rustic Order: A Study in the Metaphorical Language of Architecture, Vol. 42, No. 1: University of California Press on behalf of the Society of Architectural Historians, 1983. This source outlines the language of Tuscan and Rustic architecture and their metaphorical significance. This source also details different building types including those of the follies and graden buildings. Bouman, Ole, Escapade, Archis No. 6, pgs:10-13, 2002. Available at http://library.scad.edu/docview/55285928?accountid=13730. Bouman shares his thoughts on the political and social crises throughout history, the role that escapism plays in architecture and within our lives. He also discusses the cultural impact that architecture can have on man.

Woodward, Christopher,"Visions of Ruin [Exhibition Review]." Follies 11, no. 3: 4-4, 1999. Available at http://library.scad.edu/docview/55740650?accountid=13730. This source is a review of "Soane and the Ruin," a similar exhibition to the one we are being asked to undertake for this assignment. It details the works displayed at Sir John Soane's Museum in th London on July 2nd to the 28 of August. Cousins, Michael. "The Sham Ruin, Hagley, Hereford & Worcester." Follies 10, no. 1: 3-4, 1998. Available at http://library.scad.edu/docview/55224563?accountid=13730. This journal outlines the picturesque castle ruins built on the grounds of Hagley Hall in 1747 by architect Sanderson Miller. This source offers a detailed look at various ruinous sham follies and garden buildings that could be discussed in my own study.

Arnold, Dana. "Literature and Landscape." Landscape Design no. 217, 33-35, 1993. Available at http://library.scad.edu/docview/55134857?accountid=13730. This journal centres around the influences on 18th century garden design, including the work of William Kent and Alexander Pope. The works discussed are highly relevant to the topic of study and it offers some context and background historical evidence about a few of the follies to be studied in this exhibition.

Magazines

Musson, Jeremy. "Listen to the Speaking Ruins [Exhibition Review]." Country Life 193, no. 24: 92-93, Jun 17, 1999. Available at http://library.scad.edu/docview/55247336?accountid=13730. This source is a brief overview of the works displayed in "Soane and the Ruin," an exhibition on the cult of ruins in the 18th and early 19th centuries to be held at Sir John Soane's Museum in London 2 July-28 August 1999. The current issue of this magazine is available on the World Wide Web at http://www.countrylife.co.uk/.