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Philip Webb was a 19th century British architect noted for his innovative designs for comfortable and functional houses; he also one of the representatives of the Arts & Crafts movement . He is currently recognized as one of the greatest references in modern architecture.
Origin and beginning of his career as an architect
Philip Speakman Webb (1831-1915) was an English architect who is considered the “father” or “founder” of the Arts and Crafts architectural and decorative movement , as well as one of the pioneers in the restoration of old buildings.
Philip Webb was born in Oxford, England. He was the son of a doctor but further details about his family and early childhood are unknown.
Philip studied at a Northamptonshire secondary school. When he was fifteen years old, his father died and he began to work as an apprentice in the firm of the English architect John Billing, in the town of Berkshire. Billing specialized in the repair of traditional buildings.
Philip later returned to Oxford and began working as an assistant to the solicitor and architect George Edmund Street, who was famous for designing and building the Royal Courts of Westminster, London, during the 1870s. In 1856, when he was working in the office de Street, Philip Webb met William Morris, who would become his friend, colleague and partner.
In 1859, Philip established his own office and Morris precisely commissioned him one of his first projects: the design and construction of a country house, which would later be known as Red House or the “Red House”.
Later, together with Morris and the architects Edward Burne-Jones and Dante Gabriel Rossetti, they formed a company focused on interior design and decoration, as well as the artisan manufacture of furniture, rugs, tapestries, carvings and stained glass.
Style and influences
Philip Webb grew up in a time when it was fashionable to remodel or replace buildings with machine- made materials , rather than restore them with original materials and handmade objects. This would have a great impact throughout his life and his professional career.
Philip believed that his works should be practical and take into account the site and the traditions of the place where they were built. Also, that they had to adjust to the needs of their clients. Due to this vision, Philip was distinguished by his own, original style, with influences from medieval and Victorian styles. His designs were characterized by seeking a balance between functionality and comfort, with original materials and handcrafted elements, maintaining aesthetics and the connection with the environment. His country manor houses were noted for their unconventional style and use of traditional English building methods and materials, among which red brick, dormers, steep-pitched roofs and tall chimneys abounded where they abounded.
The Arts & Crafts movement
The Arts & Crafts movement , also known as arts and crafts, was an artistic and architectural movement that peaked in England in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. It arose as a reaction to the social, economic and political problems that appeared during the great industrialization of the British Victorian era. Its name derives from the Arts and Crafts Exhibition Society, a group founded in 1888 by the English illustrator and designer Walter Crane.
This movement was based on the ideas of the British writer and philosopher John Ruskin, who criticized industrial capitalism, the division of labor and mechanization and protested the dehumanization of work caused by Britain’s Industrial Revolution.
Webb was one of the promoters of this movement, along with other artists of the time such as Charles Robert Ashbee, Walter Crane, Herbert Tudor Buckland, Phoebe Anna Traquair, Charles Rennie Mackintosh, Frank Lloyd Wright, and especially William Morris, among others.
Basically, this movement stressed the importance of craftsmanship and encouraged traditional manufacturing and creativity instead of mass production. He maintained that art should be beautiful and, at the same time, useful.
The movement also sought to vindicate medieval arts and crafts, both in the field of architecture and in other forms of art and design.
The Association for the Conservation of Old Buildings
In 1877, Webb and Morris founded the Association for the Preservation of Old Buildings with the goal of protecting and restoring the oldest and most historic buildings. This initiative arose as an opposition to the remodeling of old buildings, in which traditional elements were replaced by new ones without preserving the original design, decoration or materials.
The most outstanding works of Philip Webb
Among the most outstanding works of Philip Webb are the designs of two country houses: Red House (the first house he built) and Standen (the last).
Red House
Red House or the Red House, in Spanish, was Philip Webb’s first major project. It is a country house that he designed in 1859 for his friend William Morris.
Its name derives from the red bricks, without facings, that were used for its construction. It is located in Bexleyheath, in South East London.
The exterior appearance of the house is the result of the use of contrasting materials and the size of the interior spaces, each of which stands out for its functionality. Inside, materials such as wood, tiles and glass predominate, recreating cozy environments with a certain medieval touch.
The concepts that were used for the design and construction of the Red House later gave birth to modern houses. In fact, Red House is considered to be the first example of this type of functional and handcrafted architecture.
Another particular feature of this country house is its “L”-shaped backyard, which has a cistern with a conical roof. Handcrafted and bespoke built-ins also became another distinctive feature of Philip Webb’s architecture.
Standen
The Standen estate , in Sussex, England was built between 1892 and 1894. It was Philip Webb’s last major project, which he carried out a few years before his retirement. It was commissioned by the Beales, a wealthy and large family from Birmingham.
This country house was built on a hillside, surrounded by gardens, employing an old formal style with modern conveniences. Typical materials of the area such as sandstone and other natural elements were used. Interior decoration included rugs, textiles, and murals by Morris. The house also had electricity and a central heating system.
Philip Webb also designed the garden at Standen , where he incorporated the use of pergolas and latticework and a great diversity of flowers.
Currently, this property is open to the public and belongs to the National Trust, a foundation that is in charge of preserving historical places.
Other Philip Webb projects
Throughout his career as an architect, Philip Webb also designed and carried out the following projects in England.
- Sandroyd House in 1860, now called Benfleet Hall , in Surrey.
- Houses 91-101 Worship Street, London, in 1862.
- All Saints Church, Sussex, in 1864.
- Red Barns House , in Redcar, built in 1868.
- Smeaton mansion in Yorkshire, in 1878.
- St. Martin’s Church in Brampton, in 1878.
other designs
In addition to designing and building various country houses and buildings, Philip Webb also designed home furnishings, tabletop glassware, jewelry, and other objects out of wood, metal, and glass. He was also involved in the design of the chair which is now known as the “Sussex chair” or “Morris chair”.
Philip Webb’s legacy
Philip Webb retired in 1900 and fell into financial difficulties. His last years were spent in the country, in a house he rented cheaply from his friend William Scawen Blunt. He passed away in Sussex, England, at the age of 84.
Most of the decorative metal, glass and wood fixtures that Philip designed are still preserved in the residences he built throughout his professional career. For example, the Red House still has Webb’s hand-painted windows. Other artifacts and furniture that he designed are on display in London, specifically at the Victoria and Albert Museum.
The work of Philip Webb and his contributions to the Arts & Crafts movement in the UK had a major influence on American architecture . There arose what is known as the American Craftsman architectural and decorative movement , which inspired the construction of countless country and summer homes in the United States.
Philip Webb’s concepts of functionality, craftsmanship and bespoke design are considered the foundation of modern architecture.
Bibliography
- Kirk, S. Philip Webb, pioneer of Arts & Crafts architecture . (2005). USA. Academy Press.
- Sanz, N. (2018, July 30). Arts and Crafts: Design History . Dsigno.es. Available at: https://www.dsigno.es/blog/diseno-de-interiores/arts-and-crafts-historia-del-diseno
- NationalTrust. Standen House and Garden . nationaltrust.org.uk. Available at: https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/standen-house-and-garden
- AD Classics: Red House / William Morris and Philip Webb. Available at https://www.archdaily.com/873077/ad-classics-red-house-arts-crafts-william-morris-philip-webb
