The architecture improves the Regent’s Park landscape – and vice versaThe Regent’s Park Terraces are London’s finest example of scenic architecture. The define the space. John Nash designed a full elevation for the buildings enclosing Regent’s Park and was then involved with the detailed design of: Cumberland Terrace, Chester Terrace, Cambridge Terrace, York Terrace, Sussex Place, Hanover Terrace and Kent Terrace. The original drawing of the entire composition was drawn by the son of a famous landscape architect (Humphry Repton) and his involvement might have contributed to the brilliant integration of landscape with architecture.
1 Comment on “Regent’s Park Terraces – housing as architecture and landscape in London”
Difficult to think now that, until the 1960s, the eastern Regent’s Park terraces were under threat of demolition by Camden Council, which wanted to replace them with brick-faced, standard council housing.
Now we should restore their formal, communal gardens and bring back the railings wastefully removed in 1940, and which by the way were traditionally painted green, and dark blue, red and chocolate brown were also used (Repton proposed “bronze” made by mixing copper or gold dust in a green ground). The current use of black dates from the death of Prince Albert in 1861.
Similarly the bright cream colour with which the stucco terraces are now painted is a post Second World War invention, originally they were painted the honey colour of Bath stone, See http://www.fitzwalter.com/house/colours.htm
Windows too were painted black not white as at present. The Crown Estate are the owners of the Regents’ Park Terraces and should now reinstate their original appearance.
Difficult to think now that, until the 1960s, the eastern Regent’s Park terraces were under threat of demolition by Camden Council, which wanted to replace them with brick-faced, standard council housing.
Now we should restore their formal, communal gardens and bring back the railings wastefully removed in 1940, and which by the way were traditionally painted green, and dark blue, red and chocolate brown were also used (Repton proposed “bronze” made by mixing copper or gold dust in a green ground). The current use of black dates from the death of Prince Albert in 1861.
Similarly the bright cream colour with which the stucco terraces are now painted is a post Second World War invention, originally they were painted the honey colour of Bath stone, See http://www.fitzwalter.com/house/colours.htm
Windows too were painted black not white as at present. The Crown Estate are the owners of the Regents’ Park Terraces and should now reinstate their original appearance.