Eric Bedford (architect)
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Eric Bedford CB CVO (8 November 1909 – 28 July 2001) was a twentieth-century British architect whose most famous work is London's
BT Tower The BT Communications Tower, also known simply as the BT Tower, is a Listed building, grade II listed Radio masts and towers, communications tower in Fitzrovia, London, England, owned by BT Group. It has also been known as the GPO Tower, the P ...
. In 1961, construction began on what was then known as the Post Office Tower, with Bedford as Chief Architect and G R Yeats as senior architect in charge. Completed in 1965, with a height of 177 metres (581 ft), it became for a time London's tallest building. Born in Yorkshire, and trained as an architect in
the Midlands The Midlands is the central region of England, to the south of Northern England, to the north of southern England, to the east of Wales, and to the west of the North Sea. The Midlands comprises the ceremonial counties of Derbyshire, Herefords ...
, Bedford joined the Ministry of Public Building and Works in 1936. In 1951, he was appointed the Ministry's youngest-ever Chief Architect. Shortly afterward, he had an important role in the design of the
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, for which he was subsequently made a
Commander of the Royal Victorian Order The Royal Victorian Order () is a dynastic order of knighthood established in 1896 by Queen Victoria. It recognises distinguished personal service to the monarch, members of the royal family, or to any viceroy or senior representative of the ...
. Bedford retired in 1970, and lived abroad for some years before dying in 2001. Although he was the architect responsible for one of London's most iconic buildings, he achieved surprisingly little recognition in his lifetime, or afterward; his obituary in ''
The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...
'' described him as "the British government's anonymous chief architect, whose works were visible to millions but whose name was scarcely known".


Life

Bedford was born on 29 August 1909 near Halifax in
Yorkshire Yorkshire ( ) is an area of Northern England which was History of Yorkshire, historically a county. Despite no longer being used for administration, Yorkshire retains a strong regional identity. The county was named after its county town, the ...
. He was educated at Thornton Grammar School and then undertook an architectural apprenticeship in Leicester. In 1934 he won a
RIBA ''Riba'' (, or , ) is an Arabic word used in Islamic law and roughly translated as " usury": unjust, exploitative gains made in trade or business. ''Riba'' is mentioned and condemned in several different verses in the Qur'an3:130
medal for his design for a railway terminal. Two years later he joined the Ministry of Public Building and Works, and, after the
Second World War World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
, was appointed its youngest-ever Chief Architect. At the
Coronation of Queen Elizabeth II The Coronation of the British monarch, coronation of Elizabeth II as queen of the United Kingdom and the other Commonwealth realms took place on 2 June 1953 at Westminster Abbey in London. Elizabeth acceded to the throne at the age of 25 upon th ...
, Bedford had responsibility for significant elements of the overall design, including the Coronation Arches. Given its importance to government communications, the
BT Tower The BT Communications Tower, also known simply as the BT Tower, is a Listed building, grade II listed Radio masts and towers, communications tower in Fitzrovia, London, England, owned by BT Group. It has also been known as the GPO Tower, the P ...
was designed to withstand nuclear attack, and in 1971 it was relatively undamaged by a bomb placed in the tower's revolving restaurant by the Angry Brigade. Bedford's comment was recorded as; "I made it to last, bombers or not". In addition to the tower, he oversaw or undertook a number of other important governmental commissions – both within the UK, including the departmental buildings on
Marsham Street Marsham Street is a street in the City of Westminster in London, England. It is approximately one mile in length and runs south from Great Peter Street near Victoria Street, London, Victoria Street and Parliament Square. Description Marsham Str ...
,
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, and offices for MPs within the
Palace of Westminster The Palace of Westminster is the meeting place of the Parliament of the United Kingdom and is located in London, England. It is commonly called the Houses of Parliament after the House of Commons and the House of Lords, the two legislative ch ...
; and overseas, including embassy buildings in
Warsaw Warsaw, officially the Capital City of Warsaw, is the capital and List of cities and towns in Poland, largest city of Poland. The metropolis stands on the Vistula, River Vistula in east-central Poland. Its population is officially estimated at ...
,
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and
Jakarta Jakarta (; , Betawi language, Betawi: ''Jakartè''), officially the Special Capital Region of Jakarta (; ''DKI Jakarta'') and formerly known as Batavia, Dutch East Indies, Batavia until 1949, is the capital and largest city of Indonesia and ...
. After retiring to France to be near his daughter, Bedford returned to England following the death of his wife in 1977. He lived for many years in the village of Hanley Swan near Malvern, Worcestershire, and died in a nursing home in Worcester in 2001.


Honours

Bedford was appointed
Commander of the Royal Victorian Order The Royal Victorian Order () is a dynastic order of knighthood established in 1896 by Queen Victoria. It recognises distinguished personal service to the monarch, members of the royal family, or to any viceroy or senior representative of the ...
(CVO) in the 1953 Coronation Honours, and
Companion of the Order of the Bath Companion may refer to: Relationships Currently * Any of several interpersonal relationships such as friend or acquaintance * A domestic partner, akin to a spouse * Sober companion, an addiction treatment coach * Companion (caregiving), a caregi ...
(CB) in the 1959 Birthday Honours.


Works

*Administrative offices of the
Embassy of the United Kingdom, Washington, D.C. The British Embassy, Washington D.C. (alternatively in the US, Embassy of the United Kingdom, Washington, D.C.) is the Charles III, British sovereign's diplomatic mission to the United States of America, representing the interests of the United ...
, 1960s. *
Marsham Street Marsham Street is a street in the City of Westminster in London, England. It is approximately one mile in length and runs south from Great Peter Street near Victoria Street, London, Victoria Street and Parliament Square. Description Marsham Str ...
, government offices, 1963–1971. Pevsner considers Bedford's work at Marsham Street "ruthlessly logical" but a "spectacular failure, the very image of faceless bureaucracy". *
St James's Park St James's Park is a urban park in the City of Westminster, central London. A Royal Park, it is at the southernmost end of the St James's area, which was named after a once isolated medieval hospital dedicated to St James the Less, now the ...
, footbridge, 1956–1957. The slightly back-handed compliment in Pevsner is: "quite handsome, and ''good to look out from''", but the authors consider the Victorian cast-iron suspension bridge it replaced "a great loss". * Embassy of the United Kingdom, Jakarta, 1962. The embassy was subject to anti-British demonstrations throughout its existence, and the site was vacated in 2015. * British High Commission, Ottawa, 1964. *
BT Tower The BT Communications Tower, also known simply as the BT Tower, is a Listed building, grade II listed Radio masts and towers, communications tower in Fitzrovia, London, England, owned by BT Group. It has also been known as the GPO Tower, the P ...
, 1961–1965. Pevsner describes it as "a notable 1960s landmark". *Office accommodation, Star Chamber Court,
Palace of Westminster The Palace of Westminster is the meeting place of the Parliament of the United Kingdom and is located in London, England. It is commonly called the Houses of Parliament after the House of Commons and the House of Lords, the two legislative ch ...
. Pevsner's single comment is "ugly".


Notes


Sources

* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Bedford, Eric 1909 births 2001 deaths 20th-century English architects Companions of the Order of the Bath Commanders of the Royal Victorian Order Architects from Yorkshire People from Halifax, West Yorkshire English expatriates in France