Wikipedia

George Pace

For the Mormon author and professor of religion, seeGeorge W. Pace.

George Gaze Pace,CVO(31 December 1915 – 23 August 1975) was an English architect who specialised inecclesiasticalworks.

George Gaze Pace
CVO
Born(1915-12-31)31 December 1915
Croydon,Surrey, England
Died23 August 1975(1975-08-23)(aged 59)
York,North Yorkshire, England
OccupationArchitect

He was trained in London, and served in the army, before being appointed as surveyor to a number of cathedrals. Most of his work was carried out on churches, although he did some secular work. His architectural style wasModernist,but he respected traditional styles, and on occasions combined both styles in his works.

Early life and training

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St Saviour's Church, Fairweather Green,Bradford,one of Pace'sModernistchurches

George Pace was born inCroydon,Surrey, the son of a ship owner's clerk. He was educated at Addiscombe New College, and then became articled to James Ransome and Cootes in London. He studied in the evenings atRegent Street Polytechnic.Then went on to work with Darcy Braddell and Humphrey Deane, and then with Pite, Son, and Fairweather. During this time he won prizes, including the Pugin scholarship. After qualifying as an architect in 1939, he taught at the polytechnic, but in 1941 he was called up for army service. In that year he married Ina Florence Catherine Jones. During his army service he was commissioned and worked as a supervising architect, based inYork.[1]

Career and later life

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When in 1949 Pace was appointed as surveyor to thediocese of Sheffield,he resigned his commission and established a private practice in York. During that year he was elected a fellow of theRoyal Institute of British Architects.Also in 1949 he was appointed as consulting architect toLichfieldandLlandaff Cathedrals,succeedingSir Charles Nicholson.Much of his career was spent in restoring and repairing churches, and in designing new fittings, but he also designed new churches. Pace created a design for a cathedral inIbadan,Nigeria, but it was not built. His works were almost completely ecclesiastical, but he did design a library forDurham University,and carried out repairs atCastle Howard.

Pace was appointed aCommander of the Royal Victorian Order(CVO) in 1971,[1]in recognition of his work withPaul Pagetand Peter Philips on the design for theKing George VI Memorial ChapelatSt George's Chapel, Windsor Castle.

With his wife, Pace had five children. His son, Peter, also trained as an architect, and wrote a book about his father's works. George Pace was also a writer and lecturer, and was concerned about conservation issues, being a member of theYork Civic Trustand the York Georgian Society. He died in York in 1975, and his practice was continued by his assistant,Ronald Sims.[1]His ashes are interred in the Retro-choir ofSouthwark Cathedral.

Influences and works

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TheChurch of St Mark, Broomhill,Sheffield,where Pace carried out work in bothGothic Revivaland Modernist styles

In respect of his influences, Pace's son, Peter, in the biography of his father, states thatCharles Rennie Mackintoshwas an early influence. He also quoted a fellow student who said "whilst most of the students enthused aboutLloyd WrightorGropius,George was more concerned with the ideas ofWilliam Morris,LethabyandBurges".[2]The authors of theBuildings of Englandseries note the influence ofLe Corbusierin his design of theWilliam Temple Memorial ChurchinWythenshawe,Greater Manchester (1963–65).[3]Although Pace's works were mainly Modernist in style, he also respected traditional styles, and sometimes combined elements of both.[1]

Pace was a member of The New Churches Research Group (NCRG), a group of Catholic and Anglican church architects and craftspeople who promoted liturgical reform of churches though publications such asThe TabletandArchitects' Journal.The group was co-founded byPeter Hammondand included architects Peter Gilbey,Robert Maguire,Keith Murray (an ecclesiastical designer), John Newton (Burles, Newton & Partners),Patrick Nuttgens,Patrick Reyntiens(stained glass artist),Austin Winkley,Lance Wright, as well as Catholic priest and theologianCharles Davis.[4]

New churches designed by Pace that are entirely Modernist include St Mark,Chadderton,Greater Manchester (1962–63),[5]the William Temple Memorial Church,[3][6]and St Saviour, Fairweather Green,Bradford,West Yorkshire (1966).[7]Also Modernist are the chapels atSt. Michael's College,Llandaff (1957–59),[8]Scargill House,Wharfedale,North Yorkshire (1958–61),[9]andKeele University,Staffordshire (1964–65).[10][11]TheAddleshaw Tower,a free-standing bell tower forChester Cathedral,Cheshire (1973–75), Pace's last major work, again is Modernist in style.[12][13]

Modernist and traditional styles are combined inSt Mark,Broomhill,Sheffield,South Yorkshire(1955–67), a church that had been badly damaged in the Second World War. Here Pace restored the spire and the porch inGothic Revivalstyle, but rebuilt the body of the church in Modernist style.[14]In theHoly Redeemer Church, York(1959–65), he re-used material from a demolishedmedievalchurch.[1][15][16]AtAll Saints' Church, Pontefract,West Yorkshire (1966–67), Pace built a newnaveandvestrywithin the ruins of a church that had been damaged in theCivil War.[17][18][19]

See also

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References

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Citations

  1. ^abcdePowell, Kenneth (2011)."Pace, George Gaze (1915–1975)".Oxford Dictionary of National Biography(online ed.). Oxford University Press.doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/63140.ISBN978-0-19-861411-1.Retrieved31 July2013.(Subscription orUK public library membershiprequired.)((subscription orUK public library membershiprequired))
  2. ^Pace (1991),p. 11
  3. ^abHartwell, Hyde & Pevsner (2004),pp. 494–495
  4. ^Robert Proctor (2014).Building the Modern Church: Roman Catholic Church Architecture in Britain, 1955 to 1975.Routledge.
  5. ^Hartwell, Hyde & Pevsner (2004),pp. 187–188
  6. ^Historic England,"William Temple Memorial Church, Wythenshawe (1376597)",National Heritage List for England,retrieved1 August2013
  7. ^Historic England,"Church of St Saviour, Bradford (1392312)",National Heritage List for England,retrieved31 July2013
  8. ^Cadw,"Chapel of St. Michael's College (82676)",National Historic Assets of Wales,retrieved11 April2019
  9. ^Historic England,"Chapel at Scargill House, including linking passage, staircase and vestry (1376604)",National Heritage List for England,retrieved3 August2013
  10. ^Pevsner (1974),p. 161
  11. ^Historic England,"Keele University Chapel (1376612)",National Heritage List for England,retrieved1 August2013
  12. ^Hartwell et al. (2011),p. 237
  13. ^Historic England,"Addleshaw Tower, Chester (1403484)",National Heritage List for England,retrieved31 July2013
  14. ^Historic England,"Church of St Mark, Broomhill, Sheffield (1247190)",National Heritage List for England,retrieved31 July2013
  15. ^Historic England,"Church of the Holy Redeemer, York (1376606)",National Heritage List for England,retrieved1 August2013
  16. ^History,The Church of the Holy Redeemer, York, archived fromthe originalon 30 September 2013,retrieved1 August2013
  17. ^Historic England,"Church of All Saints, Pontefract (1313269)",National Heritage List for England,retrieved3 August2013
  18. ^The Church,All Saints Church, Pontefract, archived fromthe originalon 19 August 2013,retrieved3 August2013
  19. ^The history of All Saints Church – Pontefract,Town of Pontefract, archived fromthe originalon 6 October 2014,retrieved3 August2013

Sources

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