DESIGN AND ILLUSTRATION
Plymouth City Centre Architectural Map

Illustrations

Plymouth has an utterly unique city centre, but it is also vastly unappreciated. In the midst of the second world war, Plymouth's council decided to appoint a visionary town planner in Patrick Ambercrombie to solve the issues of overcrowding, unsanitary dwellings and poor zoning which plagued the city's development. The result was on an unprecedented scale which saw Plymouth rapidly expand. Significantly, the city centre was completely remodelled with the largest 20th Century collection of buildings in the world, all created with a similar architectural style in mind.

My full project was to complete an illustrated map of 12 of the most notable buildings of this time. The illustrations were all created in Procreate on iPad using a set of ink roller brushes to create a linocut feel. Rather than simply using pictures which often show unsympathetic changes to the buildings over time, I've created illustrations which show the original intentions and designs of the buildings to give a better understanding of the history of the city centre's development.

The limited colour palette was a self-imposed decision to create a uniformity between the illustrations and the map, in much the same way as the Beaux-Artes architectural style of the city centre was imposed in the 1950s.

Prints of my work are available on my Etsy shop: https://www.etsy.com/uk/shop/JoeMeldrumDesign
Civic Centre
Geoffrey Jellicoe, H J W Stirling
1954-1961

The Civic Centre was was final building to be completed and was considered the crowning glory of Plymouth’s post-war redevelopment plans. Originally designed by Hector Stirling and inspired by the then recent glass-fronted and internationally significant Lever Building in New York, Stirling struggled with the staffing capacity needed to complete a full design. The responsibility was given to Geoffrey Jellicoe, much better known as a major landscape architect. Jellicoe replaced the glass frontage for a two-tone concrete and glass approach and added the huge wing on the roof which sheltered a top-floor restaurant, giving Plymothians an incredible view of their new city. The building was listed in 2007, saving it from planned demolition by Plymouth City Council.
Council House
Geoffrey Jellicoe, H J W Stirling
1954-1961

Attached to the Civic Centre by elevated walkways spanning ornamental ponds, the Council House contains another sumptuous 1950s interior with boldly patterned ceilings, wood panelled walls and floor to ceiling windows. In 1951, the Festival of Britain inspired a new wave of architecture which is particularly apparent in the cantilevered frontage of both the Council House and the nearby Athenaeum. The council chambers are still in use and feature fabric wall tapestry panels designed by Hans Tisdall, a German emigre artist.
Guildhall
1953-1959
H J W Stirling

Although both the Guildhall and the nearby St. Andrew’s Church had both been badly bombed in the war, the Guildhall was remodelled and redeveloped in a particularly 1950s style rather than being faithfully restored like St. Andrew’s. Designed by the new City Architect Hector Stirling, the Guildhall had its entrance relocated to face the new civic square. Inside, one of the best interiors of the 1950s was created. Marble, terrazzo, bronze, leather, and mahogany abounded, and a stunningly patterned ceiling was created. The undulating entrance canopy shape can be found echoed in the Pannier Market design, as can further artworks by David Weeks who created ‘The Labours of Hercules’ sculptures mounted on the Guildhall ceiling.
Pearl Assurance Building
1950-1952
Alec F French & Partners

Both the Pearl Assurance building and Dingles were built as cornerstones to Armada Way, designed to reflect the height and scale of the nearby Plymouth Guildhall. The Pearl Assurance building is more decorative than Dingles, with embellished columns and carved stonework. Originally, both the Pearl Assurance building and Dingles had glass inserts in their lower floor canopies and fabric shades which dropped down from the canopy edges.
Dingles
1949-1951
Thomas Tait

Dingles was the first building to begin construction in 1949 after the city centre was mostly cleared and levelled after the war. Although Woolworths was the first building to officially open in November 1950, Dingles opened on 1st September 1951 and 40,000 people visited on it’s opening day. Dingles was the first department store to have been built in Britain since 1939 and the start of World War II. It was designed to reflect the Pearl Assurance building (opposite across Armada Way) with their two square towers marking the intersection of Armada Way and Royal Parade.
The Pannier Market
Walls and Pearn
1956-1959

Local architects Walls and Pearn, alongside their innovative structural engineer Albin Chronowicz, created the masterful Pannier Market. Influenced again by the 1951 Festival of Britain architecture, the Pannier Market is a marvel of engineering. It features seven 12 meter high and 46 meter long spans which supports not only a cavernous market hall without a single pillar, but also a window-filled curved roof inspired by the strength and shape of shells. The north side is defined by huge windows and also includes an upper level restaurant section. Recently restored with a £3.5million grant from Plymouth City Council in 2018, the building also contains fabulous entrance murals by David Weeks which have survived since its opening.
National Provincial Bank
1955-1958
BC Sherran

A luxurious building, originally the inset blue mosaic wall was lit from behind the columns at night, creating a shining blue and gold beacon with an illuminated clock tower that framed the end of Royal Parade. The mosaic wall features gold inserts of castles, fish, anchors and squirrels (taken from the bank’s coat of arms) and bronze entrance doors are surrounded in white marble. Inside was a triple-height banking hall with a marble floor and a teak, padouk and bronze interior.
The Athenaeum
Walls and Pearn
1958-61

Directly influenced by the 1951 Festival of Britain, local architects Walls and Pearn (who also designed the incredible Pannier Market) recreated a miniature version of the Royal Festival Hall. Strikingly similar to the Council House, a cantilevered room with floor to ceiling windows juts out over the entrance doors. Designed to make use of the abundant natural light and views of Plymouth, the building is now overshadowed by more recent developments. The Athenaeum’s original home was destroyed in WWII - it was originally a scientific society which once counted Charles Darwin as a member. Inside the 1961 building is a charming 1960s theatre/cinema which still hosts plays today.
Christ the King Church
Sir Giles Gilbert Scott
1960-1962

A curiously Italian-styled building, Christ the King Church was the final construction of the renowned architect Sir Giles Gilbert Scott who designed Liverpool’s monumental Anglican Cathedral. In the later years of the application of the Plymouth Plan, brick structures were favoured south of Notte Street. The church and it’s campanile was designed to compliment the brick-fronted NAAFI building and it’s tower situated directly opposite across Armada way - a handsome design which, despite a campaign to get it listed, was demolished in 2010 to make way for student flats.
Plymouth Co-op (Derry’s)
W J Reed
1950-52

The Co-op building was the largest single building in Plymouth, planned to take a whole city block. Although the first phase opened in 1952, the complete building wasn’t finished completely until 1957. With the longest window display in the city, a glass-filled canopy with hanging blinds, a yellow-painted recessed top floor balcony and a repeated glass block motif, Plymouth Co-op was at the more liberal end of the Plymouth Plan interpretation. It has recently been redeveloped as a hotel and student accommodation, with an extra storey added.
Martin’s Bank
Lucas, Roberts and Brown
1957

The north end of Armada Way was originally zoned as a banking district and it’s on the intersection of Armada Way and Cornwall street that Martin’s Bank was built. Now a mixed-used retail building whose original clean lines have been somewhat butchered by the addition of doors and unsympathetic window replacements, the building still proudly displays its inset stone panels and grasshopper and liver bird adorned Martin’s Bank logo. It’s opening hours were 10am-3pm weekdays and 9-11am at weekends.
Post office
1956-1957
Cyril Pinfold

Designed with a curved frontage, this building features terrazzo-tiled pillars and originally had blocked black marble slabs flanking the entrance lobby. It has recently been partly redeveloped as student housing through an additional story extension, and past redevelopments have swelled the ground floor to encroach over the original covered walkway.
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