ARCHITECTURAL TOURS 2009

Mostly Contemporary Architecture but also the best from all ages.
Led by Tim Bruce-Dick architect (Click here for Tim's CV.)

Saturday June 27: The annual summer charabanc trip will be through leafy Sussex to visit Ted Cullinan’s timber structures at the Downland Gridshell (2002), a conservation workshop at the Weald and Downland Museum, West Sussex, which has all the attributes of a Grade I building in the making. We will then visit nearby Craig Downie’s Cass Sculpture Foundation and the Sculpture Park for lunch. Then we’ll visit Heatherwick Studio’s amazing Café on the beach at Littlehampton…En route we will view Tigbourne Court by Lutyens, and other interesting buildings.

Meet Euston Station at 8.45am, at the entrance to the station in Eversholt Street (on the east side of the station, where the steps are) - return about 8 pm.

Price £55 coach only [deposit £25]

July 23 – August 3 Expedition to the Ukranian cities of Kiev, Yalta, Sebastopol and Odessa.

Ukraine’s bustling capital, Kiev, not only has a beautiful old town and stunning churches, but also some striking Soviet architecture of 20th C.

Monday 27, Tuesday 28, Wednesday 29 July, explore Yalta's architecture ancient and modern including Lividia         Palace scene of the '45 Yalta Conference, and the Swallows Nest, and Nikitsky Botanical Gardens said to         be the world's finest, and 20th c. architecture.*
Thursday 30 July, morning transfer to Sebastopol [leave bags at station] and investigate Crimean War         memorabilia, purpose-built round museum, battle field, etc. 20.25 board night sleeper train [1st class] to         Odessa . .

Built as Russia's window on the south, Odessa was founded in the 18th century by Catherine the Great. Sort of a cross between Bath and Brighton the city has a grand, if slightly crumbling air to it, with wide boulevards, imposing architecture, and of course the famous Potemkin steps. Along with the classic architecture we will find the best of contemporary architecture… and you can always go to the beach…

Odessa "Potemkin" steps

September 10-13 : a long weekend in the cultural heart of Bavaria: Munich

Tim’s Tours regular Richard Lucraft writes:
‘Although Munich is predominately an 18th and 19th century city – and a very attractive one - there are significant modern buildings. The 1972 Olympic Games has left a variety of buildings in a spectacular Olympic Park including the Olympic Hall seating 14,000 under its transparent, tent-like tensile roof by Frei Otto – predating and perhaps inspiring Michael Hopkins Schlumberger laboratory and Mound Stand at Lord’s. The Olympic Tower provides dramatic views of Munich and even the Alps on a clear day, from a revolving restaurant. Still in the sporting vein there is Herzog & de Meuron’s groundbreaking 2005 Allianz football stadium which changes colour to reflect the different colours of its two resident teams (or any other colour or display required). This building significantly raised the bar on design quality for all sports stadiums that followed. Its rather heavy post modernist symbolism now perhaps a little dated, the 1973 BMW headquarters building by K Schwarzer in the form of four giant cylinders is still impressive with the innovative BMW Museum housed in a silver ‘eggcup’ on the roof. Also Coophimmelbau’s stunning new BMW centre. Purists will probably prefer the Post-un-Wohngebaude building on Goetheplatz, this elegantly curved post office-cum-apartment block is one Germany’s most important remaining 1920’s buildings. Those less pure in heart may thrill to visit the Musikhochschule or Music School which occupies the virtually unaltered Nazi Party Headquarters building commissioned personally by Hitler from Paul Ludwig Troost, Albert Speer’s predecessor and mentor. It’s rich marble interior drips with decadence. Finally, an absolute must, is a visit to the Englischer Garden, the largest park in Germany which manages to be more English than the 18th century landscape tradition it admires and imitates. Cycle through it on a Sunday morning, pausing for steins of frothing larger and wienerschnitzel, while listening to Um-Pa-Pa bands or traditional jazz'.

‘Well that sounds good enough for me to inspire three days of architectural fun!’ Tim

Thursday 10 September we fly Ryanair from Stansted 18.20 arr         21.05. Munich.
Sunday 13 September dep Ryanair 21.50 arr Stansted 22.40.

Price sharing £350 single supplement £425

Grand Palladio Tour of North Italy

We visit the Renaissance cities of Mantua, Vicenza and Venice to celebrate the 500th anniversary of Andrea Palladio’s birth, and see masterpieces by L.B.Alberti, Giulio Romano and Carlo Scarpa.

Thursday 22 October, Fly Ryanair from Stansted to Verona 11.40-         arr 14.40; then by train to Mantua where we will spend 2         nights enjoying the supreme works of Alberti and Giulio         Romano, arguably Palladio’s mentor and inspiration.
Friday 23 October, We visit Alberti’s San Andrea [1470] and San         Sebastiano, Romano’s Palazzo Ducale, and later his         amazing Palazzo del Te [1526].
Saturday 24 October, by train to Verona [leave bags at station] to         visit Carlo Scarpa’s masterly intervention in the Castelveccio         (Castle Museum) [1957]; Afternoon train to Vicenza,         Palladio’s home town where we will spend 4 nights.

        
          Villa Rotonda by Palladio

        
          Villa Emo by Palladio

Sunday 25 October, an all day bus tour of Palladio’s country villas         including Villa Barbaro and Scarpa’s fascinating cemetery.
Monday 26 October, by train to Venice to visit Palladio’s churches         of San Giorgio Maggiore, and Redentore. There will be time         to visit The Academia{am} and the Guggenheim…and         Calatrava’s new bridge.
Tuesday 27 October, we explore some of Palladio’s sublime         palazzi and villas in Vicenza, including the Basilica, Palazzi         Thienne, Chericati, Valmarana, the Teatro Olimpico, and the         Villa Rotonda.
Wednesday 28 October, morning stroll to Villa Valmarana [Tiepolo         frescoes] then IA before catching train to Marco Polo airport         for flight by Easyjet to Gatwick dep 19.30- arr 20.35.

Price share: £570; Single: £730

IA= independent activity if you wish; otherwise Tim will usually lead a group to see more buildings

Please note these tours are the result of requests by an informal friendly group of architectural enthusiasts. Tim Bruce-Dick is the co-ordinator of this group which you are welcome to join. Tim books travel and accomodation upon request; all responsibility for all aspects of insurance rest entirely with individual participants who should ensure they have adequate insurance for the event they choose to join. Hotels are usually centrally located modern three star hotels. The cost of airport transfers/local transport/food/drink are all extra unless specifically mentioned.

To book please contact Tim Bruce-Dick,114 Albert Street, London NW1 7NE.
Tel: 020 7485 8976
timbrucedick@yahoo.co.uk
www.timstoursandwalks.co.uk
Deposit for EACH tour: £100.00
In these unpredictable times these programmes are subject to variation both in cost and content. The prices shown are accurate now and Tim will do his best to keep costs down; any notable variations will be discussed with the group before final amendments are made.

I look forward to these memorable trips in 2009,

Tim Bruce-Dick
February 2009

Where we went last year (2008):

Bucharest (Romania)
Charabanc trip to Norwich
Leipzig, Dresden and Prague
Bilbao-Rioja

PREVIOUS TOURS

Other links:
http://www.contemporaryarttours.blogspot.com - Contemporary art tours

I am doing summer-time Wednesday evening walks through London.
I also lead walking tours of contemporary architecture round London by arrangement.
Please contact me (Tim) for details: timbrucedick@yahoo.co.uk - or 020 7485 8976.

Here are some previous walks we have done.

Bon voyage!