The Victorian Art School

Ranald Lawrence is a Lecturer in Architecture at the University of Liverpool. His research examines the history of environmental design, and the broader relationship between buildings and climate in different cultural contexts. Ranald has worked with several award-winning architectural practices as a designer and researcher. He completed his PhD research on Victorian art schools at the University of Cambridge, funded by the AHRC.

1. Introduction The Environment of the City Urban Improvement A Municipal Awakening 2. ‘By the Gains of Industry we Promote Art’: New schools for design Lighting in the Early Academies The Department of Science and Art The Culture of the Artisan 3. A worthy facade: Manchester School of Art The Condition of Manchester Fine Art or Design? Who Pays? A Spacious Site Galleries and Studios 4. ‘Drawn from the light’: Birmingham School of Art Chamberlain and the Civic Gospel The Value of Culture The Industrial Patronage of Art Education The Influence of Ruskin The Evolution of the Design The School’s Influence 5. Into clean air: Glasgow School of Art ‘Let Art Flourish’ Realising the Ideal Environment Lighting, Ventilation and Warming A Formal Synthesis A Microcosm of the City 6. ‘Local centres of civilisation’: The art school in context Parting the Smoke The Civilising Power of Art Culture as a Civic Project Dissolving into Light and Air Unifying Art and Design Concluding Remarks Bibliography Index