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William WalcotBritish architect and artist
Date of Birth: 10.03.1874
Country:  Great Britain |
Content:
- British Architect and Artist in Moscow
- Walcot's Style in Moscow
- Architectural Impact
- Unlucky Competitions
- Return to England
- Renown as a Landscape Artist
British Architect and Artist in Moscow
Collaboration on the Metropol HotelIn 1898, British architect William Walcot arrived in Moscow and joined the team working on the Metropol Hotel. Despite his project placing only fourth in a public competition, Savva Mamontov, the patron behind the hotel, chose Walcot's design, known as "Feminine Head."
After Mamontov's arrest, the project was transferred to the St. Petersburg Insurance Society, which hired experienced architect L.N. Kekushev to collaborate with Walcot. The completed hotel differs significantly from Walcot's original 1899 design, but the "Feminine Head" motif is retained in the interiors.
Walcot's Style in Moscow
Walcot's own style, known as "English Modern," differed from Kekushev's Franco-Belgian Modernism by its restraint and simple forms with clear vertical divisions. He designed two mansions in Prechistensky Lane: Yakunchikova (1900) and Gutheil (1903), featuring the "Feminine Head" theme.
Architectural Impact
Walcot published sketches of his projects in professional journals, influencing a generation of contemporary architects. In Moscow, he also designed a hotel dormitory in Spiridonyevsky Lane and an apartment building for the Moscow Trade-Building Society in Myasnitsky Lane.
Unlucky Competitions
Despite his early success, Walcot faced setbacks in public competitions. He won the design for a Lutheran cathedral in Staro-Sadsky Lane but saw the construction given to V.A. Kossov. He also lost the competition for the Polytechnic Society's apartment building to Adolf Minkus.
Return to England
Walcot returned to London in 1908 and initially worked as a graphic artist for South African architect Eustace Frere. Unable to establish himself as an architect in Britain, he designed and built only one building (61 St. James's Street, London, 1933).
Renown as a Landscape Artist
Walcot gained acclaim as a talented architectural landscape artist. He created numerous architectural sketches and cityscapes in an almost impressionistic style while working with leading British architects in Rome, Paris, and New York.
His first album of paintings and etchings was published in 1919, and he became a full member of British artistic societies from 1913-1922. With the outbreak of World War II, Walcot lost commissions and committed suicide in 1943.
