would say that such originality serves a purpose, and this layout maximises ease of access,
allowing easy treatment for all who require it which reduces stress levels and helps to improve overall health. These simple considerations continue to define a Darent Valley that tends to patient care, whilst stretching freedom in architectural values that cannot really be defined.
There is no one factor that can define British architecture, save that of its vast expanse, and so efficiency and originality are just as, if not more, important than any others. CONCLUSION
In 1849, Ruskin proposed an architectural criticism that offered a moral code he considered all good architecture should follow. Application of these seven lamps on the modern developments
of the Tate Modern and Darent Valley Hospital has shown both the similarities between these
public buildings, and how Ruskin’s principles may appear obsolete. Nevertheless, truth can be
drawn from his words which should apply to architecture of today. The more significant of these
fall under the Lamps of ‘Memory’ and ‘Obedience’. Any construction should be considerate of its
surroundings and restraining on outlandish design. This involves a certain morality in architecture that is irrelevant of time when many of Ruskin’s principles are outdated period
features. Technology cannot develop whilst we live in mud huts, but Ruskin goes further than simple aesthetics and materials. Design can be drawn from nature, where there is something to
be said about the beauty of a simple building and the power of an unbroken surface. There is something to be said about sacrificing an overbearing arch for a wooden frame, an ornate
staircase for metal steps or a masterpiece of design for patient care. Moreover there is
something to be said for good architecture and even if Ruskin’s exact requests are outdated,
principles that govern such passionate words are and should be in use today, perhaps not entirely but definitely efficiently.
Oliver Baldock |The Essay
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