The Twentieth Century Society is delighted to learn that Coventry City Council has refused permission to demolish 114 Kenilworth Road, an unusually intact private house by the architect Robert Harvey. Built in 1957 for the architect’s brother, the house is a masterly designed homage to the work of Frank Lloyd Wright, featuring sophisticated brickwork, an elaborate plan with subtle manipulation of room heights and carefully detailed interior finishes. The house was built in conjunction with a similar private house next door. The two buildings form a rare ensemble of outstanding post-war architecture.

No 114 had been sold recently, and the new owner applied for planning permission to tear the house down in favour of a larger new structure. The Twentieth Century Society has put the house forward for listing in order to protect it, and the Heritage Minister Lord Mackintosh has sent out a press release last week to seek public support on the recommendation for listing.

The Society is pleased to see that Coventry City Council has responded to our request to recognise the quality of the building. Planning permission was refused on the grounds that the building makes ‘a positive contribution to the character of the Kenilworth Road conservation area due to its unique and distinctive design.’

We encourage everyone to write in support of the listing to: Ms S Foden, Historic Environment Designation Branch, DCMS, 2-4 Cockspur Street, London SW1Y 5DH. The deadline for comments is 3 September 2004.

Notes to editors:

Robert Harvey was born in 1919 and studied architecture at the Birmingham School of Art. He designed over fifty private houses, mainly in Warwickshire.

For more information please contact:
Cordula Zeidler, Caseworker, The Twentieth Century Society, Tel 0207 250 3857, or Cordula.Zeidler(at)c20society.org.uk, and see www.riskybuildings.org.uk

DCMS press enquiries: 0207 211 6266
DCMS press release: www.culture.gov.uk