When Niklaus Pevsner wrote about Brighton in 1965 in the Sussex county guide it was a sizeable entry. But now in this new series, “The Queen of Watering Places” has her own dedicated guide, expanding on Pevsner’s original work.
As a comprehensive beginner’s guide to the history of Brighton and Hove and its architecture, it is a handy reference book to refer to on questions about the city’s heritage without having to search through a whole raft of books written about the city.
The book also acts as a reminder to me that it isn’t just the Royal Pavilion and Preston Manor that are part of the architectural fabric and history of the city, but that our other museum sites and related buildings are seen that way, too.
Perhaps this is best illustrated by the entry on the Dome, which, to my delight on first reading, I found a mention of the education pavilion that was built as part of the Brighton Museum redevelopment in 2002.
The guide gives more than an architectural account: it succeeds in enlightening what is the essence of Brighton – exotic, regal, raffish, tolerant, arty, irreverent– the spirit that is encapsulated in the best of its architecture and underpins the city’s reputation and drives much of the Royal Pavilion and Museum’s work.
Janita Bagshawe is the head of Museums and Royal Pavilion, Brighton. She is a theme coordinator at this year’s Museums Association conference in Brighton (3-4 October).
Click here for more information
As a comprehensive beginner’s guide to the history of Brighton and Hove and its architecture, it is a handy reference book to refer to on questions about the city’s heritage without having to search through a whole raft of books written about the city.
The book also acts as a reminder to me that it isn’t just the Royal Pavilion and Preston Manor that are part of the architectural fabric and history of the city, but that our other museum sites and related buildings are seen that way, too.
Perhaps this is best illustrated by the entry on the Dome, which, to my delight on first reading, I found a mention of the education pavilion that was built as part of the Brighton Museum redevelopment in 2002.
The guide gives more than an architectural account: it succeeds in enlightening what is the essence of Brighton – exotic, regal, raffish, tolerant, arty, irreverent– the spirit that is encapsulated in the best of its architecture and underpins the city’s reputation and drives much of the Royal Pavilion and Museum’s work.
Janita Bagshawe is the head of Museums and Royal Pavilion, Brighton. She is a theme coordinator at this year’s Museums Association conference in Brighton (3-4 October).
Click here for more information
