Alfred Waterhouse (1830–1905) was a prolific English architect who worked in the second half of the 19thcentury. His buildings were largely in VictorianGothic Revival style. Waterhouse's biographer, Colin Cunningham, states that between about 1865 and about 1885 he was "the most widely employed British architect".[1] He worked in many fields, designing commercial, public, educational, domestic, and ecclesiastical buildings.[1]
Waterhouse was born in Liverpool of Quaker parents. After being articled to Richard Lane in Manchester, he took a ten-month tour of the Continent, then established his own practice in Manchester. Many of his early commissions came from Quakers and other nonconformist patrons. He came to national recognition when he won a competition for the design of Manchester assize courts. His next major public commissions in Manchester were for Strangeways Gaol and Manchester Town Hall. In 1865 he opened an office in London, which was followed by his first major commission in London, the Natural History Museum. Meanwhile he was also designing country houses. Here his major work was the rebuilding of Eaton Hall in Cheshire for the 1stDuke of Westminster, which was "the most expensive country house of the [19th] century".[1] He also designed educational buildings including schools and works for the universities of Cambridge, Oxford, Manchester, and Liverpool. In the commercial field, he designed banks, and offices for insurance and assurance companies, especially the Prudential Assurance Company, for whom he built 27buildings.[1]
Waterhouse's success came from "a thoroughly professional approach rather than on brilliance or innovation as a stylist".[1] He paid particular attention to detail and, although he designed many major buildings, he still accepted smaller commissions.[1] Although most of his work was in the Gothic Revival style, he also employed other styles, including Romanesque and French Renaissance.[2] He used many building materials, but is noted for his use of red brick and terracotta. The use of these materials for many university buildings in the north of England is a major factor in their being termed "red brick universities".[1][3] In addition to his design work as an architect, Waterhouse was an assessor for about 60architectural competitions. He was awarded the Royal Gold Medal of the Royal Institute of British Architects in 1878 for his design for Manchester Town Hall, and was president of that institution from 1888 to 1891. He was gained international diplomas, and in 1895 was awarded an honorary LL.D by Manchester University. Waterhouse was also a painter, exhibiting 80watercolours at the Royal Academy. He suffered a stroke in 1901, and died in his home at Yattendon, Berkshire, in 1905. His practice was continued by his son Paul, followed by his grandson, Michael, and his great-grandson. His estate at death amounted to over £215,000 (equivalent to £24,560,000 as of 2021).[1][4]
During his career Waterhouse designed buildings for educational use, ranging from village schools, grammar and private schools in whole or in part, and buildings for colleges and universities, the latter including Oxford and Cambridge, and for institutions that later became the universities of Manchester, Liverpool, and Leeds. This list contains the major works in this field.
A two-storey building in red brick with blue brick diapering and a tiled roof in Gothic style, To the right of the centre is an octagonal turret with a pyramidal roof.[6]
Built in red brick with coloured brick decoration and stone dressings. It has a tiled roof with gables and finials. Extensions were added later.[7][8][9]
West range began 1870, east range (including the Beyer Building) built in 1883–87, north range in 1888, forming a courtyard. Constructed in sandstone with red tiled roofs.[3][16][17]
Built in buff brick with stone dressings and a red tile roof. Consisting of one and two storeys over a basement. Contains a lecture hall, two laboratories and other rooms. This is part of the same listing as the Schorlemmer Laboratory (1895).[20][21]
Built as a residential college for women, it is a red brick building with terracotta dressings and tiled roofs in Gothic style. Additions to the building in 1876, 1883 and 1886, the last including a gatehouse with a tower. There were further additions by Waterhouse's son, Paul, and his grandson, Michael.[1][3][22][23]
Built originally as the Yorkshire College of Science, the first building of what became the University of Leeds; continued by Waterhouse's son Paul. It is in Gothic Revival style, constructed in red brick and stone, with slate roofs.[3][33]
Built as the main university building in red brick with terracotta dressings. It is in three storeys with 13bays, and has a clock tower and a corner turret.[3][39][41]
Built in redbrick in a single storey over a basement. Contains two laboratories. This is part of the same listing as the Chemical Laboratories (1871–73).[21][45]
Designed with his son, Paul, this was built for the Clergy Orphan Corporation. It is constructed in brick with terracotta dressings and tiled roofs. The school is in three storeys and attics in an H-plan. The chapel has a four-baynave, a single-bay chancel, and a short south transept.[46][47][48]
Cunningham, Colin; Waterhouse, Prudence (1992), Alfred Waterhouse, 1830-1905: Biography of a Practice, Clarendon Studies in the History of Art, Oxford University Press, ISBN978-0198175117
Dixon, Roger; Muthesius, Stefan (1985) [1978], Victorian Architecture (2ed.), London: Thames and Hudson, ISBN0-500-20160-9
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