Hoffman, Adina

A remarkable view of one of the world’s most beloved and troubled cities, Adina Hoffman’s Till We Have Built Jerusalem is a gripping and intimate journey into the very different lives of three architects who helped shape modern Jerusalem.

Fuchs, Ron; Herbert, Gilbert.

"Representing Mandatory Palestine: Austen St Barbe Harrison and the Representational Buildings of the British Mandate in Palestine, 1922–37" This essay is based on material from Ron Fuchs, Austen St. Barbe Harrison: a British Architect in the Holy Land, DSc thesis, Technion, Haifa, 1992 [in Hebrew].

From the archives – Nuffield College’s architecture

This post continues our series on the library’s archives and is accompanied by a display on the college’s architecture, which is currently available to view in the library.

And the recording of Norman Chester interviewing Austen Harrison

Star of the Parthenon, Cypriot Mélange: Education and Representation in Colonial Cyprus

This article by Michael Given examines Greek Cypriot and colonial British school architecture in Cyprus during the British colonial period (1878–1960). When seen in their educational and political context, these school buildings can be seen as opposing representations of nationalist and imperialist ideologies. An introduction on representation in writing history is followed by a theoretical and comparative discussion of colonial and nationalist education policies and the use of architecture to construct and display political ideology. After some historical background on education policies in colonial Cyprus, the two main sections of the article discuss the classicizing Hellenic school architecture built by the Greek Cypriots (‘Star of the Parthenon’), and the dehellenised pseudo-vernacular school buildings favoured by the British (‘Cypriot mélange’). By investigating the social and political context of the people designing and using these school buildings, this article demonstrates the dynamic and highly emotive links that connect architecture, education and political ideology.

The Architectural Encounter of a Colony and its Metropolis,

by Dafni Papadopoulou

4.1 Towards an Indigenous Colonial Building

The island's endowed architectural history, preserved from its various fates, became a point of influence for the colonialists.

These traditions were to be inserted in the design of probably the greatest administrative building of the British rule in Cyprus, The New Governor's House (1937). The building was intended to 'proclaim Britain's role and presence, but in a rather paternalistic way by including architectural elements and motifs to reflect native history and traditions.

It was required to strongly preserve the rich historic and indigenous architectural characteristics and yet symbolise to colonial prestige. Initially, the proposal was assigned to Aysten St.Barbe Harrison, the principal architect of the Palestine PWD.

Given, Michael. Architectural styles and ethnic identity in medieval to modern Cyprus.

In Clarke, Joanne (Eds) Archaeological perspectives on the transmission and transformation of culture in the Eastern Mediterranean., Chap 25, pages pp. 207-213. Oxbow Books (2005)