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Ralph Knott

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Ralph Knott
FRIBA
Photographic portrait of Ralph Knott.
Photographic portrait of Ralph Knott.
Born3 May 1878
Chelsea, London, England
Died25 January 1929(1929-01-25) (aged 50)
Mortlake, London, England
NationalityBritish
Alma materArchitectural Association
OccupationArchitect
Spouse
Ada Knott
​
(m. 1919)​
Parent(s)Samuel and Elizabeth Knott

Ralph Knott FRIBA (3 May 1878 – 25 January 1929) was a British architect. He was responsible for building the massive six-storey "Edwardian Baroque" style County Hall building for the London County Council.[1][2]

Biography

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Ralph Knott was born in Chelsea, London, on 3 May 1878, the youngest son of Samuel Knott, a tailor, and his wife, Elizabeth (née White), from Dorset.[3] After attending the City of London School he was articled to Woodd and Ainslie, architects.[2][4] He was taught etching by Frank Brangwyn at the Architectural Association and when his articles were finished, joined Sir Aston Webb, in whose office he remained for eight years. Webb was a keen participant in architectural competitions and Knott's etching skill was valued in winning them. He drew the etchings which enabled Webb to win the competition for the Queen Victoria memorial outside Buckingham Palace, also working on the designs of Admiralty Arch and the Victoria and Albert Museum.[3][5]

Ralph Knott in 1921.

In 1908 Knott and E. Stone Collins set up their own practice as Knott and Collins, architects. The first substantial commission they applied for was for offices for the London County Council. Despite many very well known names entering, Knott won at the age of 29.[1] Designs for the construction were brought to life by the architect and perspectivist Alick Horsnell.[6] His design was altered significantly before construction began, including the familiar semicircular terrace being moved from the land to the river-side of the building.[7] Construction was held up by the First World War, during which Knott worked on designs for Royal Air Force bases, and partially completed in 1922 (except for the northern third).[8] In June 1921 he was elected a fellow of the Royal Institute of British Architects.[9]

In the years before World War I Knott's work included the design and erection of mansions in the Westminster and Chelsea districts of London. In 1917 Knott was the designer of the Daily Mail £200 cottage, a distinct departure from the more elaborate architecture for which he was known.[5][10]

After the opening of the London County Hall, at the southern end of Westminster Bridge, Knott built other notable buildings, including two departmental office blocks at Stormont near Belfast.[11][5] In 1925 he designed the pavilion at the City of London School's new athletics grounds in Grove Park. The building was a memorial to the alumni of the school who had perished in the First World War, and he donated his services free of charge.[12] He had begun the work on the last part of County Hall in 1928 but it remained uncompleted at his death.[13]

In 1919 Knott married Ada (née Brown), widow of Sidney James Longden.[3] They had no children.[3] He died suddenly at his Mortlake home in January 1929, aged 50.[2] A bronze plaque to his memory at County Hall was unveiled by the Chairman of the London County Council in June 1932.[14]

References

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  1. ^ a b "The New County Hall For London. Result Of The Architects' Competition". The Times. 31 January 1908. p. 13.
  2. ^ a b c "Obituary: Mr. Ralph Knott. The London County Hall". The Times. 26 January 1929. p. 14.
  3. ^ a b c d Anthony Osler McIntyre (September 2004). "Knott, Ralph (1878–1929)". Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (online ed.). Oxford University Press. doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/34352. Retrieved 6 July 2010. (Subscription or UK public library membership required.)
  4. ^ "City of London School". The Times. 27 April 1908. p. 10.
  5. ^ a b c Notable Londoners, an Illustrated Who's Who of Professional and Business Men (1922), London: London Publishing Agency, page 12; accessed 19 July 2024.
  6. ^ "Design for the river front of County Hall, Lambeth, London". ribapix.com. Royal Institute of British Architects. 1914. Retrieved 26 November 2010.
  7. ^ "New County Hall London. Revised Design. Elevation To River". The Times. 20 July 1908. p. 5.
  8. ^ Sir Aston Webb, PRA (17 July 1922). "The New County Hall. A Great Public Building, Thames Embankment Project". The Times. p. 15.
  9. ^ "News in Brief". The Times. 27 June 1921. p. 7.
  10. ^ Appendix 3: Works by Ralph Knott, BHO British History Online website, Institute of Historical Research, School of Advanced Study, University of London; accessed 20 July 2024.
  11. ^ "New Parliament Buildings. Northern Ireland". The Times. 5 December 1922. p. xv.
  12. ^ "City Of London School. Opening Of War Memorial Pavilion". The Times. 11 July 1925. p. 17.
  13. ^ "The County Hall. Plans For Completion Of Building". The Times. 4 January 1929. p. 9.
  14. ^ "The Architect Of New County Hall. Bronze Plaque Unveiled". The Times. 16 June 1932. p. 8.
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