Twentieth Century Architects: John Madin

By Alan Clawley

John Madin was the indisputable master of post-war architecture in Birmingham. The work of Madin and his associates had a profound influence on the reshaping of the city after the war, producing some of the most iconic buildings of that period, such as the Birmingham Central Library, the Chamber of Commerce and the Post and Mail Building.

Trained in the modernist style but too much of a craftsman to abandon decoration, his work is characterised by attention to detail, a preference for natural materials and a desire for decoration and art in his buildings.  Many have characterised Madin as a commercial architect, but as the author argues, there was another side to his work: his conservationist approach to the development plan for the Calthorpe Estate, his workman-like master-planning of Dawley, Telford and Corby new towns, his public service commissions, and his design and layout of housing schemes that are still lived-in and popular today, testify to his commitment to human values.

Illustrated with images from Madin’s personal archive as well as new photography, this book is an essential read for architects, students, architectural historians and modernist enthusiasts interested in learning more about a key figure in British post-war architecture.