Unlocking Lutyens: A Gateway to the Hidden Legacy of John Pell and Sir Christopher Wren

Abstract

The design of the ‘Arch of Remembrance’ in Leicester by Sir Edwin Lutyens, offers the opportunity of a unique insight into the design methods of the architect in the latter half of his career. These were characterised by a highly developed use of proportion in what has been described as his ‘elemental mode’ and the use of a particular number sequence to grow the design towards closed dimensional goals. This paper examines the sources of and motives for this design method and the details of its application.