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ALL IMAGES: STONEHOUSE PHOTOGRAPHIC
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(Above) Bartlett studios at 140 Hampstead Road
t’s almost impossible to better Thomas Leverton Donaldson’s imaginative and inspiring vision for architectural education as UCL’s first professor of architecture, which was declared in his inaugural lecture in 1842 and which opens this publication. The ‘labyrinth’ that Donaldson foretold has provided a fascinating and infinite space for subsequent generations to explore that continues to unfold new pathways, cut-throughs, nodes and centres. So in opening this celebratory publication, we could think of nothing more appropriate than to quote our founder, and celebrate this landmark by illustrating how this vision continues to thrive today. By no means a complete overview, this publication aims to illustrate the exceptional diversity, creativity and innovation at The Bartlett School of Architecture, and how it has accelerated over the past 30 years in particular. We make no claim for the school against the world’s most successful practitioners or practices, nor of the most influential buildings or projects; both the discipline of architectural practice and the assembly of buildings are shaped by infinitely more complex ingredients than the alma mater of individuals involved. What we do suggest however is that, on top of its fascinating 175-year history, The Bartlett has, in recent decades, become a world-leading institution for education and research, and the wave of this transformation has extended into recognition for alumni practices such as AHMM, FAT, Softroom, Asif Khan, Duggan Morris and Haptic. And, perhaps more noticeable, the diverse range of practice forms that have emerged from the school in the same period – with notable graduates such as Beatrice Galilee, associate curator of architecture and