In the pantheon of English architecture Nicolas Hawksmoor now stands alongside the other greats of the Baroque age, Wren and Vanbrugh. But it was not always so. After his death the Palladians eclipsed his work and it was neglected to such an extent that some of his six London churches came perilously close to demolition. In 1871 the four lions and unicorns that originally clung to the base of the highly distinctive stepped spire at St. George’s had to be removed due to their dangerous dereliction. As part of the recent renovation these magnificent beasts were replaced. Each standing 12 feet high this was literally a monumental commission on the grand scale and the realisation of the project dominated my life for two and a half years. It was the most complex and ambitious commission of my career so far.
You can find out more about this project on the dedicated website The Beasts of Bloomsbury.