Jane Drew (1911-1996): An Introduction
12 Feb 2014 – 23 Mar 2014
Vision Forum node New Cities Project presents a selection of artworks, books and ephemera related to British architect and educator Jane Drew at ICA in London.
Jane Drew (1911-1996) was a British architect and educator. Her work signaled a major shift from universal modernism to responsive and vernacular design. Drew was an instrumental agent across the projects and fields of urban and domestic design in which she worked, yet has remained unrecognised relative to her male contemporaries. She began her career designing ergonomic kitchens and was responsible for the standard height of ovens that is still used today. A close ally of Paolozzi, Moore and Hepworth, Drew can be credited for securing the premises of the ICA (both at Dover Street in 1950 and The Mall in 1968) where she with others collectively re-designed the interiors including the fittings and furniture. Contemporary art was fundamental to her designing process and while working with her husband Maxwell Fry, she commissioned artworks as integral elements within building projects – which in the UK included social housing and public infrastructure in London and various New Towns.
