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Louis Hellman: Archi-têtes

Celebrating both the RIBA’s acquisition of Louis Hellman’s archive in 2018 and the milestone of RIBApix reaching 100,000 images with his Archi-tête of Charles Rennie Mackintosh we present a gallery of Archi-têtes. Louis Hellman, architect turned cartoonist, is famed for his cartoons satirising the world of architecture, architects, clients, developers and politicians, most notably featured in the Architects’ Journal' for over 50 years.

Notions of anthropomorphism are popular in cultural history even extending to architecture and architects who have long made use of the human form as a metaphor for a building and its parts. Perhaps most well known are Vitruvius’ ‘Vitruvian Man’ with his arms and legs outstretched positioned within a square and circle and Le Corbusier’s ‘Modulor’ a scale of proportions based on applying the ‘Golden Section’ to the height of a man with a vertically outstretched arm.

One of the best known and fun items within the RIBA Collections is the caricature bust of Sir Edwin Lutyens incorporating an architectural model for a 'chattri' roof feature for the Viceroy's House (now Rashtrapati Bhavan) in New Delhi.

The Archi-têtes series of caricatures of architects using elements of their own buildings and style plays on the anthropomorphic elements in architecture in a unique way. The series was actually conceived as competition entry to the Architectural Review in 1984 which Hellman won. He then continued to create further caricatures, himself and certain politicians included, for the 'Architectural Review' and which were published in the book 'Archi-têtes: the id in the Grid' (2000).

View the full range of Hellman’s Archi-têtes on RIBApix.

Feature by Jonathan Makepeace.

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Robert Venturi

RIBA99734
Venturi, Robert (1925-2018)
NOTES: Hellman created his 'Archi-tetes' caricaturing famous architects in the style of their buildings for the Architectural Review, although not all of the caricatures in this archive appear to have been published. This Archi-tete appeared in the Architectural Review, 1984 March, p. 32 (in black & white).

Oscar Niemeyer

RIBA99739
Niemeyer, Oscar (1907-2012)
NOTES: Hellman created his 'Archi-tetes' caricaturing famous architects in the style of their buildings for the Architectural Review, although not all of the caricatures in this archive appear to have been published. This Archi-tete appeared in the book Archi-tetes: the id in the grid, by Louis Hellman (2000), p. 87.

Auguste Perret

RIBA99742
Perret, Auguste (1874-1954)
NOTES: Hellman created his 'Archi-tetes' caricaturing famous architects in the style of their buildings for the Architectural Review, although not all of the caricatures in this archive appear to have been published. This Archi-tete appeared in the Architectural Review, 1990 May, p. 65, as well as in the book Archi-tetes: the id in the grid, by Louis Hellman (2000), p. 93.

Philip Johnson

RIBA99743
Johnson, Philip (1906-2005)
NOTES: Hellman created his 'Archi-tetes' caricaturing famous architects in the style of their buildings for the Architectural Review, although not all of the caricatures in this archive appear to have been published. This Archi-tete appeared in the book Archi-tetes: the id in the grid, by Louis Hellman (2000), p. 63.

Hector Guimard

RIBA99751
Guimard, Hector (1867-1942)
NOTES: Hellman created his 'Archi-tetes' caricaturing famous architects in the style of their buildings for the Architectural Review, although not all of the caricatures in this archive appear to have been published. This Archi-tete appeared in the Architectural Review, 1990 May, p. 65, as well as in the book Archi-tetes: the id in the grid, by Louis Hellman (2000), p. 53.

Antonio Gaudi

RIBA99752
Gaudi, Antoni (1852-1926)
NOTES: Hellman created his 'Archi-tetes' caricaturing famous architects in the style of their buildings for the Architectural Review, although not all of the caricatures in this archive appear to have been published. This Archi-tete appeared in the Architectural Review, 1985 June, p. 88, as well as in the book Archi-tetes: the id in the grid, by Louis Hellman (2000), p. 41. This Archi-tete is entitled 'Antonio Gaudi' rather than 'Antoni Gaudi'.

Charles Rennie Mackintosh

RIBA99753
Mackintosh, Charles Rennie (1868-1928)
NOTES: Hellman created his 'Archi-tetes' caricaturing famous architects in the style of their buildings for the Architectural Review, although not all of the caricatures in this archive appear to have been published. This Archi-tete appeared in the Architectural Review, 1985 June, p. 88, as well as in the book Archi-tetes: the id in the grid, by Louis Hellman (2000), p. 77.

Philippe Starck

RIBA99754
Starck, Philippe (1949-)
NOTES: Hellman created his 'Archi-tetes' caricaturing famous architects in the style of their buildings for the Architectural Review, although not all of the caricatures in this archive appear to have been published. This Archi-tete appeared in the book Archi-tetes: the id in the grid, by Louis Hellman (2000), p. 105.

Daniel Libeskind

RIBA99755
Libeskind, Daniel (1946-)
NOTES: Hellman created his 'Archi-tetes' caricaturing famous architects in the style of their buildings for the Architectural Review, although not all of the caricatures in this archive appear to have been published. This Archi-tete appeared in the book Archi-tetes: the id in the grid, by Louis Hellman (2000), p. 73.

Louis Hellman

RIBA99756
Hellman, Louis (1936-)
NOTES: Hellman created his 'Archi-tetes' caricaturing famous architects in the style of their buildings for the Architectural Review, although not all of the caricatures in this archive appear to have been published. This Archi-tete appeared in the book Archi-tetes: the id in the grid, by Louis Hellman (2000), p. 9.

Tony Blair

RIBA99757
Blair, Tony (1953-)
NOTES: Hellman created his 'Archi-tetes' caricaturing famous architects or personalitites in the style of their buildings for the Architectural Review, although not all of the caricatures in this archive appear to have been published. This Archi-tete appeared in the book Archi-tetes: the id in the grid, by Louis Hellman (2000), p. 121.

Sir Christopher Wren

RIBA99759
Wren, Sir Christopher (1632-1723)
NOTES: Hellman created his 'Archi-tetes' caricaturing famous architects in the style of their buildings for the Architectural Review, although not all of the caricatures in this archive appear to have been published.

Sir Terry Farrell

RIBA99760
Farrell, Sir Terry (1938-)
NOTES: Hellman created his 'Archi-tetes' caricaturing famous architects in the style of their buildings for the Architectural Review, although not all of the caricatures in this archive appear to have been published. This Archi-tete appeared in the book Archi-tetes: the id in the grid, by Louis Hellman (2000), p. 33.

Sir James Stirling

RIBA99761
Stirling, Sir James (1926-1992)
NOTES: Hellman created his 'Archi-tetes' caricaturing famous architects in the style of their buildings for the Architectural Review, although not all of the caricatures in this archive appear to have been published. This Archi-tete appeared in the Architectural Review, 1984 March, p. 34, as well as in the book Archi-tetes: the id in the grid, by Louis Hellman (2000), p. 107.

Ralph Erskine

RIBA99762
Erskine, Ralph (1914-2005)
NOTES: Hellman created his 'Archi-tetes' caricaturing famous architects in the style of their buildings for the Architectural Review, although not all of the caricatures in this archive appear to have been published. This Archi-tete appeared in the Architectural Review, 1985 June, p. 88, as well as in the book Archi-tetes: the id in the grid, by Louis Hellman (2000), p. 31.

Charles, Prince of Wales

RIBA99833
Charles, Prince of Wales (1948-)
NOTES: Hellman created his 'Archi-tetes' caricaturing famous architects or personalities in the style of their buildings for the Architectural Review, although not all of the caricatures in this archive appear to have been published.

Arata Isozaki

RIBA99837
Isozaki, Arata (1931-)
NOTES: Hellman created his 'Archi-tetes' caricaturing famous architects in the style of their buildings for the Architectural Review, although not all of the caricatures in this archive appear to have been published. This Archi-tete appeared in the book Archi-tetes: the id in the grid, by Louis Hellman (2000), p. 61.

Sir Nicholas Grimshaw

RIBA99845
Grimshaw, Sir Nicholas (1939-)
NOTES: Hellman created his 'Archi-tetes' caricaturing famous architects in the style of their buildings for the Architectural Review, although not all of the caricatures in this archive appear to have been published. This Archi-tete appeared in the book Archi-tetes: the id in the grid, by Louis Hellman (2000), p. 49.

Charles & Ray Eames

RIBA125000
Eames, Charles (1907-1978)
NOTES: Hellman created his 'Archi-tetes' caricaturing famous architects in the style of their buildings for the Architectural Review, although not all of the caricatures in this archive appear to have been published. This Archi-tete appeared in the book Archi-tetes: the id in the grid, by Louis Hellman (2000), p. 27.

A Thatcher Monument

RIBA99732
Thatcher of Kesteven, Margaret, Baroness (1925-2013)
NOTES: Hellman created his 'Archi-tetes' caricaturing famous architects or personalitites in the style of their buildings for the Architectural Review, although not all of the caricatures in this archive appear to have been published. This Archi-tete appeared in the book Archi-tetes: the id in the grid, by Louis Hellman (2000), p. 127. [For full colour drawing see RIBA126081]

Norman Foster (Lord Foster of Thames Bank)

RIBA99848
Foster of Thames Bank, Norman, Baron (1935-)
NOTES: Hellman created his 'Archi-tetes' caricaturing famous architects in the style of their buildings for the Architectural Review, although not all of the caricatures in this archive appear to have been published. This Archi-tete appeared in the Architectural Review, 1984 March, p. 34, as well as in the book Archi-tetes: the id in the grid, by Louis Hellman (2000), p. 37.
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