James Stevens Curl speaking at a National Civic Art Society event in 2019
The National Civic Art Society mourns the passing of James Stevens Curl, one of the most distinguished architectural historians of his generation and a fearless critic of twentieth-century architectural orthodoxy. His scholarship reshaped the study of architecture in Britain and beyond, while his public advocacy advanced serious debate about beauty, tradition, and the human consequences of design.
Curl served as Professor at the School of Architecture and Design at Ulster University and as Professor Emeritus at De Montfort University, Leicester. He was also a Visiting Fellow at Peterhouse, Cambridge. In recognition of his extraordinary contributions to architectural history, he received the President’s Medal of the British Academy for his work on the history of architecture in Britain and Ireland. Over the course of a prolific career, he authored numerous landmark books, including Victorian Architecture and Georgian Architecture, and co-authroed The Oxford Dictionary of Architecture, which became a standard reference in the field.
Curl was widely known for his rigorous and wide-ranging critique of architectural Modernism and its cultural legacy. His major work, Making Dystopia: The Strange Rise and Survival of Architectural Barbarism, offered a sweeping critique of modernism’s rise and global dominance, arguing that it reshaped cities in ways that severed architecture from tradition, human scale, and civic beauty. NCAS had the privilege of hosting Professor Curl for a lecture on the book in Washington, D.C., in May 2019.
James Stevens Curl leaves behind a body of work that will continue to inform scholarship and public debate for decades to come. His writing challenged complacency, expanded the historical record, and defended the civilizing role of architecture in shaping cities worthy of human dignity. NCAS honors his memory and remains grateful for his friendship, his courage, and his lasting contributions to the cause of beauty in our civic environment.
Justin Shubow, James Stevens Curl, Stefan Hurray