The Coventry Society is disappointed to learn that post-war artwork located in an underpass near Croft Road has not been saved from destruction.
The artwork was in the form of an Op Art tile mosaic on the wall of the underpass beneath the Ring Road between Croft Road and Butts Road. The artwork was designed by Headley Lewis.
The underpass has been removed as part of the modification of the Ring Road junction 7, which is part of the city’s Local Air Quality Action Plan. The redesigned junction will enable pedestrians to cross the Ring Road slip roads at ground level, instead of a circuitous underground route.
Robert Headley Lewis was Head of Fine Art at Coventry College of Art from 1959-1966. He was appointed Design Consultant to Coventry City Architects Department and it was in this capacity that he was asked to design a series of mosaics for installation in the underpasses at The Butts Radial Road. In 2006, one of the underpasses was deemed unfit for purpose but the mosaics were of such significance it was decided that four portions of the mosaic would be lifted, removed and redisplayed in the new Ikea car park. The remainder of the mosaic was protected and preserved underground.
Cllr Welsh, Cabinet Member for Housing and Communities said “The tiles in the Butts Road subway have not been preserved. This was investigated but, due to the nature of the structure on which the tiles were fixed, the cost to the Council would have been prohibitive. This was, particularly, as the Council have preserved panels of similar tiles from a subway that was closed at Albany Road. These tiles form part of the Tile and Mosaic trail in the city.”
The tiles referred to by Cllr Welsh are currently situated at the former Ikea building. Cllr Welsh added “Our project team are currently working on the new design for this building. Although we are in very early stages of design the team is looking to incorporate the tiles within the main entrance to the building.
“This will enable all visitors to the building to enjoy the artwork, as their current location really doesn’t do them justice.”
The Coventry Tile and Mosaic Trail was published by Historic England and can be downloaded from our website. The trail was created as part of Coventry’s Heritage Action Zone and celebrates the city’s tile heritage from medieval times to the twentieth century.
With Coventry trying to build a legacy for City of Culture 2021, perhaps its time for the city to value and preserve its mid-20th Century heritage, particularly with so much of the city centre due a visit from the bulldozer as part of City Centre South.