The Inn at Middleton Place: Critical Regionalism at its Finest

While studying in Charleston, we spent considerable time studying the writings of Kenneth Frampton. One of my favorite projects we visited was The Inn at Middleton Place, a project that I believe demonstrates all six points of critical regionalism very well. For brevity, I want to cover three points in particular: Culture and Civilization, Critical Regionalism and World Culture, and The Visual Versus the Tactile.

Culture And Civilization
The stucco walls, chimney pots, "Charleston Green" paint, wood shutters, the rigor of the floor plan and detailing of the guest rooms are boldly modern yet rooted in historic and local contexts. Frampton laments that today’s architecture often consists of “the provision of a compensatory façade to cover up the harsh realities of this universal system”. The Middleton Inn is such an honest manifestation of its function and its construction. The parti is very simple, a solid pier encompassing the fireplaces separating mirrored guest rooms.

Critical Regionalism and World Culture
Frampton argues that critical regionalism should deal with the impact of universal civilization through architectural elements that are indirectly derived from “the peculiarities of a particular place.” The Middleton Inn was not an attempt by Clark and Menefee to simply revert to nostalgic historicism or revive a hypothetical form of a lost vernacular for the sake of doing so. The Middleton Inn is boldly modern given its location and yet couldn’t be more contextually sensitive. The building artfully bounds an existing scar in the landscape to frame a beautiful and serene place of dwelling for guests.

The Visual Versus the Tactile
All too often architecture is judged on still images. But these images lack the descriptive quality of a building’s tactile qualities. The Middleton Inn is a beautiful example of the richness and depth that is only experienced when walking the grounds. Photos are able to convey the beautiful proportions and evocative modern articulation of the façade. Only when walking the grounds, however, does one truly appreciate the full richness of the place-form. A particularly striking experience when visiting is walking on the raised earth promenade between the lodge and the guest rooms, down into the lawn. There is no more intimate of an interaction with the architecture than in this moment. The two vertical cypress walls frame a view of the lawn beyond but demand your attention with a certain tactile quality. Thirty-three years of weathering has given the cypress panels a depth and rawness that makes one appreciate the careful attention to rather simple detailing. The organic growth traversing the stucco adds an indescribable quality of architecture blending with the landscape. The Inn has the feeling that the building was ever so gently tucked into the bluff and welcomed the landscape to envelope it on its way back to the river.