Journey back to 1975.
In 1975 a press conference was held at Kenilworth House in London. The meeting was called to inform the British media of the urgency surrounding the famous Italian landmark and how it could result in the tower collapsing if left with no plan in place. The press conference also introduced a British consortium that had submitted plans which the Italian Government then considered. The consortium members consisted of many talented Architects and Engineers, including John Pryke himself. Attached below is an image of the event, which includes the model used to explain the plans and how the Leaning Tower’s repairs could be carried out.
Although we cannot confirm what official plans were used to save the Tower, we know that plans were continuously developed over 30 years following the conference. In May 2008, engineers announced that the Tower had been stabilised, meaning that the Tower had stopped moving for the first time in history. They have also stated that this should continue for the next 200 years. It’s incredible to think that one of our founders was involved in such a crucial part of engineering history in Europe, developing the original plans to save such a vital Landmark.
John Pryke and Partners are no longer a trading company based on the corporate restructuring of HLN Ltd. We still value John Pryke’s work very highly, and some of our recent projects have only been possible due to the company’s very impressive archive.
