st.peter's vauxhall, london

view of the stark mass of pearson's 1863-4 apse from the schools' courtyard to the east. note the uncarved panels of stone, and the lack of any buttresses. unlike street - who liked buttresses breaking up his masses even if not strictly necessary - pearson saw no need for them, using the norman method of thick wall construction and aisles to carry thrust down via a tas-de-charge. he may have hidden low flyers under his aisle roofs however; I was unable to gain access to check, but his drawings seem to indicate some, so despite the fuss he made about the subject, I suspect aesthetics lay uppermost in his mind when designing his buildings.