F. X. Velarde
Francis Xavier Velarde was an English architect who practiced in Liverpool, Merseyside, England.Biography
Velarde was trained at the Liverpool School of Architecture from 1920, and from 1928 taught at the school. In 1957 he was awarded the OBE. His works are located mainly in Merseyside and Northwest England, and most of them were churches. He was influenced by architectural developments on the Continent, in particular by the German Dominikus Böhm. It is unlikely that he was at all influenced by his Chilean father who died when he was five years old, he was later destined for a career in the merchant navy but was conscripted from there into the RNVR a served I in the trenches to be gassed at Paschendale, thus inevitably shortening his life, on leaving the army he went to Liverpool art school where he was discovered by Charles Riley and given a place at Liverpool School of Architecture. GV.
His design of St Gabriel, Blackburn, is considered to be "one of the milestones in the development of English church architecture towards Modern Movement style".
Although Pollard and Pevsner state that he "worked exclusively for the Roman Catholic Church", he did design one Anglican church, St Gabriel, Blackburn. Five of his churches have been recorded in the National Heritage List for England as designated listed buildings. St Monica's Church, Bootle, was upgraded from Grade II to Grade I status in 2017; the Shrine of Our Lady of Lourdes in Blackpool, and English Martyrs' Church, Wallasey are listed at Grade II*, and listed at Grade II are St Teresa's Church, Upholland and Holy Cross Church, Bidston. He also designed Roman Catholic schools, one of which is in Birkdale.
