The National Trust, an institution dedicated to the provision of tearooms, gift shops and the conservation of crumbling country houses has begun to recognise the importance of the preservation and promotion of modern architecture. For ten days starting on the 25th September 2015 the National Trust in partnership with others will be hosting a series of unique one off events, tours and talks in celebration of brutalism.
The tours include, the Brutalist elements of the Southbank complex (Queen Elizabeth Hall,...
Tuesday, 8 September 2015
Heritage Weekend (19th-20th Sept)
Here are some of the Brutalist Highlights for next weekends (19-20th September 2015) Open house London/heritage open days. This is a work in progress, if you have spotted any good brutalism open please get in touch!
London - Camden
- 8 Stoneleigh Terrace (Highgate New Town, Stage 1)
Details: OPEN- Sunday 10am-to-5pm (includes hourly tours on a first come basis. Last tour 4pm. closed 1pm-2pm). Promises a tour of a flat and of the estate. More information
- Alexandra Road Estate
Details: OPEN- Saturday |...
Friday, 19 June 2015
Robinhood gardens campaign updates - 1
Richard Rogers was featured on the today programme (BBC Radio 4) this morning
highlights - Here (or listen to it HERE from the Programme (from 02.21.40))
Also: A short video on Robinhood gardens
sounddelivery via YouTu...
Thursday, 18 June 2015
#SAVErobinhoodgardens
Write today to Tracy Crouch MP and the Department for Culture Media & Sport, the minster and department whose hands the future of Robinhood Gardens are in!
Contact Details
Tracy Crouch MP, minster with responsibility -
(EMAIL) tracey.crouch.mp@parliament.uk
Department for Culture Media & Sport
(EMAIL) enquiries@culture.gov.uk
(ADDRESS)- Department for Culture, Media & Sport100 Parliament StreetLondonSW1A 2BQ#SAVErobinhoodgardens is trend...
LETTER - THREE DAYS TO SAVE ROBIN HOOD GARDENS
THREE DAYS TO SAVE ROBIN HOOD GARDENS
Sent out yesterday 17 June : A letter from Simon Smithson and Richard Rogers asking you to help save Robin Hood Gardens:
"I am writing to ask you to support listing Robin Hood Gardens as a building of special architectural interest, in order to protect one of Britain’s most important post-war housing projects, designed by Alison and Peter Smithson, from demolition.
Previous efforts in 2009 to have the building...
Wednesday, 17 June 2015
Trip to RIBA
A couple of days ago I visited the RIBA for the exhibition -widely advertised- on 'brutalist playgrounds'. The exhibition recreates three significant post-war concrete playgrounds built to provide space for adventure and play for children living in the new council estates.
The exhibition which is a collaboration between the artist Simon Terrill and the architecture collective 'Assemble' recreates the concrete structures...
Friday, 5 June 2015
Facebook group for brutalism
Interesting new group for British examples of Brutalism on Facebook
(Link he...
Wednesday, 3 June 2015
EVENT: Freedom of the City: Discovering Southbank Skate Spot
An event at the Royal festival hall by the London society, 'Freedom of the City: Discovering Southbank Skate Spot' which charts the successful campaign against the proposed 'Festival wing' development (which would have seen the under-croft, long cherished by skateboarders and graffiti artists transformed into commercial retail units) by the Long Live South Bank campaign.
The event will take place on Monday 8th June, it will involve a walk-talk with questions welcome to stimulate debate...
Monday, 1 June 2015
EVENTS/EXHIBITIONS: London Festival of Architecture
This years London festival of architecture which will run through-out June brings with it a series of interesting events for any architecture fan. Below I have listed the events which may be of interest to fans of Brutalist architecture. Unfortunately the rather inadequate booklet does not give a description of the events so I am going by the names! If you have any other suggestions let me know.
EXHIBITIONS:
'The Brutalist Playground'
where: RIBA
when: 10 June -16 August (10am-5pm)
'The Barbican Exhibition: Building...
Saturday, 30 May 2015
Camden Town Hall Annex
The former Camden Town Hall Annex opposite St Pancras and Kings Cross stations on the Euston road looked was thought to have been lost after Camden council moved out of their old premises and put the site up for sale. It was anticipated that the buyers would apply for demolition given the sites prominence and potential, with the enviable 'eyesore' arguments used as justification. However perhaps surprisingly the scheme put...
ARTICLE - Time Out: Balfron Tower
Balfron tower which has been previously featured on this blog was built in 1963 by the pre-eminent brutalist architect Erno Goldfinger and was the first in a series of similar social housing schemes, the most noble other example of course being the later Trellick tower in Kensington. The article in the weekly free London listings magazine Timeout focuses on the impending gentrification of Balfron tower with its conversion from its built purpose of social housing provision to private ownership. Balfron has lagged...
EXHIBITION: 'The Barbican Exhibition: building a landmark'
The latest in a series of exhibitions about the building of the Barbican has opened in the Barbican arts centre featured a series of fascinating (and many unseen before) pictures during construction which spanned several decades and the overcame many technical challenges (such as the burial of the underground lines underneath the arts centre as well as the creation of acceptable sound acoustics in the confined space of the new underground theatre).
Directions: the exhibition is set in the corner by the stairwell and entrance from the Highwalk...
Wednesday, 27 May 2015
ARTICLE: Barbican estate value soars
This recent offering from thespaces website charts the rise and rise of house prices in the iconic brutalist barbican - 'Brutalist beauty: the Barbican Estate’s value soars', in the last year alone it has risen by 10-15%! As the article charts there is a ready market for these flats with their very central location but mostly amongst British buyers, with there being a lack of foreign interest. One result of this has...
Saturday, 2 May 2015
FILM: a short film on Milford Towers
WATCH: A short film on the Brutalist South London Milford towers in Catford by southlondoninterest
Also catch their Blog Post on Milford Towers which I was asked to contribute to
...
Friday, 30 January 2015
Birmingham city council - Postcard protest
Send a Postcard (or a letter or email contact@birmingham.gov.uk) to Birmingham city council regarding their scandalous decision to demolish Birmingham's central library (design by John Madin)! Or to English heritage for allowing them to do it and not listing the building!
A local organisation Blue Phoenix has produced a series of postcards of the library (shown below) which you can buy at a very reasonable price HERE in...
Thursday, 29 January 2015
2015 and Birmingham's central library
2015 will mark a sad year for all those who campaign to make sure the best examples of brutalist architecture are preserved for future generations and not carelessly lost. Despite an increasing awareness of the architectural importance of these buildings it appears that planners, councils and most importantly those who we entrust to guard our heritage have not learn from the mistakes of the past and will continue in the name of modernity and progress to eradicate the best work of previous generations. I am of course talking specifically...
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