Probably Random

What should get listed?

I heard on the radio this morning that they are talking about pulling down Robin Hood Gardens in London.

Personally I’m a fan of regeneration, like they have done in Park Hill Sheffield and what Urban Splash have done in Salford, taking cheap terrace houses which were going to be obliterated and revamping them. It’s recycling at its best! I certainly don’t agree with leaving them as they are, they are far removed from the architects intended utopia.

Why did British architects get these blocks so wrong? Hulme Crescents, Park Hill, ‘fort’ Ardwick and many many others. I think using an analogy from Joel on Software Don’t let Architect Astronauts scare you my reading of this boils down to – people learn the wrong thing from a lesson (and yes I may well have read the wrong thing into his article…). Back to the 60′s architecture. Le Corbusier designed Unité d’Habitation in the late 40′s early 50′s and this was the inspiration for many architects in the 60′s but I think they looked at the building and said, wow high-rise living how cool. but. Le Corbusier designed from a human perspective he started with people and designed how to make a living space for them, not with the idea high-rise would solve all the problems what can we do. which is why I believe a lot of these British designs fail.

I still think that the structure and the community living there should be given help with regeneration and improvement but don’t destroy it because you don’t like it. Learn from it keep it as a lesson (in regeneration) all old buildings have history, they all evolve non of our ‘Historic buildings’ are as they were first built up until the end of the second world war they were constantly evolving. it’s only since then that they have stood still.

An article on Robin Hood Gardens.  http://www.bdonline.co.uk/story.asp?storycode=3106948