The Case of Robin Hood Gardens

The Twentieth Century Society has put forward a new bid for the heritage listing of Robin Hood Gardens, the 1960s residential estate in Poplar, East London, designed by Alison and Peter Smithson. Whilst Historic England considers its recommendation to the Secretary of State, this seminar will be used as a final public effort to summarise the different arguments for listed status before the decision is made regarding the future of the estate.

It is anticipated that those attending will learn about the processes of decision-making and its impacts directly from experts involved, as well as about the notion of home in post-war Britain to now, in historical and design contexts. The seminar will develop awareness of practice-led/design research methods for exploring questions around cultural politics and architectural heritage research in housing. There will also be the opportunity to gain access to relevant research publications from the Urban Laboratory, including Urban Pamphleteer #2: Regeneration Realities, and the 2014 report Demolition or Refurbishment of Social Housing? published in conjunction with the Engineering Exchange.

View the programme here.

The event is currently over-subscribed, but you can add yourself to the waitlist on Eventbrite.

Speakers:

Catherine Croft - Director, The Twentieth Century Society

David Crowley - Professor and Head of Critical Writing in Art & Design, Royal College of Art

Alan Powers - Leader of Historical Studies, London School of Architecture

Sarah Wigglesworth - Professor of Architecture, University of Sheffield

Jessie Brennan - Independent artist

Susanne Tutsch - Director, Erect Architecture

Judit Ferencz - PhD student, Bartlett School of Architecture

Mark Lemanski - Tutor, University of East London

Murray Fraser (chair) - Professor of Architecture and Global Culture, Bartlett School of Architecture

Jane Rendell (chair) - Director of Architectural Research, Bartlett School of Architecture

Adrian Forty (discussant) - Professor of Architectural History, Bartlett School of Architecture

Image: (c) Project Architects