Despite being in the midst of a housing crisis, the United Kingdom seems bent on destroying some of the finest examples of social housing the post-war era has to offer, even tampering with the heritage-listing system in order to do so. The Robin Hood Gardens council estate, an icon of brutalist architecture, was recently demolished despite a huge effort involving nation wide press coverage and support from architects like Zaha Hadid and Richard Rogers to save it—a three story segment was even purchased quite unusually by the V&A Museum in order to salvage an intact piece of the building.
Now, it appears the Alton Estate in Roehampton may be next in line for the chopping block. According to Apollo Magazine, the complex is under threat "from proposals to demolish the center of the estate and replace it with a very large, very clashing new development." Inspired by Le Corbusier's L'Unite d'Habitation in Marseille, the Alton estate designed by London County Council's architects department is considered to be one of Britain's most successful social housing developments. The architectural historian G.E. Kidder Smith once called it 'probably the finest low-cost housing in the world'.
Developed throughout the 50s, the estate is comprised of several thousand flats, maisonettes, and houses set adjacent to Richmond Park. Though parts of the complex have been Grade II listed, the Allbrook House—which was added later on by John Partridge and Roy Stout who both went on to have illustrious careers and have a number of listed buildings to their names—has remained omitted from Historic England's listings along with a few other parts of the site. Now under the control of Wandsworth council, the Conservative-led borough has brought in Redrow property developers to consult on a masterplan for the site. With Historic England currently remaining silent on the plans, the demolition of the center of this sites appears to be inevitable.
4 Comments
Robin Hood Gardens no more? I can't hear you for the Hallelujah Chorus in the background.
Here is a 'social' estate that will not be torn down anytime soon.
One of my favorite places. Thanks for renewing my faith in humanity. Happy New Year!
filing cabinets for people.
this:
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