Britain's still-relevant 'Manplan' era comes into focus in the RIBA Architecture Gallery this fall

The brilliant 35mm work of photographers Ian Berry, Patrick Ward, and Tony Ray-Jones is displayed in thematic categories, including ’Religion,' 'Health and Welfare,' 'Frustration,' and 'Education,' eventually showcasing a dramatic shift in their subject matter from architecture to persons. 

Along the way, the magazine’s impactful synthesis of art direction, design, and reportage-style imagery is presented inside Pyrah Design's 2D designs to add further context. Norman Foster, one of several guest editors during the eight-issue period, says the exhibition is “a tribute to the golden age of The Architectural Review which, in large part, was due to the single-minded vision of an enlightened patron of the arts with a social conscience — it is an enviable legacy.”

“This exhibition, with the raw power of its photographs, brings us back to a time of challenges, disparities, disillusionment, but also a time of questioning, protesting, campaigning — in many ways, much like our here and now. It is a timely reminder of the importance of citizens’ participation in the decisions that affect their communities and the role architects can play in creating a fairer society,” Carullo said, adding to the show's historical vein. 

Drinkall Dean provided further exhibition designs for the project.

Wide-Angle View: architecture as social space in the Manplan series 1969-1970 opens to the public on September 13th and will remain on view until February 24th next year.