Lost Futures: The Disappearing Architecture of Post-War Britain

by Owen Hopkins (contributor)

Lost Futures casts a detailed look at the wide range of buildings constructed in Britain between 1945 and 1979. Although their bold architectural aspirations reflected the forward-looking social ethos of the postwar era, many of these structures have since been either demolished or altered beyond recognition. In this volume, photographs taken at the time of the buildings' completion are accompanied by expert research examining their design and creation, the ideals they embodied and the reasons for their eventual destruction.
Lost Futures covers many buildings, from housing to factories, commercial spaces to power stations, and presents the work of both iconic and lesser-known architects. The author charts the complex reasons that led to the loss of these postwar projects' ambitious futures, and assesses whether some might one day be restored.

Genres: Architecture, Nonfiction, Urbanism

128 pages, Hardcover

Published April 25, 2017

Reviews

[Keen Reader · Rating 5 out of 5]

There are many who would say that the disappearing architecture of post-war Britain is no bad thing, and of course many of them would be right, but then again that all depends on where you are coming from. Often you will find the same plummy voiced architect critics braying with pleasure over their love for many of the Brutalist structures that have since been pulled down. Queen Elizabeth Square in the Gorbals (designed by Sir Basil Spence) being one example. But of course these people can say that having the luxury of admiring them from a safe, detached distance, knowing that they would never have to endure them first-hand, preserving some romanticised mythological construct that often bears no resemblance to the reality of living in such places.

This book opens up during the year of 1968 on the Eighteenth floor of the Ronan Point in Newham. An early morning gas explosion would signal and solidify the shifting change in outlook regarding the state of Britain’s post-war housing. Charles Jencks famously insisted that the death of modern architecture happened with the fall of Pruitt-Igoe in St Louis in 1972, a mere 20 years after it was built, which is a great point, as Pruitt-Igoe would be the rough equivalent for the US’s change in outlook too.

Although this book says post-war Britain, you will find no mention of Northern Ireland and there is only one example from Wales, with Scotland having a handful of entries. Much of the UK’s post-war Brutalist/functionalist architecture was heavily influenced by the work and philosophy of Le Corbusier and in particular the Unite’ d’habitation in Marseille. It’s one thing having such a building in the south of France, but the ideas of the Mediterranean don’t necessarily translate well to the unfavourable climate of the British Isles, with its heavy grey skies and a climate made up largely of damp, cold and windy conditions, one which does not do any favours for large concrete structures.

Some of the stories connected to the places are most entertaining, and add some real colour, like the case of Hungarian born Erno Goldfinger, who moved into flat 130 of Balfron Tower in 1968, which he designed, he held a number of champagne receptions for the residents to find out their thoughts on their new homes. We hear about Hulme Crescents (demolished in 1994) where, The Kitchen, which occupied three flats knocked together, played host to everyone from MCs and graffiti artists to dealers and prostitutes and for many it was an integral part of the Madchester scene.

Thatcherism’s devastating impact on council houses is widely reported elsewhere and the legacy is still felt widely today. But the more than 300’000 houses built in 1953 under the Conservative Housing Minister, Harold MacMillan remains the largest total achieved yet, which may surprise many. But as Hopkins shows, this came at a price, one that wasn’t just financial. Often these houses were plagued by short term thinking for short term solutions, and numbers took precedence over quality. Many of these buildings were notoriously awful, thanks to cost cutting, design faults and poor construction, they were prone to dampness, bitterly cold, dangerous and in some instances parts of them were literally crumbling to the ground. In many cases it soon became apparent that there is a huge difference between what an architect puts on paper and what the residents have to live with day to day.

One of the many fascinating things about architecture is how it is impossible to separate it from politics, psychology and community. Whether we are immediately aware of it or not architecture is always saying something to us, that is one of its main purposes and this is why it is so important as it has the power to shape so much of our moods and thinking.

Some of the structures and buildings make for genuinely arresting sights whilst others fit closer to Prince Charles’s definition of “monstrous carbuncles”. One person’s architectural treasure is another’s blight on the landscape. The quality of the photography really does justice to the integrity and ideas of the architects. Again personal opinion will dictate which you will find striking, memorable or ghastly; some examples comfortably fill all three criteria.

One of the things that I loved about this book is that so many of the locations have such an otherworldly feel about them. Looking at the black and white images it is hard to pin point where they could be, and because so many have been torn down then of course this feeds into the drama, myth and romance of these spaces. Looking at the likes of Louis Erdi’s Dover Stage Hotel (demolished in 1988) or the toy town surrealism of James Stirling’s Southgate Estate in Runcorn, New Town (demolished between 1990-92), you feel like you are experiencing something ‘other’. So many of these structures have a thrilling dream like quality, that make you feel like you are setting foot on the set of a 60s Sci-Fi movie.

I really enjoyed Hopkins writing style, he was informative without being long-winded. His points were well-made, clear and highly engaging and at times the photography is beautifully done and verges on the sublime, and as a whole this book is a really well-presented package and provides a nice overview and introduction into a highly controversial yet significant period of architecture within the British Isles.

[Luke Davis · Rating 5 out of 5]

A superb book about the lost architecture of post-war Britain. A lot of it stemmed from rushed manufacture and buildings that dated far too quickly. The writing left me fascinated and I'll certainly be looking into the history more on the back of this.

[C. B. · Rating 3 out of 5]

A beautiful selection of photographs of post-war building projects, with descriptions of the ideas behind them. It was profound turning page after page, and on each one seeing a place that a good many people would have known well. There's something touching about knowing that there exist people who lived, worked, and studied in these buildings, yet they've all disappeared. So many of these buildings were strikingly short-lived.

[Grace · Rating 5 out of 5]

admittedly I am not a fan of brutalism, however I found this to be interesting and enjoyed learning about how the design came to be. I liked the inclusion of the different examples of buildings from across the UK.

[Tom Bennett · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fascinating

[Gareth Evans · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good contemporary photographs and interesting text.

[Scott · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well-chosen photographs and clear and appealing assessments, only wish it was 10x in length.

[Yellowoasis · Rating 4 out of 5]

An interesting review of post-war British modernist architecture, particularly those buildings which have been consigned to the scrap heap or are on their way to demolition.

[Seven Pesos · Rating 3 out of 5]

I felt dumb for wondering why all the buildings featured in this book were slated for demolition or were already demolished. This book is specifically about the disappearing architecture of Post-War Britain. Wow. Would you look at that. It's in the title of the book. Took this out of the library because I like brutalism. Not all the buildings in this book were interesting to read about / look at. Some were incredibly fascinating. I found some amusement in the recurring trend of these buildings deteriorating into mugging hot spots. Overall, I liked it.