After many years spent fighting to preserve the famous Robin Hood Gardens social housing complex in East London, the architecture community mourns another loss. Tower Hamlets Council and the London Thames Gateway Development Corporations have approved the demolition of the 1960s Brutalist complex in an effort to make way for a new £500 million sustainable development comprised of energy efficient, mixed-tenure homes and an enlarged central park. The historic building was built by modernist architects Alison and Peter Smithson and remains an important piece to Great Britain’s architectural history. Continue reading for more.
Despite objections from English Heritage, Design Council Cabe and many starchitects, including Richard Rogers and Zaha Hadid, the first phase of the controversial Blackwell Reach regeneration scheme will begin within the year. The proposal will occupy an extended 7.7 hectare site, adding 1,575 new homes, as compared to Robin Hood Gardens existing 2 hectare site consisting of 252 homes. The plan also includes a school, mosque, energy center, office, retail and community space.
