Robin Hood Gardens
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Robin Hood Gardens is a council housing complex in Poplar, London designed in the late 1960s by architects Alison and Peter Smithson and completed in 1972. It was intended as an example of the 'streets in the sky' concept: social housing characterised by broad aerial walkways in long concrete blocks, much like the Park Hill estate in Sheffield; it was both informed by, and a reaction against, Le Corbusier's Unité d'Habitation.
The estate covers about two hectares and consists of two long blocks, one of ten storeys, the other of seven, built from precast concrete slabs and containing 213 flats, surrounding a landscaped green area and a small hill made from construction spoil. The flats themselves are a mixture of single-storey apartments and two-storey maisonettes, with wide balconies (the 'streets') on every third floor. The complex is located near Blackwall DLR station. It is within sight of the nearby Balfron Tower; both are highly visible examples of Brutalist architecture.
[edit] Preservation status
A campaign was mounted in 2008 by Building Design magazine and the Twentieth Century Society to get Robin Hood Gardens listed as a historical landmark in order to save it from destruction.[1] However, English Heritage did not back the proposal, with its commissioners overruling the advice of its own advisory committee.[2]
The campaign to save Robin Hood Gardens drew very little support from those who actually had to live in the building, with 75% of residents supporting its demolition when asked by the local authourity.[3]
In May 2009 the Minister of Culture, Andy Burnham, issued his decision not to list this estate and also granted a Certificate of Immunity from listing which means that the structure cannot be considered for listing for at least 5 years. This ministerial decision endorses the recommendation of English Heritage that Robin Hood Gardens is unfit for listing and does not deserve statutory heritage protection, leaving the way open for Tower Hamlets Council to proceed with its demolition and redevelopment which would be warmly welcomed by local people.
[edit] References
- ^ Building Design campaign to save Robin Hood Gardens, Building Design, 21 February 2008
- ^ English Heritage fails to back Robin Hood Gardens, Building Design, 8 May 2008
- ^ [1]
