Lecture Notes: Robin Hood Gardens and Brutalist Architecture

Introduction

• Location & Background: Robin Hood Gardens was designed by Alison and Peter Smithson, completed in 1972.
  • Only mass housing project built by the Smithsons.
  • The Smithsons were influential 60s UK architects.
• Current Situation: Building is set to be demolished for luxury flats. Tenants being "decanted" (evicted).

Brutalism & Robin Hood Gardens

• Brutalism: Architectural style invented by the Smithsons in the 1950s.
  • Brutalist buildings often disliked and demolished.
• Design Challenges:
  • Strangled by roads, pollution, and isolation.
  • Acoustic walls created introverted feel.
• Aesthetic Elements:
  • Facade with concrete fins inspired by Mies van der Rohe.
  • Aim for a modulated facade reflecting sunlight.

Social and Design Issues

• Architecture and Antisocial Behavior
  • Dark stairwells and cramped spaces.
  • Debate on whether design causes crime.
  • Later security measures turned it into a gated community.
• Community Elements
  • Streets in the sky intended for community interaction.
  • "Eddies" (twin doors) meant to foster neighborly connections.

Historical Context and Ideas

• Streets in the Sky Concept
  • Originally proposed for Golden Lane estate in 1952.
  • Idea: Combat social fragmentation caused by tower blocks.
  • Example: Park Hill estate in Sheffield.
• Site Design Choices
  • Bedrooms face quiet gardens; streets face the noisy Blackwall Tunnel.
  • Central mound and stone circle designed to prevent ball games.

Community and Preservation

• Resident Opinions
  • Mixed surveys: some want demolition, others want refurbishment.
  • Fondness for the community and space between blocks.
• Demolition Impacts
  • Replacing 200 units with 1,500 smaller homes.
  • Shift from social rent to "affordable" housing.
  • Economic motivations tied to development and council revenue.

Conclusion

• Implication of Development: The changes reflect broader economic and social dynamics, highlighting tensions between preservation and modernization.