roBin Hood gardenS
culture &
modern masterpiece or 1960s monstrosity?
this rundown east London council estate
history
in the uk (pictured at left) divided public
heritage debate
and professional opinion when the local
authority put forward a proposal to
demolish the buildings.
Saving grace
with the march of progress,
Sefryn PenroSe, Heritage ConSultant, atkinS
it falls on us all to ensure
“the diversity of our architectural heritage is very important.
our architectural heritage
it adds another layer to the cultural landscape”
remains intact. but what’s
Because of our long history and industrial changing and it reflects our lives. people tend to
valuable to one person is evolution, the british are quite obsessed about the think of something like the m1 motorway as built
another’s eyesore, and what
past. we’ve tended to retain heritage from the in the past and so nothing to do with them. but
might seem insignificant
significant architectural periods. people will always it’s likely they will interact with it to some degree.
be interested in how their ancestors lived, and that we also wanted to spark a discussion about 11
today could be prized interest in the past is deeply rooted in each of us. what heritage is, and in particular to think about
by future generations.
today, we live in a far more equal society than in the heritage of the last 50 years. For example,
deciding what to save from
centuries past, so it’s interesting to visit grand old some people would much rather drive to a
buildings that remind us of how a section of society shopping centre than visit an old mill or factory
the bulldozers and how to
with power and status used to live. there’s always a museum. that shopping centre is just as important
preserve it requires sensitivity
notion that what has gone before was better. to our heritage; it is a powerful symbol of our
and a deep understanding of
many modern buildings weren’t built with an consumer culture and an icon of our time. we
the architectural, historical
expectancy that they would last for any real length want to encourage people to look around and
of time, but that doesn’t mean we should demolish recognise that we are responsible for these
and cultural issues involved. them with broad strokes. we need to show an buildings, roads and retail complexes; they are
we asked some of the
understanding of what they meant to society, where part of the story of how we got where we are.
leading experts in the field:
they came from, and value the rich diversity of i don’t think our view of heritage has changed
architecture. there are buildings constructed today a great deal over the years. however, we have
what does architectural
that we won’t appreciate or attribute any value to, become more educated. we are more likely to
heritage mean to you?
but i have no doubt that future generations will look recognise what period a building is from, and
back more fondly. they may be to have an idea of its story and
astonished at some of the things significance. the landscape is for
we have demolished. everyone to enjoy, so it’s great that
with the Images of Change a larger portion of the population
book, atkins wanted to challenge can now appreciate it more fully.
the notion that heritage is simply
about preserving nice buildings. Sefryn Penrose is author
our heritage isn’t necessarily of Images of Change: an
handed over to the national archeology of England’s
trust and opened to visitors; it contemporary landscape
is all around us, it is constantly (ISBN 978-1905624140)
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