CatHerine Croft, direCtor,
20tH Century SoCiety
“the physical substance and
details of a building can
give us an immediate and
Safe and Sound:
emotional reminder of our
the acoustic mirrors near
place in the world”
dungeness in kent are
the best preserved
examples of an early
every building has a story: how was
warning system used
along britain’s south
it built? why was it built? where did the
coast between 1916 and
materials come from? how did people the 1930s. the sound of
react to it at the time?
approaching aircraft was
focused onto a central
in the uk, the decision about whether a
microphone, which
building should be assigned heritage status amplified the sound.
rests on two factors: architectural and
the site is now english
heritage protected.
historic interest.
aesthetics are important, but aesthetic
judgements are very subjective and archi-
tectural interest is also inextricably bound
up with considerations of social, economic
and cultural history.
buildings, by their very nature, almost
always exist in the public realm, and those
that are to be preserved need to have
a role and function that is useful and
acceptable to the public. this sets them
12 apart from works of art in a gallery, and
makes developing a public understanding
of significance far more important.
robin hood gardens in the east end
of London (see picture on previous page) is
a good example. regardless of whether you
like it or not, everyone would agree that it
has a very strong aesthetic impact. i think
it is wonderful and has visual strength and
power. but it is also significant because of people are also aware that some of what lot of value on the things that surround them of disrepair, they have gained cult status
its place in the social and economic history marks such a structure out as different is from day-to-day. we respond to the “real” and are beautiful sculptural objects as well
of public housing, and in the history of likely to be precious, even if it is just (in the and instinctively appreciate that the physical as historical artefacts.
post-war redevelopment of London’s east view of some residents) the comparatively substance and details of a building can give people will always be interested in what
end. it is also a rare example of a built large room sizes, built to comply with more us an immediate and emotional reminder of people did in the past and what buildings
project by internationally famous architects. generous standards. our place in the world. can tell them about that. i don’t see that
people say about a site like robin hood i believe people are more sophisticated we are also inspired by the unusual, ever changing; it’s a basic human need.
gardens: “you would never be able to build in their attitude and response to heritage and by sites that embody amazing stories. however, it’s natural that our view of herit-
something like that these days.” these than they are given credit for. while there is the dungeness sound mirrors, for example, age will become more complex as society
people recognise that they are looking at still an assumption that the most important are large concrete structures that were built becomes more complex. there are so many
something from a different era, a marker of heritage sites are pretty village churches and to reflect the sound of aircraft crossing the more ways to live now, so in the future
the passage of time. grand country houses, most people place a english channel. although now in a state there will be more pasts to discover.
“tHe dungeneSS Sound MirrorS... were buiLt to reFLect the sound oF aircraFt
crossing the engLish channeL... they have gained Cult StatuS and are beautiFuL
scuLpturaL objects as weLL as HiStoriCal artefaCtS” catherine croft, 20th century society
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