Housing Estates
8 galleries
Castles In the Air
Modernist social housing is one of the most widespread building typologies of the twentieth century. The post WWII transformation of cities across Europe through the massive construction of middle and working-class housing was promoted by utopian determinism.After WWII cities across Europe were transformed through the wide-spread construction of middle and working-class housing, driven by utopian beliefs that people’s social experience could be determined by their built environment. This was advocated by some of the most influential architects, politicians and planners of the day, who looked to rationalist housing models and urban theories both to address immediate population needs and to create a more egalitarian and just society. it was believed that cities and indeed the human condition could be improved through rational design.
It is only recently in Europe that high rise residential living has again become fashionable, following the disaster of the 1950´s, 60's and 70’s, when slab and tower blocks were built to accommodate low income families and waves of post-war immigrants Examples include Gropius Staatd and Madeleine Strasse in Berlin, Singerlin, Ciutat Meridiana and Bellvitgein Barcelona, Robin Hood Gardens and Alexandra Road Estate in London. Many of these relentless estates came to represent the worst effects of public housing design: crime, grime, social neglect and material decay and some continue to be so.
Yet today in Europe’s cities many of these housing estates have become iconic and their inhabitants have developed a very strong sense of community. Once neglected and entirely apart from the prevailing urban iconography they are now seen as pivotal to how these cities expanded and have become an essential element of the european city model (or archetype).
Castles in the air explores the idea of urban territory and identity ¬– the relationship between the city, and its architecture and its inhabitants. In a series of photographs taken over a period of 10 years,I look at how these urban landscapes have been appropriated and conquered by their inhabitants. Yet the human presence, though noticeable in the photographs, rarely takes central stage My aim has been to chart a contemporary visual map of the urban landscapes created by modernist utopian thought and to explore the heterodox urban aesthetic that has come to represent our urban identity and social aspirations.
Modernist social housing is one of the most widespread building typologies of the twentieth century. The post WWII transformation of cities across Europe through the massive construction of middle and working-class housing was promoted by utopian determinism.After WWII cities across Europe were transformed through the wide-spread construction of middle and working-class housing, driven by utopian beliefs that people’s social experience could be determined by their built environment. This was advocated by some of the most influential architects, politicians and planners of the day, who looked to rationalist housing models and urban theories both to address immediate population needs and to create a more egalitarian and just society. it was believed that cities and indeed the human condition could be improved through rational design.
It is only recently in Europe that high rise residential living has again become fashionable, following the disaster of the 1950´s, 60's and 70’s, when slab and tower blocks were built to accommodate low income families and waves of post-war immigrants Examples include Gropius Staatd and Madeleine Strasse in Berlin, Singerlin, Ciutat Meridiana and Bellvitgein Barcelona, Robin Hood Gardens and Alexandra Road Estate in London. Many of these relentless estates came to represent the worst effects of public housing design: crime, grime, social neglect and material decay and some continue to be so.
Yet today in Europe’s cities many of these housing estates have become iconic and their inhabitants have developed a very strong sense of community. Once neglected and entirely apart from the prevailing urban iconography they are now seen as pivotal to how these cities expanded and have become an essential element of the european city model (or archetype).
Castles in the air explores the idea of urban territory and identity ¬– the relationship between the city, and its architecture and its inhabitants. In a series of photographs taken over a period of 10 years,I look at how these urban landscapes have been appropriated and conquered by their inhabitants. Yet the human presence, though noticeable in the photographs, rarely takes central stage My aim has been to chart a contemporary visual map of the urban landscapes created by modernist utopian thought and to explore the heterodox urban aesthetic that has come to represent our urban identity and social aspirations.
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18 imagesThe Aylesbury Estate is a large housing estate located in Walworth, South East London. The Aylesbury Estate contains 2,704 dwellings and was built between 1963 and 1977.The estate was designed by architect Hans Peter "Felix" Trenton and construction started in 1963. Built on 285,000 square metres the estate was an attempt by planners to house some of London's poorest families. There are approximately 7500 residents, spread over a number of different blocks and buildings. The estate is currently undergoing a major regeneration programme. Major problems with the physical buildings on the estate and the poor perception of estates in Britain as a whole have led to the Aylesbury Estate gaining the title of "one of the most notorious estates in the United Kingdom. It has often been called the largest public housing estate in Europe, although this is difficult to verify with any accuracy. The Aylesbury Estate is an ethnically diverse area: according to the most recent census, around 25% of respondents were White British, with Black ethnic groups accounting for over half of all respondents. Around a third (34%) of residents are of school age, and fewer than 1 in 10 are aged 65 or above. Nearly two-thirds of respondents identified themselves as being Christian, with 17% being Muslim. -
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22 imagesThe history of the Hansaviertel architecture. When World War II was over, many Berlin districts lay in ruins. One of the most devastated neighborhoods was Tiergarten’s Hansaviertel. Nine in ten buildings were destroyed. The upper class residences – magnificent homes of the pre-war Bohéme – completely vanished from the face of earth. Many of the residents belonged to an eclectic society. Käthe Kollwitz, Kurt Tucholsky, Lenin, Rosa Luxemburg, Else Lasker-Schüler and many more famous artists, writers and politicians had fled and sought asylum. Others had already been dead by the time the war was over. Thus, a whole neighborhood was irretrievably destroyed, both socially and in terms of town planning. At the time, Hansaviertel provided an unique opportunity for city planners to rebuild a whole area from scratch. The initial task was to loosen the development in the central parts of the city, to basically de-centralise it and make more room for green areas. But the Cold War began and Berlin was stuck in the middle of the conflict. Both the East and the West seized every opportunity to show off their superiority in every aspect of public life here. The Sowjets started to build Friedrichshain’s superb Karl-Marx-Allee along the lines of Moscow’s. So the West reacted: Hansaviertel promised to be the ideal area for architectonical countermeasures. By the early 50ies, the properties had to be divided out. And in 1953, an international competition was arranged. The Interbau 57 (a part of a nation-wide series of architectural exhibitions) was created and provided the suitable context for development. Iconic architects such as Walter Gropius, Alvar Aalto, Arne Jacobsen, Egon Eiermann were invited to design and build the new Hansaviertel by standards and in the style of modern architecture. -
20 imagesHervanta is a large suburb, or satellite city, of Tampere in Finland, located next to Hallila some 10 km south of the city centre. Home to a population of over 26,000, Hervanta is best known for its prefabricated blocks of flats. The total number of apartments is about 11,000. Nearly a fifth of the inhabitants (some 4,500 people) are students, many of them enrolled at the Tampere University of Technology (TUT) or the Police College. The largest student housing complex is Mikontalo, in fact nearly 3% of people in Hervanta reside there. Approximately 10%[1] of Hervanta's population is composed of foreigners from 75 different nationalities. Hervanta currently covers an area of 13.8 km² and is continuing to grow. It was selected as Finland's top suburb in a survey conducted by the Helsingin Sanomat newspaper and published on 17 August 2003. The complex of commercial buildings in the town center of Hervanta was designed by the Finnish architect Reima Pietilä. -
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