The Seventies: Rediscovering a Lost Decade of British Architecture (Twentieth Century Architecture) - Softcover

Harwood, Elain & Powers, Alan (ed)

9780955668722: The Seventies: Rediscovering a Lost Decade of British Architecture (Twentieth Century Architecture)

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0955668727 ISBN 13: 9780955668722

Publisher: Twentieth Century Society, 2012

This new journal from the C20 Society is described by Bridget Cherry as 'essential reading for anyone who wants to understand that decade'. The 1970s is increasingly seen as a crucial time of transition when, despite adverse economic conditions, new thinking emerged to modify the Modernist beliefs of the 1960s, incorporating greater concern for the realities of life. Wit, imagination, humility and sensitivity to people and environments helped to create more flexible approaches to the design of individual buildings and cities. The history is complex and few specialist studies have appeared to date. The eleven essays gathered in this volume demonstrate the variety and surprising zest of the decade, starting with an extended overview by Elain Harwood and Alan Powers, and articles describing new theatres, art galleries, mosques and offices. Other contributions tell personal stories of the decade, from the cartoonist Louis Hellman, the architect David Rock and the historian Gavin Stamp. The period saw the first designs by some of Britain's leading practitioners, including Sir Terry Farrell and Sir Jeremy Dixon, whose colourful early projects are described by Kenneth Powell. The sophisticated revival of 1920s and 1930s White Modernism is analysed by Geraint Franklin, and Roland Jeffery shows how many architectural roads crossed in Milton Keynes. The essays are complemented by a time line charting the highlights of the 1970s across culture and politics.

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