Fifteenth Exhibition

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“The kind of alienation to which a truly generalized approach could lead is well exemplified by the writings of some of the fathers of the modern movement – particularly on housing.” By Martin Pawley – Architecture versus Housing, 1971

EXHIBIT is proud to present “Housing and Architecture: 50 years of Golden Lane Estate” as part of its on-going project to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Golden Lane Estate (1957-1962).

This exhibition shows how the estate has transformed across 3 eras: from the Past, to the Present, and in anticipation of the Future. Extending the Le Corbusier solo exhibition at the Barbican Art Gallery presenting architecture as art form, this exhibition shifts the focus to the social mission of public housing by providing living evidence from Golden Lane Estate that closely reassess Pawley’s statement on modernist housing architecture in the UK.

50 years of Golden Lane Estate begins with a retrospective offering visitors a unique opportunity to view original competition submissions, sketches and archive materials from both private and public collections. A tiny spiral staircase transports the visitors as if through a time tunnel, to the basement cinema where the 60s film, War Game, will be projected, revealing the stunning vista of the estate just as it was completed.

On the ground floor gallery space, the vibrant community and present day neighborhood in this award-winning housing is represented through slideshows of recent community activities, oral history projects, TV featured program and video records from the Housing Design Awards. In addition to this body of media reassessment, the exhibition will anticipate the cultural future of the estate. A wealth of different resident-led community groups and organisations are already in constant dialogue and debate over the future of the roof top garden, community sports centre and the use of public space, and so contanctly reshaping the legacy of this “English Homage to Le Corbusier”* .

Accompanying the exhibition, architectural critic, Fred Scot and Andrew Higgott will give a talk on 11 March.

*Extract from journal, LANDSCAPE, Nov 08 issue, by Roland Jeffery.

21 Feb – 23 May 2009