A Festival of Design, Architecture and the Built Environment
04—20.06.21 Across Scotland, and Online
Photo by Steve Smith
Security, Rights and Shelter:
Unlearning Aberdeen’s Tower Blocks
Look Again were delighted to host a talk as part of Architecture Fringe 2021, reflecting on the A listing of 8 tower blocks in Aberdeen with Prof Miles Glendinning, architect Kate Macintosh, and photographer Steve Smith.
Talk - Wednesday 16 June 2021
6:00 PM (BST)
// Online, Zoom //
The A Listing of 8 modernist tower blocks in Aberdeen this year has been a cause both of celebration and controversy. In the context of the Architecture Fringe, we took a closer look during this event, and ask about the ‘unlearning’ that it may enable.
Professor Miles Glendinning joined us to discuss the buildings in the wider context of post WW2 tower blocks across the globe, giving perspective to their historical value. Jane Drew Prize winning architect Kate Macintosh considered factors that have contributed to the housing crisis since the post war social housing boom, and the urgent need for new and sustainable approaches to building homes.
A new film, titled ‘Towers’, by photographer Steve Smith was commissioned by Look Again to document voices and stories of the residents of some of these buildings, and was shown during the event.
Speakers:
Kate Macintosh
Kate Macintosh graduated from the Edinburgh School of architecture (in the School of Art) in 1961. She spent 3 years traveling and working in Poland. Sweden, Denmark and Finland before returning to UK in 1964 where she joined the National Theatre team in Denys Lasdun’s office as the most junior member. From there she went to work L.B. Southwark, where here design for Dawsons Heights was selected by internal competition.
1968-72 L.B. Lambeth, Macintosh Court Sheltered Housing, 45 dwellings listed 2015.
1972 Arup Assocs Kensington & Chelsea Depot.
72-74 Ahrends Burton & Koralek.
74-86 East Sussex County Archts, projects for Fire Brigade, Education and Social Services.
86-95 Hampshire County Architects as Senior Architect, projects for Fire Brigade, Education.
In 1995 she took early retirement from L.G. set up as a partner in Finch Macintosh Architects with George Finch, designing Weston Adventure Playground, Southampton for a playground charity. This won an RIBA Award 2005.
Miles Glendinning
Miles Glendinning is Director of the Scottish Centre for Conservation Studies and Professor of Architectural Conservation at the University of Edinburgh. He has published extensively on modernist and contemporary architecture and housing, and on Scottish historic architecture in general: his books include the award-winning Tower Block (with Stefan Muthesius), and The Conservation Movement, and Modern Architect (a biography of Robert Matthew).
His current research is focused on the international history of mass housing, and he has just published the first comprehensive global overview of this topic: Mass Housing – Modern Architecture and State Power – a Global History (Bloomsbury Academic Press, February 2021). Other planned books include a history of public housing in Hong Kong (Routledge; likely publication 2023) and a history of postwar housing in London.
Steve Smith
Steve Smith lectures full-time at North East Scotland College and is an associate lecturer at Robert Gordon University. Smith started taking photographs in Aberdeen, Scotland at the age of 17 prior to completion of his studies in Advertising, Marketing and PR. Following this he moved to Liverpool, and then Cheltenham in Gloucestershire, to embark on five years of academic study in photography and professional media.
Smith moved to London in 1997 and immediately started work for Click Studios prior to gaining employment at The Courtyard Studio where he met celebrated fashion photographer David Sims. After three and a half years working as first assistant / production for Sims on jobs such as Calvin Klein , Rimmel and Jil Sander, Smith embarked on his own photographic journey in fashion and latterly celebrity portraiture.
Throughout his career Smith has studied and photographed the ever changing diverse environments in which he has lived and worked, leading to several exhibitions and continued professional development.
