Richard Rogers has written an impassioned letter to the architecture and design community urging support of a campaign to save Alison and Peter Smithson’s Robin Hood Gardens housing estate in Poplar, London.
Previous efforts in 2009 to have the building listed failed, but the case has now been reopened and a decision by heritage minister Tracey Crouch is expected this week.
In the letter, written in collaboration with the Smithson’s son Simon Smithson, who is an architect Rogers Stirk Harbour + Partners, he describes Robin Hood Gardens as one of Britain’s most important post-war housing projects:
‘The buildings, which offer generously-sized flats that could be refurbished, are of outstanding architectural quality and significant historic interest, and public appreciation and understanding of the value of modernist architecture has grown over the past five years, making the case for listing stronger than ever.
‘Last time listing was considered the views of the architectural community were ignored but we believe there is now a real chance of saving the building for posterity but only if the Minister hears, first hand, the views of the profession on the architectural merits of these exceptional buildings.
‘Can we ask you to support the efforts of the 20th Century Society by writing right now to the Minster to support listing and saying why you believe Robin Hood Gardens should be saved?’
Supporters can direct their emails to Tracey Crouch: Minister-sportsandtourism@culture.gov.uk
For details of the 20th Century Society case, see: http://www.c20society.org.uk/casework/robin-hood-gardens/
