Robin Hood Gardens: The Rise, The Fall and The Remembering of its Tangible and Intangible Memories

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CONCLUSION Visiting the remaining East block of RHG was an unforgettable experience. Prior to visiting the site and having undertaken mountains of research, I was confident that I would be greeted by regenerated, generic apartment blocks that have replaced the project. Realising half of it was still standing was like being witness to the rebirth of the dead. To my initial experience, it was as many described it: narrow stairwells and lifts that smelt of urine, graffiti lined the crumbling concrete. However, to me and my mother’s surprise, a child came running out from one of the flats followed by her mother, then an elderly woman entering her home. Then, it occurred to us that most of these flats are still lived in to this day. It was at that point that all my research came back in flashes and was hit with emotions, knowing that this so-called ‘concrete monstrosity’ was once flooded with vibrant sounds and smells; long lost personal memories that only those who lived there can fondly reminisce over. Fig. 10 Walking through the 'Streets in the Sky', 2022

Many will argue that Robin Hood Gardens was an ill-fated experiment in a post-war, utopian way of thinking for the implementation of social housing. Whether or not this is true, at least it was an attempt in tackling such issues in an underrated and underappreciated manner. The Smithson’s approach and philosophy towards the project was a manifestation of their socialist and democratic beliefs that housing should be benefited by everyone and that they should accommodate future generations too, thinking of the future (Melon, 2014). Architects are technically servants of society within their own right. However, their duties are often overshadowed by an economic market that is loosely based on speculation (The Disappearance of Robin Hood, 2018). I strongly believe that the noteworthy ideals and unrealised thought-processes that the Smithsons devised should be educated, further evaluated, and developed in urban planning and design schools. Their architectural ambition is truly inspirational. However unattractive or uninviting the project might be, Robin Hood Gardens helps us fathom and recognise that there needs to be a closer relationship between the insider and the outsider. Even my own mother was unconvinced in entering the building without prior knowledge of the project; her judgement was purely based on its conditions. Whether the Smithson duo successfully executed their vision or not, this can be helped fairly justify the debate through two determining factors: its architectural significance, alongside the connection, the lived experiences and assessment of the people. The tangible and intangible.


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