Today’s lecture with Chris Halliwell was on post war Britain and the Festival of Britain.

Post World War Two Britain was in a state of devastation. They had spent all their resources on defeating Germany, financially bankrupt, bombed out and broken. There was not enough money or energy for construction to occur so nothing was painted in years giving a gloomy look. Churchill was voted out by Labour government in 1945 with promises of improvements, such as ‘homes for heroes’ and the welfare state.

After the war came many exhibitions and festivals, but the one that stood out the most was the government sponsored Festival of Britain in 1951. The idea first originated as a remembrance and follow on and from the Great Exhibition 100 years earlier. It’s aim was to start rebuilding the future by giving a feeling of recovery to boost morale and to show to the world Britain’s creative capability in terms of building and design. Most of the festival was held on South Bank, London in a range of buildings that were designed and built by group of young architects (supporting the younger generation by allowing them experience and to showcase their work to rebuild the future) . Here they demonstrated Britain’s developments in science, technology and industrial design their background showed the living,working world of the day. The main space featured the largest dome in the world at the time, which held exhibitions on the theme of discovery such as the New World, the Polar regions, the Sea, the Sky and Outer Space.

South Bank, London

The festival was not only an exhibition but was a new public space where people could take trips to relax and have fun – It was like a ‘party time’. However, by some it was seen as a ‘waste of money’ which could have been spent on physically rebuilding Britain, such as houses. During the five months it was in operation, people commented and criticised the style building were made in, for example the Riverside Restaurant was seen as too futuristic. But this did not stop millions of people from the public visiting and enjoying it.

Developments in architecture were shown in a a barely built neighbourhood – The Lansbury Estate.  The aim of the designs were that ‘a new development should compromise neighbourhoods, and that within the neighbourhood should be all that a community required – flats, houses, churches, schools, an old people’s home, a pedestrianised shopping area and covered market. There should be pubs and open spaces, linked by footways.’ Locally sourced and traditional materials were used in the building, for example Welsh slate and London stock bricks. Lewis mumford, referring to the estate, who was a critic during the festival wrote ‘Its design has been based not solely on abstract aesthetic principles, or on the economics of commercial construction, or on the techniques of mass production, but on the social constitution of the community itself, with its diversity of human interests and human needs. Thus the architects and planners have avoided not only the clichés of ´high rise´ building but the dreary prisonlike order that results from forgetting the very purpose of housing and the necessities of neighbourhood living.^‘  However, there was such a high demand for housing after the destruction by bombs and there was not enough space to build few storey buildings and so high rise flats had to be built not long after. This went against what Britain were aiming for and it’s questioned whether this was the beginning  of the ‘death of the dream’.

The Lansbury Estate

Britain also managed to move away from its bland and gloomy colours and bringing in bright and happy colours. This was the separation from post first world architecture where the colour scheme was monochromatic. Small houses meant careful planning and design, such as the concept of stacking. They became open plan with fitted kitchens and there was a clear use of new materials, such as rubber, aluminium and PVC.

Classic 1950’s interior design

The Festival was strongly disliked by the Conservative party five months later in 1951 when they won the general election they, disapprovingly by some, closed the festival down where they demolished it all leaving no trace. However, it was always meant to be a temporary exhibition and so was expected. It was successful in profit making and did boost the morale of Britain.

I find it really interesting looking how design is continuously changing over the years. I not only learn about the creative side, but also the political, cultural and social aspects which I can take into consideration when I am designing.

References

BBC (no date) Homes – design – 1950s. Available at: http://www.bbc.co.uk/homes/design/period_1950s.shtml (Accessed: 02 November 2015).

Johnson, B. (2015) Kings and queens. Available at: http://www.historic-uk.com/HistoryUK/HistoryofBritain/The-Festival-of-Britain-1951/ (Accessed: 2 November 2015).