Archigram
Archigram was a UK-based art and architecture collective that came to prominence in the 1960s. As part of the burgeoning avant garde of the time, it aimed to explore extreme alternatives to urban design as a response to what it perceived to be the dullness and intellectual conservatism of modern architecture.
Archigram was formed in London in 1961 by six young architects:
- Warren Chalk
- Peter Cook
- Dennis Crompton
- David Greene
- Ron Herron and
- Michael Webb.
Virtually all of their plans and ideas remained unrealised, freeing them to explore unorthodox and outlandish ideas which they often published in their Archigram magazine.
They were defined less by a specific set of principles, than by an optimistic spirit that corresponded to the prevailing mood of the 1960s, looking to shake off out-dated ideas and conventions. They were inspired by the technocratic ideas of Buckminster Fuller as well as the American Beat movement and Pop art.
One of Archigram’s most famous ideas was the Plug-In City which Peter Cook designed in 1964. This eschewed the orthodox assumption that buildings should be fixed in place, instead proposing a permanent infrastructural scaffold capable of supporting crane-mounted modular living units that could be moved around or ‘plugged in’ as desired by the occupants.
Ron Herron’s concept of the Walking City was even more outlandish. He rejected the notion that a city is a fixed location and instead re-imagined it as a super-organism, capable of moving on giant legs until finding a suitable place to settle.
The Instant City was a concept in which an airship would fly from place to place providing entertainment and educational resources for a metropolis. This would temporarily land in small communities, enabling them to experience a different kind of urban life.
Archigram eventually dissolved in 1974 as its members left to pursue new interests. Actual, realised projects consisted of a playground in Milton Keynes, an exhibition at the Commonwealth Institute in London, and a swimming pool for Rod Stewart. Despite this lack of buildings, Archigram’s influence was considerable, inspiring major works such as Richard Rogers and Renzo Piano’s Centre Pompidou, the Lloyd’s of London building, and the work of Rem Koolhaas.
[edit] Related articles on Designing Buildings
- Bauhaus.
- Chicago school of architecture.
- Buckminster Fuller.
- Centre Pompidou.
- Frank Gehry.
- Frei Otto.
- Futuro House.
- High-tech architecture.
- Last Futures: Nature, Technology and the End of Architecture.
- Lloyds of London.
- Megastructure.
- Plug-In to Housing.
- Richard Rogers.
- Speculative architecture.
- Zaha Hadid.
Featured articles and news
Heat pump announcements, what homeowners need to know
An 'ultimate guide to heat pumps' from a heating company.
Construction contract awards reach £7.1bn in February
Their highest level in seven months.
The journey to sustainability in heritage
Research is the key to better understanding.
Heritage approaches to adaptation, mitigation and loss.
Bridging the gap between policy, finance and installation.
Development on brownfield land
Definition, background, policy and the latest consultation.
With the Design Framework for Building Services.
Retrofit of Buildings, a CIOB Technical Publication
Pertinent technical issues, measures and the roles involved.
ECA joins HSE campaign to support mental health
Working Minds’ five simple steps based on risk assessment.
Mental health in the construction industry
Mental health issues in brief with related articles.
Transitional arrangements, Building Control and the BSR.
For pre-October buildings with substantial progress by April.
How to write an inspection and test plan
ITPs for quality control and assurance particular elements.
Why quality counts in domestic ventilation systems
From products, to systems to the installation.
Empowering the Future with CIOB Academy
Lifelong learning, upscaling, and reskilling for the built environment.
Winners of the 2024 ASBP Awards
Project, Product and Initiative according to the 6 pillars.