London Photo Gallery - Blackwall Reach

Just a short distance from Canary Wharf's skyscraper offices is Blackwall Reach, a regeneration project with over 1500 new homes planned, about half of which are expected to be deemed affordable. This was once Robin Hood Gardens, a Brutalist council estate designed by Alison and Peter Smithson that was completed in 1972. Being an important relic of that architecture style and the husband-and-wife architect duo's first and only creation of this type, the V&A acquired a 3-storey chunk of it measuring 8.8m high, 5.5m wide, and 8m deep. The 252 flat estate was viewed as a concrete monstrosity with 'streets in the sky'. However, it had plenty of natural lighting and a generous amount of public space that shielded residents from the noisy city. Jan 2025 - the final tower is being demolished although redevelopment continues at other parts of the site Apr 2025 Brutalism as Found - exhibition from the University of Manchester