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
What it is and how to use it.
Investors in People: CIOB achieves gold
Reflecting a commitment to employees and members.
Scratching beneath the surface; a guide to selection.
ECA 2024 Apprentice of the Year Award
Entries open for submission until May 31.
UK gov apprenticeship funding from April 2024
Brief summary the policy paper updated in March.
For the World Autism Awareness Month of April.
70+ experts appointed to public sector fire safety framework
The Fire Safety (FS2) Framework from LHC Procurement.
Project and programme management codes of practice
CIOB publications for built environment professionals.
The ECA Industry Awards 2024 now open !
Recognising the best in the electrotechnical industry.
Sustainable development concepts decade by decade.
The regenerative structural engineer
A call for design that will repair the natural world.
Buildings that mimic the restorative aspects found in nature.
CIAT publishes Principal Designer Competency Framework
For those considering applying for registration as a PD.
BSRIA Building Reg's guidance: The second staircase
An overview focusing on aspects which most affect the building services industry.
Design codes and pattern books
Harmonious proportions and golden sections.
Introducing or next Guest Editor Arun Baybars
Practising architect and design panel review member.