The 1951 Exhibition of Architecture was one of the landmarks of architectural events of the 20th century. The 1951 exhibition focused on creating a new plan for reconstructing the Poplar borough in East London. The exhibition showcased the new Lansbury community as a model for good town planning and an example of a good urban living environment.
The 1951 Exhibition of Architecture guidebook explains the planning of the Landsbury area and describes the new public buildings and housing solutions. The buildings are presented with architectural drawings and in-depth descriptions of their architectural innovations. The booklet also contains an article about the story of the Festival of Britain and articles about the contemporary urban and architectural problems.
Plan for Posterity
Would you like a slag heap at the bottom of our garden?
Do you mind if your child plays in the street amid the traffic?
Or crosses main roads on the way to school?
Do you dislike spending your spare time in traffic jams after a hard day’s work, or after a Sunday in the country?
Do you often long for a little peace and fresh air away from smoke, soot and noise?
— The 1951 Exhibition of Architecture, p. 5.
The copy in stock is in very good condition for its age. It’s an ex-library copy, so it has some usual library markings. Otherwise, the pages are clean and the covers are tidy.
For further information about the history of the Lansbury Estate and the Festival of Britain, please visit British History Online at www.british-history.ac.uk/survey-london/vols43-4/pp212-223.
