"As the exhibition explains, the council was granted new powers to direct local development in 1963, and its new department was led by a London County Council architect, Edward Hollamby, giving them a significant advantage when planning large estates. He was more interested in Scandinavian style modernism than the British New Brutalism exemplified elsewhere, and despite what you might see if you travel through the area, was more interested in low-rise developments instead of tall blocks."
"There's a lot here about estates developed for living from cradle to grave, as if people were not expected to be mobile. An odd approach for a borough that had welcomed so many people who had migration in their blood. That said, it's probably more a sign of the time and one that as with many things, only looks odd in hindsight. At the time, it's what rebuilding was expected to deliver, and generally what people wanted."
A scale model imagines Brixton bisected by a motorway and odd blocks of flats, serving as the centrepiece of an exhibition on local urban planning. The display covers 1965–1980, the period when Lambeth council took control of planning and public housing through new powers granted in 1963. Edward Hollamby led the new department and favored Scandinavian modernism and low-rise schemes over British New Brutalism and tall towers. Planning emphasised comprehensive estates intended to support residents from cradle to grave. Tensions arose as young renovators bought and restored cheap Victorian houses, clashing with council redevelopment ambitions before the 1980s council home sales.
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